diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go
index 961ec5ed8b2..1bc1e3c81ff 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go
@@ -83,7 +83,11 @@ func HumanDuration(d time.Duration) string {
 	} else if hours < 24*365*2 {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%dd", hours/24)
 	} else if hours < 24*365*8 {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%dy%dd", hours/24/365, (hours/24)%365)
+		dy := int(hours/24) % 365
+		if dy == 0 {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("%dy", hours/24/365)
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%dy%dd", hours/24/365, dy)
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%dy", int(hours/24/365))
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration_test.go
index a6523904bc6..69bcf27dfe6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration_test.go
@@ -74,9 +74,14 @@ func TestHumanDurationBoundaries(t *testing.T) {
 		{d: 8 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "8d"},
 		{d: 8*24*time.Hour + 23*time.Hour, want: "8d"},
 		{d: 2*365*24*time.Hour - time.Millisecond, want: "729d"},
-		{d: 2 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "2y0d"},
-		{d: 2*365*24*time.Hour + 23*time.Hour, want: "2y0d"},
-		{d: 3 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "3y0d"},
+		{d: 2 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "2y"},
+		{d: 2*365*24*time.Hour + 23*time.Hour, want: "2y"},
+		{d: 2*365*24*time.Hour + 23*time.Hour + 59*time.Minute, want: "2y"},
+		{d: 3 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "3y"},
+		{d: 4 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "4y"},
+		{d: 5 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "5y"},
+		{d: 6 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "6y"},
+		{d: 7 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "7y"},
 		{d: 8*365*24*time.Hour - time.Millisecond, want: "7y364d"},
 		{d: 8 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour, want: "8y"},
 		{d: 8*365*24*time.Hour + 364*24*time.Hour, want: "8y"},