diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
index 584ccaf9e09..620e68c5147 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
@@ -532,13 +532,15 @@ func (p *patcher) patchSimple(obj runtime.Object, modified []byte, source, names
 
 	// Compute a three way strategic merge patch to send to server.
 	patch, err := strategicpatch.CreateThreeWayMergePatch(original, modified, current, versionedObject, p.overwrite, strategicpatch.SMPatchVersion_1_5)
+	// If creating a patch fails, retrying with SMPatchVersion_1_0 is not helpful. So we return the error.
 	if err != nil {
 		format := "creating patch with:\noriginal:\n%s\nmodified:\n%s\ncurrent:\n%s\nfor:"
 		return nil, cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf(format, original, modified, current), source, err)
 	}
 	_, err = p.helper.Patch(namespace, name, api.StrategicMergePatchType, patch)
-	if err != nil {
-		// Retry SMPatchVersion_1_0 when applying the SMPatchVersion_1_5 patch
+	if errors.IsInternalError(err) {
+		// Retry SMPatchVersion_1_0 when applying the SMPatchVersion_1_5 patch returns an Internal Error (500).
+		// Because the failure may be due to the server not supporting the SMPatchVersion_1_5 patch.
 		patch, err = strategicpatch.CreateThreeWayMergePatch(original, modified, current, versionedObject, p.overwrite, strategicpatch.SMPatchVersion_1_0)
 		if err != nil {
 			format := "creating patch with:\noriginal:\n%s\nmodified:\n%s\ncurrent:\n%s\nfor:"
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/edit.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/edit.go
index 14814110018..36bc46e7956 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/edit.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/edit.go
@@ -487,6 +487,7 @@ func visitToPatch(originalObj runtime.Object, updates *resource.Info,
 		preconditions := []strategicpatch.PreconditionFunc{strategicpatch.RequireKeyUnchanged("apiVersion"),
 			strategicpatch.RequireKeyUnchanged("kind"), strategicpatch.RequireMetadataKeyUnchanged("name")}
 		patch, err := strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergePatch(originalJS, editedJS, currOriginalObj, strategicpatch.SMPatchVersion_1_5, preconditions...)
+		// If creating a patch fails, retrying with SMPatchVersion_1_0 is not helpful. So we return the error.
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.V(4).Infof("Unable to calculate diff, no merge is possible: %v", err)
 			if strategicpatch.IsPreconditionFailed(err) {
@@ -498,13 +499,16 @@ func visitToPatch(originalObj runtime.Object, updates *resource.Info,
 		results.version = defaultVersion
 		patched, err := resource.NewHelper(info.Client, info.Mapping).Patch(info.Namespace, info.Name, api.StrategicMergePatchType, patch)
 		if err != nil {
-			// Retry SMPatchVersion_1_0 when applying the SMPatchVersion_1_5 patch
-			patch, err = strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergePatch(originalJS, editedJS, currOriginalObj, strategicpatch.SMPatchVersion_1_0)
-			if err != nil {
-				glog.V(4).Infof("Unable to calculate diff, no merge is possible: %v", err)
-				return err
+			// Retry SMPatchVersion_1_0 when applying the SMPatchVersion_1_5 patch returns an Internal Error (500).
+			// Because the failure may be due to the server not supporting the SMPatchVersion_1_5 patch.
+			if errors.IsInternalError(err) {
+				patch, err = strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergePatch(originalJS, editedJS, currOriginalObj, strategicpatch.SMPatchVersion_1_0)
+				if err != nil {
+					glog.V(4).Infof("Unable to calculate diff, no merge is possible: %v", err)
+					return err
+				}
+				patched, err = resource.NewHelper(info.Client, info.Mapping).Patch(info.Namespace, info.Name, api.StrategicMergePatchType, patch)
 			}
-			patched, err = resource.NewHelper(info.Client, info.Mapping).Patch(info.Namespace, info.Name, api.StrategicMergePatchType, patch)
 			if err != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintln(out, results.addError(err, info))
 				return nil