diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic/registry/dryrun.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic/registry/dryrun.go
index 018e4b4c52d..c8db56b2bab 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic/registry/dryrun.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/registry/generic/registry/dryrun.go
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ package registry
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/conversion"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage"
@@ -72,19 +75,30 @@ func (s *DryRunnableStorage) GuaranteedUpdate(
 	ctx context.Context, key string, destination runtime.Object, ignoreNotFound bool,
 	preconditions *storage.Preconditions, tryUpdate storage.UpdateFunc, dryRun bool, cachedExistingObject runtime.Object) error {
 	if dryRun {
-		err := s.Storage.Get(ctx, key, storage.GetOptions{IgnoreNotFound: ignoreNotFound}, destination)
+		var current runtime.Object
+		v, err := conversion.EnforcePtr(destination)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to convert output object to pointer: %v", err)
+		}
+		if u, ok := v.Addr().Interface().(runtime.Unstructured); ok {
+			current = u.NewEmptyInstance()
+		} else {
+			current = reflect.New(v.Type()).Interface().(runtime.Object)
+		}
+
+		err = s.Storage.Get(ctx, key, storage.GetOptions{IgnoreNotFound: ignoreNotFound}, current)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		err = preconditions.Check(key, destination)
+		err = preconditions.Check(key, current)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		rev, err := s.Versioner().ObjectResourceVersion(destination)
+		rev, err := s.Versioner().ObjectResourceVersion(current)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		updated, _, err := tryUpdate(destination, storage.ResponseMeta{ResourceVersion: rev})
+		updated, _, err := tryUpdate(current, storage.ResponseMeta{ResourceVersion: rev})
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}