diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
index 553d2cf3c2c..7531f581af1 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
@@ -250,6 +250,10 @@ func (o *ApplyOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if o.ServerSideApply && o.DeleteOptions.ForceDeletion {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--force cannot be used with --server-side")
+	}
+
 	if o.DryRunStrategy == cmdutil.DryRunServer && o.DeleteOptions.ForceDeletion {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--dry-run=server cannot be used with --force")
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go
index ca910582065..7fec5564bbd 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go
@@ -1412,6 +1412,34 @@ func TestDontAllowForceApplyWithServerDryRun(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Fatalf(`expected error "%s"`, expectedError)
 }
 
+func TestDontAllowForceApplyWithServerSide(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedError := "error: --force cannot be used with --server-side"
+
+	cmdutil.BehaviorOnFatal(func(str string, code int) {
+		panic(str)
+	})
+	defer func() {
+		actualError := recover()
+		if expectedError != actualError {
+			t.Fatalf(`expected error "%s", but got "%s"`, expectedError, actualError)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	tf := cmdtesting.NewTestFactory().WithNamespace("test")
+	defer tf.Cleanup()
+
+	tf.ClientConfigVal = cmdtesting.DefaultClientConfig()
+
+	ioStreams, _, _, _ := genericclioptions.NewTestIOStreams()
+	cmd := NewCmdApply("kubectl", tf, ioStreams)
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", filenameRC)
+	cmd.Flags().Set("server-side", "true")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("force", "true")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	t.Fatalf(`expected error "%s"`, expectedError)
+}
+
 func TestDontAllowApplyWithPodGeneratedName(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedError := "error: from testing-: cannot use generate name with apply"
 	cmdutil.BehaviorOnFatal(func(str string, code int) {