diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
index bc6500909c3..d913154e000 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher.go
@@ -482,6 +482,13 @@ func (c *Cacher) Delete(
 // Watch implements storage.Interface.
 func (c *Cacher) Watch(ctx context.Context, key string, opts storage.ListOptions) (watch.Interface, error) {
 	pred := opts.Predicate
+	// If the resourceVersion is unset, ensure that the rv
+	// from which the watch is being served, is the latest
+	// one. "latest" is ensured by serving the watch from
+	// the underlying storage.
+	if opts.ResourceVersion == "" {
+		return c.storage.Watch(ctx, key, opts)
+	}
 	watchRV, err := c.versioner.ParseResourceVersion(opts.ResourceVersion)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
index 857fed8c6f7..a06ab757e6e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/cacher/cacher_whitebox_test.go
@@ -449,6 +449,37 @@ func TestGetCacheBypass(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestWatchCacheBypass(t *testing.T) {
+	backingStorage := &dummyStorage{}
+	cacher, _, err := newTestCacher(backingStorage)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Couldn't create cacher: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer cacher.Stop()
+
+	// Wait until cacher is initialized.
+	if err := cacher.ready.wait(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error waiting for the cache to be ready")
+	}
+
+	// Inject error to underlying layer and check if cacher is not bypassed.
+	backingStorage.injectError(errDummy)
+	_, err = cacher.Watch(context.TODO(), "pod/ns", storage.ListOptions{
+		ResourceVersion: "0",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Watch with RV=0 should be served from cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// With unset RV, check if cacher is bypassed.
+	_, err = cacher.Watch(context.TODO(), "pod/ns", storage.ListOptions{
+		ResourceVersion: "",
+	})
+	if err != errDummy {
+		t.Errorf("Watch with unset RV should bypass cacher: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWatcherNotGoingBackInTime(t *testing.T) {
 	backingStorage := &dummyStorage{}
 	cacher, _, err := newTestCacher(backingStorage)