diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/create.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/create.go
index 417ee212c00..f81458a9412 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/create.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/create.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Examples:
 			}
 			schema, err := f.Validator(cmd)
 			checkErr(err)
-			mapping, namespace, name, data := ResourceFromFile(filename, f.Typer, f.Mapper, schema)
+			mapping, namespace, name, data := ResourceFromFile(cmd, filename, f.Typer, f.Mapper, schema)
 			client, err := f.Client(cmd, mapping)
 			checkErr(err)
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/resource.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/resource.go
index 83455bf7522..9055a308d58 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/resource.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/resource.go
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func ResourceFromArgsOrFile(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, filename string,
 		usageError(cmd, "Must specify filename or command line params")
 	}
 
-	mapping, namespace, name, _ = ResourceFromFile(filename, typer, mapper, schema)
+	mapping, namespace, name, _ = ResourceFromFile(cmd, filename, typer, mapper, schema)
 	if len(name) == 0 {
 		checkErr(fmt.Errorf("the resource in the provided file has no name (or ID) defined"))
 	}
@@ -281,23 +281,24 @@ func ResourceOrTypeFromArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, mapper meta.RESTM
 // 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.
-func ResourceFromFile(filename string, typer runtime.ObjectTyper, mapper meta.RESTMapper, schema validation.Schema) (mapping *meta.RESTMapping, namespace, name string, data []byte) {
+func ResourceFromFile(cmd *cobra.Command, filename string, typer runtime.ObjectTyper, mapper meta.RESTMapper, schema validation.Schema) (mapping *meta.RESTMapping, namespace, name string, data []byte) {
 	configData, err := ReadConfigData(filename)
 	checkErr(err)
 	data = configData
 
-	version, kind, err := typer.DataVersionAndKind(data)
+	objVersion, kind, err := typer.DataVersionAndKind(data)
 	checkErr(err)
 
 	// TODO: allow unversioned objects?
-	if len(version) == 0 {
+	if len(objVersion) == 0 {
 		checkErr(fmt.Errorf("the resource in the provided file has no apiVersion defined"))
 	}
 
 	err = schema.ValidateBytes(data)
 	checkErr(err)
 
-	mapping, err = mapper.RESTMapping(kind, version)
+	// decode using the version stored with the object (allows codec to vary across versions)
+	mapping, err = mapper.RESTMapping(kind, objVersion)
 	checkErr(err)
 
 	obj, err := mapping.Codec.Decode(data)
@@ -309,6 +310,13 @@ func ResourceFromFile(filename string, typer runtime.ObjectTyper, mapper meta.RE
 	name, err = meta.Name(obj)
 	checkErr(err)
 
+	// if the preferred API version differs, get a different mapper
+	version := GetFlagString(cmd, "api-version")
+	if version != objVersion {
+		mapping, err = mapper.RESTMapping(kind, version)
+		checkErr(err)
+	}
+
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/update.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/update.go
index 2a35cddbd78..8f812bc070c 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/update.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/update.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Examples:
 			}
 			schema, err := f.Validator(cmd)
 			checkErr(err)
-			mapping, namespace, name, data := ResourceFromFile(filename, f.Typer, f.Mapper, schema)
+			mapping, namespace, name, data := ResourceFromFile(cmd, filename, f.Typer, f.Mapper, schema)
 			client, err := f.Client(cmd, mapping)
 			checkErr(err)