diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go b/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go
index 35be8a5f408..635f64777c4 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/conversion.go
@@ -387,7 +387,9 @@ func Convert_api_ReplicationControllerSpec_To_v1_ReplicationControllerSpec(in *a
 }
 
 func Convert_v1_ReplicationControllerSpec_To_api_ReplicationControllerSpec(in *ReplicationControllerSpec, out *api.ReplicationControllerSpec, s conversion.Scope) error {
-	out.Replicas = *in.Replicas
+	if in.Replicas != nil {
+		out.Replicas = *in.Replicas
+	}
 	out.MinReadySeconds = in.MinReadySeconds
 	out.Selector = in.Selector
 	if in.Template != nil {