diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/rollingupdate.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/rollingupdate.go
index fb655a82a8d..80fa70efad8 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/rollingupdate.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/rollingupdate.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/resource"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -72,56 +73,41 @@ func RunRollingUpdate(f *Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []stri
 		return util.UsageError(cmd, "Must specify the controller to update")
 	}
 	oldName := args[0]
-	schema, err := f.Validator()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	clientConfig, err := f.ClientConfig()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	cmdApiVersion := clientConfig.Version
-
-	mapper, typer := f.Object()
-	// TODO: use resource.Builder instead
-	mapping, namespace, newName, data, err := util.ResourceFromFile(filename, typer, mapper, schema, cmdApiVersion)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if mapping.Kind != "ReplicationController" {
-		return util.UsageError(cmd, "%s does not specify a valid ReplicationController", filename)
-	}
-	if oldName == newName {
-		return util.UsageError(cmd, "%s cannot have the same name as the existing ReplicationController %s",
-			filename, oldName)
-	}
 
 	cmdNamespace, err := f.DefaultNamespace()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
+	mapper, typer := f.Object()
 	// TODO: use resource.Builder instead
-	err = util.CompareNamespace(cmdNamespace, namespace)
+	obj, err := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, f.ClientMapperForCommand(cmd)).
+		NamespaceParam(cmdNamespace).RequireNamespace().
+		FilenameParam(filename).
+		Do().
+		Object()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	newRc, ok := obj.(*api.ReplicationController)
+	if !ok {
+		return util.UsageError(cmd, "%s does not specify a valid ReplicationController", filename)
+	}
+	newName := newRc.Name
+	if oldName == newName {
+		return util.UsageError(cmd, "%s cannot have the same name as the existing ReplicationController %s",
+			filename, oldName)
+	}
 
 	client, err := f.Client()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	obj, err := mapping.Codec.Decode(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	newRc := obj.(*api.ReplicationController)
-
-	updater := kubectl.NewRollingUpdater(cmdNamespace, client)
+	updater := kubectl.NewRollingUpdater(newRc.Namespace, client)
 
 	// fetch rc
-	oldRc, err := client.ReplicationControllers(cmdNamespace).Get(oldName)
+	oldRc, err := client.ReplicationControllers(newRc.Namespace).Get(oldName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/resource.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/resource.go
index ad39689d9fd..1ceca6279d0 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/resource.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/resource.go
@@ -17,13 +17,9 @@ limitations under the License.
 package util
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api/meta"
-	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api/validation"
-	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 )
 
 // ResourceFromArgs expects two arguments with a given type, and extracts the fields necessary
@@ -52,69 +48,3 @@ func ResourceFromArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, mapper meta.RESTMapper,
 	mapping, err = mapper.RESTMapping(kind, version)
 	return
 }
-
-// ResourceFromFile retrieves the name and namespace from a valid file. If the file does not
-// resolve to a known type an error is returned. The returned mapping can be used to determine
-// the correct REST endpoint to modify this resource with.
-// DEPRECATED: Use resource.Builder
-func ResourceFromFile(filename string, typer runtime.ObjectTyper, mapper meta.RESTMapper, schema validation.Schema, cmdVersion string) (mapping *meta.RESTMapping, namespace, name string, data []byte, err error) {
-	data, err = ReadConfigData(filename)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	objVersion, kind, err := typer.DataVersionAndKind(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	// TODO: allow unversioned objects?
-	if len(objVersion) == 0 {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("the resource in the provided file has no apiVersion defined")
-	}
-
-	err = schema.ValidateBytes(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	// decode using the version stored with the object (allows codec to vary across versions)
-	mapping, err = mapper.RESTMapping(kind, objVersion)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	obj, err := mapping.Codec.Decode(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	meta := mapping.MetadataAccessor
-	namespace, err = meta.Namespace(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-	name, err = meta.Name(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	// if the preferred API version differs, get a different mapper
-	if cmdVersion != objVersion {
-		mapping, err = mapper.RESTMapping(kind, cmdVersion)
-	}
-	return
-}
-
-// CompareNamespace returns an error if the namespace the user has provided on the CLI
-// or via the default namespace file does not match the namespace of an input file. This
-// prevents a user from unintentionally updating the wrong namespace.
-// DEPRECATED: Use resource.Builder
-func CompareNamespace(defaultNamespace, namespace string) error {
-	if len(namespace) > 0 {
-		if defaultNamespace != namespace {
-			return fmt.Errorf("the namespace from the provided file %q does not match the namespace %q. You must pass '--namespace=%s' to perform this operation.", namespace, defaultNamespace, namespace)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}