diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go
index 3ee683b9970..cf309af7636 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go
@@ -1182,7 +1182,13 @@ func mergePatchIntoOriginal(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema Looku
 			merged = originalFieldValue
 		case !foundOriginal && foundPatch:
 			// list was added
-			merged = patchFieldValue
+			v, keep := removeDirectives(patchFieldValue)
+			if !keep {
+				// Shouldn't be possible since patchFieldValue is a slice
+				continue
+			}
+
+			merged = v.([]interface{})
 		case foundOriginal && foundPatch:
 			merged, err = mergeSliceHandler(originalList, patchList, subschema,
 				patchStrategy, patchMeta.GetPatchMergeKey(), false, mergeOptions)
@@ -1270,6 +1276,42 @@ func partitionMapsByPresentInList(original, partitionBy []interface{}, mergeKey
 	return patch, serverOnly, nil
 }
 
+// Removes directives from an object and returns value to use instead and whether
+// or not the field/index should even be kept
+// May modify input
+func removeDirectives(obj interface{}) (interface{}, bool) {
+	if obj == nil {
+		return obj, true
+	} else if typedV, ok := obj.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+		if _, hasDirective := typedV[directiveMarker]; hasDirective {
+			return nil, false
+		}
+
+		for k, v := range typedV {
+			var keep bool
+			typedV[k], keep = removeDirectives(v)
+			if !keep {
+				delete(typedV, k)
+			}
+		}
+		return typedV, true
+	} else if typedV, ok := obj.([]interface{}); ok {
+		var res []interface{}
+		if typedV != nil {
+			// Make sure res is non-nil if patch is non-nil
+			res = []interface{}{}
+		}
+		for _, v := range typedV {
+			if newV, keep := removeDirectives(v); keep {
+				res = append(res, newV)
+			}
+		}
+		return res, true
+	} else {
+		return obj, true
+	}
+}
+
 // Merge fields from a patch map into the original map. Note: This may modify
 // both the original map and the patch because getting a deep copy of a map in
 // golang is highly non-trivial.
@@ -1333,7 +1375,10 @@ func mergeMap(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta, me
 				if mergeOptions.IgnoreUnmatchedNulls {
 					discardNullValuesFromPatch(patchV)
 				}
-				original[k] = patchV
+				original[k], ok = removeDirectives(patchV)
+				if !ok {
+					delete(original, k)
+				}
 			}
 			continue
 		}
@@ -1345,7 +1390,10 @@ func mergeMap(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta, me
 				if mergeOptions.IgnoreUnmatchedNulls {
 					discardNullValuesFromPatch(patchV)
 				}
-				original[k] = patchV
+				original[k], ok = removeDirectives(patchV)
+				if !ok {
+					delete(original, k)
+				}
 			}
 			continue
 		}
@@ -1372,7 +1420,11 @@ func mergeMap(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta, me
 			}
 			original[k], err = mergeSliceHandler(original[k], patchV, subschema, patchStrategy, patchMeta.GetPatchMergeKey(), isDeleteList, mergeOptions)
 		default:
-			original[k] = patchV
+			original[k], ok = removeDirectives(patchV)
+			if !ok {
+				// if patchV itself is a directive, then don't keep it
+				delete(original, k)
+			}
 		}
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err