diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go
index 8c56f51e3b3..a105fc012f4 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go
@@ -208,6 +208,13 @@ func (i *initializer) Admit(a admission.Attributes) (err error) {
 		}
 		updated := accessor.GetInitializers()
 
+		// controllers deployed with an empty initializers.pending have their initializers set to nil
+		// but should be able to update without changing their manifest
+		if updated != nil && len(updated.Pending) == 0 && updated.Result == nil {
+			accessor.SetInitializers(nil)
+			updated = nil
+		}
+
 		existingAccessor, err := meta.Accessor(a.GetOldObject())
 		if err != nil {
 			// if the old object does not have an accessor, but the new one does, error out
@@ -222,9 +229,6 @@ func (i *initializer) Admit(a admission.Attributes) (err error) {
 
 		glog.V(5).Infof("Modifying uninitialized resource %s", a.GetResource())
 
-		if updated != nil && len(updated.Pending) == 0 && updated.Result == nil {
-			accessor.SetInitializers(nil)
-		}
 		// because we are called before validation, we need to ensure the update transition is valid.
 		if errs := validation.ValidateInitializersUpdate(updated, existing, initializerFieldPath); len(errs) > 0 {
 			return errors.NewInvalid(a.GetKind().GroupKind(), a.GetName(), errs)
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go
index cd8728379f2..0832fe8d1be 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go
@@ -152,6 +152,22 @@ func TestAdmitUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 			newInitializers: &metav1.Initializers{Pending: []metav1.Initializer{{Name: "init.k8s.io"}}},
 			err:             "field is immutable once initialization has completed",
 		},
+		{
+			name:            "empty initializer list is treated as nil initializer",
+			oldInitializers: nil,
+			newInitializers: &metav1.Initializers{},
+			verifyUpdatedObj: func(obj runtime.Object) (bool, string) {
+				accessor, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
+				if err != nil {
+					return false, "cannot get accessor"
+				}
+				if accessor.GetInitializers() != nil {
+					return false, "expect nil initializers"
+				}
+				return true, ""
+			},
+			err: "",
+		},
 	}
 
 	plugin := initializer{