diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/BUILD b/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/BUILD
index af405013..0a3e1b54 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/BUILD
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/BUILD
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ go_library(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/net:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme:go_default_library",
-        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1/ref:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/rest:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/event_expansion.go b/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/event_expansion.go
index 96649d0e..6929ade1 100644
--- a/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/event_expansion.go
+++ b/kubernetes/typed/core/v1/event_expansion.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1/ref"
+	ref "k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference"
 )
 
 // The EventExpansion interface allows manually adding extra methods to the EventInterface.
diff --git a/tools/record/BUILD b/tools/record/BUILD
index a938064f..f74f58c5 100644
--- a/tools/record/BUILD
+++ b/tools/record/BUILD
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ go_test(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/diff:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme:go_default_library",
-        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1/ref:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/rest:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ go_library(
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch:go_default_library",
-        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1/ref:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/rest:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/tools/record/event.go b/tools/record/event.go
index 67b59fd2..b5ec4465 100644
--- a/tools/record/event.go
+++ b/tools/record/event.go
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/clock"
 	utilruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1/ref"
 	restclient "k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	ref "k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference"
 
 	"net/http"
 
diff --git a/tools/record/event_test.go b/tools/record/event_test.go
index ffd1244b..33889a9a 100644
--- a/tools/record/event_test.go
+++ b/tools/record/event_test.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/clock"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1/ref"
 	restclient "k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	ref "k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference"
 )
 
 type testEventSink struct {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/ref/BUILD b/tools/reference/BUILD
similarity index 100%
rename from pkg/api/v1/ref/BUILD
rename to tools/reference/BUILD
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/ref/ref.go b/tools/reference/ref.go
similarity index 99%
rename from pkg/api/v1/ref/ref.go
rename to tools/reference/ref.go
index f5d613d1..5cf77219 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/ref/ref.go
+++ b/tools/reference/ref.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package ref
+package reference
 
 import (
 	"errors"