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 f85247e3912..2722af720c7 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package apply
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@ var (
 		kubectl apply --prune -f manifest.yaml --all --prune-whitelist=core/v1/ConfigMap`))
 
 	warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation = "Warning: resource %[1]s is missing the %[2]s annotation which is required by %[3]s apply. %[3]s apply should only be used on resources created declaratively by either %[3]s create --save-config or %[3]s apply. The missing annotation will be patched automatically.\n"
+	warningChangesOnDeletingResource     = "Warning: Detected changes to resource %[1]s which is currently being deleted.\n"
 )
 
 // NewApplyOptions creates new ApplyOptions for the `apply` command
@@ -469,6 +471,8 @@ See http://k8s.io/docs/reference/using-api/api-concepts/#conflicts`, err)
 
 		info.Refresh(obj, true)
 
+		WarnIfDeleting(info.Object, o.ErrOut)
+
 		if err := o.MarkObjectVisited(info); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -556,6 +560,8 @@ See http://k8s.io/docs/reference/using-api/api-concepts/#conflicts`, err)
 
 		info.Refresh(patchedObject, true)
 
+		WarnIfDeleting(info.Object, o.ErrOut)
+
 		if string(patchBytes) == "{}" && !o.shouldPrintObject() {
 			printer, err := o.ToPrinter("unchanged")
 			if err != nil {
@@ -708,3 +714,12 @@ func GetApplyFieldManagerFlag(cmd *cobra.Command, serverSide bool) string {
 
 	return FieldManagerClientSideApply
 }
+
+// WarnIfDeleting prints a warning if a resource is being deleted
+func WarnIfDeleting(obj runtime.Object, stderr io.Writer) {
+	metadata, _ := meta.Accessor(obj)
+	if metadata != nil && metadata.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
+		// just warn the user about the conflict
+		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, warningChangesOnDeletingResource, metadata.GetName())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
index 75ee84b7d6b..74984350648 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
@@ -564,6 +564,9 @@ func (o *DiffOptions) Run() error {
 				break
 			}
 		}
+
+		apply.WarnIfDeleting(info.Object, o.Diff.ErrOut)
+
 		return err
 	})
 	if err != nil {