diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/metadata/metadata.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/metadata/metadata.go
index 2cc7e22adf7..a19ba13049f 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/metadata/metadata.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/metadata/metadata.go
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/watchlist"
 )
 
 var deleteScheme = runtime.NewScheme()
@@ -218,6 +220,24 @@ func (c *client) Get(ctx context.Context, name string, opts metav1.GetOptions, s
 
 // List returns all resources within the specified scope (namespace or cluster).
 func (c *client) List(ctx context.Context, opts metav1.ListOptions) (*metav1.PartialObjectMetadataList, error) {
+	if watchListOptions, hasWatchListOptionsPrepared, watchListOptionsErr := watchlist.PrepareWatchListOptionsFromListOptions(opts); watchListOptionsErr != nil {
+		klog.FromContext(ctx).Error(watchListOptionsErr, "Failed preparing watchlist options, falling back to the standard LIST semantics", "resource", c.resource)
+	} else if hasWatchListOptionsPrepared {
+		result, err := c.watchList(ctx, watchListOptions)
+		if err == nil {
+			consistencydetector.CheckWatchListFromCacheDataConsistencyIfRequested(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("watchlist request for %v", c.resource), c.list, opts, result)
+			return result, nil
+		}
+		klog.FromContext(ctx).Error(err, "The watchlist request ended with an error, falling back to the standard LIST semantics", "resource", c.resource)
+	}
+	result, err := c.list(ctx, opts)
+	if err == nil {
+		consistencydetector.CheckListFromCacheDataConsistencyIfRequested(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("list request for %v", c.resource), c.list, opts, result)
+	}
+	return result, err
+}
+
+func (c *client) list(ctx context.Context, opts metav1.ListOptions) (*metav1.PartialObjectMetadataList, error) {
 	result := c.client.client.Get().AbsPath(c.makeURLSegments("")...).
 		SetHeader("Accept", "application/vnd.kubernetes.protobuf;as=PartialObjectMetadataList;g=meta.k8s.io;v=v1,application/json;as=PartialObjectMetadataList;g=meta.k8s.io;v=v1,application/json").
 		SpecificallyVersionedParams(&opts, dynamicParameterCodec, versionV1).
@@ -249,6 +269,25 @@ func (c *client) List(ctx context.Context, opts metav1.ListOptions) (*metav1.Par
 	return partial, nil
 }
 
+// watchList establishes a watch stream with the server and returns PartialObjectMetadataList.
+func (c *client) watchList(ctx context.Context, opts metav1.ListOptions) (*metav1.PartialObjectMetadataList, error) {
+	var timeout time.Duration
+	if opts.TimeoutSeconds != nil {
+		timeout = time.Duration(*opts.TimeoutSeconds) * time.Second
+	}
+
+	result := &metav1.PartialObjectMetadataList{}
+	err := c.client.client.Get().
+		AbsPath(c.makeURLSegments("")...).
+		SetHeader("Accept", "application/vnd.kubernetes.protobuf;as=PartialObjectMetadata;g=meta.k8s.io;v=v1,application/json;as=PartialObjectMetadata;g=meta.k8s.io;v=v1,application/json").
+		SpecificallyVersionedParams(&opts, dynamicParameterCodec, versionV1).
+		Timeout(timeout).
+		WatchList(ctx).
+		Into(result)
+
+	return result, err
+}
+
 // Watch finds all changes to the resources in the specified scope (namespace or cluster).
 func (c *client) Watch(ctx context.Context, opts metav1.ListOptions) (watch.Interface, error) {
 	var timeout time.Duration
diff --git a/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go b/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go
index 0e5e131a2cc..46541757fd5 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apimachinery/watchlist.go
@@ -31,12 +31,14 @@ import (
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
 	clientfeatures "k8s.io/client-go/features"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/metadata"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector"
@@ -66,13 +68,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("API Streaming (aka. WatchList)", framework.WithSerial(), fe
 			nil,
 		)
 
