diff --git a/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath.go b/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath.go
index b997751ec81..a104a70bc73 100644
--- a/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath.go
+++ b/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func FormatMap(m map[string]string) (fmtStr string) {
 func ExtractFieldPathAsString(obj interface{}, fieldPath string) (string, error) {
 	accessor, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", nil
+		return "", err
 	}
 
 	if path, subscript, ok := SplitMaybeSubscriptedPath(fieldPath); ok {
diff --git a/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath_test.go b/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath_test.go
index efa8e99477f..0aa6ad56d72 100644
--- a/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath_test.go
+++ b/pkg/fieldpath/fieldpath_test.go
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ func TestExtractFieldPathAsString(t *testing.T) {
 		expectedMessageFragment string
 	}{
 		{
-			name:      "not an API object",
-			fieldPath: "metadata.name",
-			obj:       "",
+			name:                    "not an API object",
+			fieldPath:               "metadata.name",
+			obj:                     "",
+			expectedMessageFragment: "object does not implement the Object interfaces",
 		},
 		{
 			name:      "ok - namespace",