diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cache_watcher.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cache_watcher.go
index 478d2151d9c..6cd98080c72 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cache_watcher.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cache_watcher.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	utilruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
@@ -365,17 +364,10 @@ func (c *cacheWatcher) convertToWatchEvent(event *watchCacheEvent) *watch.Event
 	if event.Type == watch.Bookmark {
 		e := &watch.Event{Type: watch.Bookmark, Object: event.Object.DeepCopyObject()}
 		if !c.wasBookmarkAfterRvSent() {
-			objMeta, err := meta.Accessor(e.Object)
-			if err != nil {
+			if err := storage.AnnotateInitialEventsEndBookmark(e.Object); err != nil {
 				utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("error while accessing object's metadata gr: %v, identifier: %v, obj: %#v, err: %v", c.groupResource, c.identifier, e.Object, err))
 				return nil
 			}
-			objAnnotations := objMeta.GetAnnotations()
-			if objAnnotations == nil {
-				objAnnotations = map[string]string{}
-			}
-			objAnnotations["k8s.io/initial-events-end"] = "true"
-			objMeta.SetAnnotations(objAnnotations)
 		}
 		return e
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/util.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/util.go
index 460879bff88..7b23c7a7af8 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/util.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/util.go
@@ -122,3 +122,22 @@ func GetCurrentResourceVersionFromStorage(ctx context.Context, storage Interface
 	}
 	return uint64(currentResourceVersion), nil
 }
+
+// AnnotateInitialEventsEndBookmark adds a special annotation to the given object
+// which indicates that the initial events have been sent.
+//
+// Note that this function assumes that the obj's annotation
+// field is a reference type (i.e. a map).
+func AnnotateInitialEventsEndBookmark(obj runtime.Object) error {
+	objMeta, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	objAnnotations := objMeta.GetAnnotations()
+	if objAnnotations == nil {
+		objAnnotations = map[string]string{}
+	}
+	objAnnotations["k8s.io/initial-events-end"] = "true"
+	objMeta.SetAnnotations(objAnnotations)
+	return nil
+}