diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors/errors.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors/errors.go
index 9960600be33..3a2c9549ba2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors/errors.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors/errors.go
@@ -352,6 +352,14 @@ func NewGenericServerResponse(code int, verb string, qualifiedResource schema.Gr
 		reason = metav1.StatusReasonForbidden
 		// the server message has details about who is trying to perform what action.  Keep its message.
 		message = serverMessage
+	case http.StatusNotAcceptable:
+		reason = metav1.StatusReasonNotAcceptable
+		// the server message has details about what types are acceptable
+		message = serverMessage
+	case http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType:
+		reason = metav1.StatusReasonUnsupportedMediaType
+		// the server message has details about what types are acceptable
+		message = serverMessage
 	case http.StatusMethodNotAllowed:
 		reason = metav1.StatusReasonMethodNotAllowed
 		message = "the server does not allow this method on the requested resource"
@@ -434,6 +442,16 @@ func IsResourceExpired(err error) bool {
 	return ReasonForError(err) == metav1.StatusReasonExpired
 }
 
+// IsNotAcceptable determines if err is an error which indicates that the request failed due to an invalid Accept header
+func IsNotAcceptable(err error) bool {
+	return ReasonForError(err) == metav1.StatusReasonNotAcceptable
+}
+
+// IsUnsupportedMediaType determines if err is an error which indicates that the request failed due to an invalid Content-Type header
+func IsUnsupportedMediaType(err error) bool {
+	return ReasonForError(err) == metav1.StatusReasonUnsupportedMediaType
+}
+
 // IsMethodNotSupported determines if the err is an error which indicates the provided action could not
 // be performed because it is not supported by the server.
 func IsMethodNotSupported(err error) bool {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go
index c8ee4e5d65b..750080770c4 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go
@@ -651,6 +651,18 @@ const (
 	// can only be created. API calls that return MethodNotAllowed can never succeed.
 	StatusReasonMethodNotAllowed StatusReason = "MethodNotAllowed"
 
+	// StatusReasonNotAcceptable means that the accept types indicated by the client were not acceptable
+	// to the server - for instance, attempting to receive protobuf for a resource that supports only json and yaml.
+	// API calls that return NotAcceptable can never succeed.
+	// Status code 406
+	StatusReasonNotAcceptable StatusReason = "NotAcceptable"
+
+	// StatusReasonUnsupportedMediaType means that the content type sent by the client is not acceptable
+	// to the server - for instance, attempting to send protobuf for a resource that supports only json and yaml.
+	// API calls that return UnsupportedMediaType can never succeed.
+	// Status code 415
+	StatusReasonUnsupportedMediaType StatusReason = "UnsupportedMediaType"
+
 	// StatusReasonInternalError indicates that an internal error occurred, it is unexpected
 	// and the outcome of the call is unknown.
 	// Details (optional):
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/negotiation/errors.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/negotiation/errors.go
index 07bc8e280f4..93b17cfb097 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/negotiation/errors.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/negotiation/errors.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (e errNotAcceptable) Status() metav1.Status {
 	return metav1.Status{
 		Status:  metav1.StatusFailure,
 		Code:    http.StatusNotAcceptable,
-		Reason:  metav1.StatusReason("NotAcceptable"),
+		Reason:  metav1.StatusReasonNotAcceptable,
 		Message: e.Error(),
 	}
 }
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func (e errUnsupportedMediaType) Status() metav1.Status {
 	return metav1.Status{
 		Status:  metav1.StatusFailure,
 		Code:    http.StatusUnsupportedMediaType,
-		Reason:  metav1.StatusReason("UnsupportedMediaType"),
+		Reason:  metav1.StatusReasonUnsupportedMediaType,
 		Message: e.Error(),
 	}
 }