-		ginkgo.By(fmt.Sprintf("Adding 5 secrets to %s namespace", f.Namespace.Name))
-		var expectedSecrets []v1.Secret
-		for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
-			secret, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Secrets(f.Namespace.Name).Create(ctx, newSecret(fmt.Sprintf("secret-%d", i)), metav1.CreateOptions{})
-			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
-			expectedSecrets = append(expectedSecrets, *secret)
-		}
+		expectedSecrets := addWellKnownSecrets(ctx, f)
 
 		ginkgo.By("Starting the secret informer")
 		go secretInformer.Run(stopCh)
@@ -99,13 +95,7 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("API Streaming (aka. WatchList)", framework.WithSerial(), fe
 	ginkgo.It("should be requested by client-go's List method when WatchListClient is enabled", func(ctx context.Context) {
 		featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(ginkgo.GinkgoTB(), utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, featuregate.Feature(clientfeatures.WatchListClient), true)
 
-		ginkgo.By(fmt.Sprintf("Adding 5 secrets to %s namespace", f.Namespace.Name))
-		var expectedSecrets []v1.Secret
-		for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
-			secret, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Secrets(f.Namespace.Name).Create(ctx, newSecret(fmt.Sprintf("secret-%d", i)), metav1.CreateOptions{})
-			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
-			expectedSecrets = append(expectedSecrets, *secret)
-		}
+		expectedSecrets := addWellKnownSecrets(ctx, f)
 
 		rt, clientConfig := clientConfigWithRoundTripper(f)
 		wrappedKubeClient, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(clientConfig)
@@ -152,6 +142,35 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("API Streaming (aka. WatchList)", framework.WithSerial(), fe
 		expectedRequestMadeByDynamicClient := getExpectedRequestMadeByClientFor(secretList.GetResourceVersion())
 		gomega.Expect(rt.actualRequests).To(gomega.Equal(expectedRequestMadeByDynamicClient))
 	})
+	ginkgo.It("should be requested by metadata client's List method when WatchListClient is enabled", func(ctx context.Context) {
+		featuregatetesting.SetFeatureGateDuringTest(ginkgo.GinkgoTB(), utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate, featuregate.Feature(clientfeatures.WatchListClient), true)
+
+		metaClient, err := metadata.NewForConfig(f.ClientConfig())
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		expectedMetaSecrets := []metav1.PartialObjectMetadata{}
+		for _, addedSecret := range addWellKnownSecrets(ctx, f) {
+			addedSecretMeta, err := metaClient.Resource(v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("secrets")).Namespace(f.Namespace.Name).Get(ctx, addedSecret.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+			framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+			expectedMetaSecrets = append(expectedMetaSecrets, *addedSecretMeta)
+		}
+
+		rt, clientConfig := clientConfigWithRoundTripper(f)
+		wrappedMetaClient, err := metadata.NewForConfig(clientConfig)
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+
+		ginkgo.By("Streaming secrets metadata from the server")
+		secretMetaList, err := wrappedMetaClient.Resource(v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithResource("secrets")).Namespace(f.Namespace.Name).List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+
+		ginkgo.By("Verifying if the secret meta list was properly streamed")
+		streamedMetaSecrets := secretMetaList.Items
+		gomega.Expect(cmp.Equal(expectedMetaSecrets, streamedMetaSecrets)).To(gomega.BeTrueBecause("data received via watchlist must match the added data"))
+		gomega.Expect(secretMetaList.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind()).To(gomega.Equal(schema.GroupVersion{}.WithKind("PartialObjectMetadataList")))
+
+		ginkgo.By("Verifying if expected requests were sent to the server")
+		expectedRequestMadeByMetaClient := getExpectedRequestMadeByClientFor(secretMetaList.GetResourceVersion())
+		gomega.Expect(rt.actualRequests).To(gomega.Equal(expectedRequestMadeByMetaClient))
+	})
 })
 
 type roundTripper struct {
@@ -204,6 +223,17 @@ func getExpectedRequestMadeByClientFor(rv string) []string {
 	return expectedRequestMadeByClient
 }
 
+func addWellKnownSecrets(ctx context.Context, f *framework.Framework) []v1.Secret {
+	ginkgo.By(fmt.Sprintf("Adding 5 secrets to %s namespace", f.Namespace.Name))
+	var secrets []v1.Secret
+	for i := 1; i <= 5; i++ {
+		secret, err := f.ClientSet.CoreV1().Secrets(f.Namespace.Name).Create(ctx, newSecret(fmt.Sprintf("secret-%d", i)), metav1.CreateOptions{})
+		framework.ExpectNoError(err)
+		secrets = append(secrets, *secret)
+	}
+	return secrets
+}
+
 type byName []v1.Secret
 
 func (a byName) Len() int           { return len(a) }