diff --git a/hack/update-codegen.sh b/hack/update-codegen.sh
index d5f28d71c4f..1b788ec2849 100755
--- a/hack/update-codegen.sh
+++ b/hack/update-codegen.sh
@@ -724,10 +724,11 @@ function codegen::applyconfigs() {
         done
     fi
 
-    git_grep -l --null \
+    (git_grep -l --null \
         -e '^// Code generated by applyconfiguration-gen. DO NOT EDIT.$' \
         -- \
         ':(glob)staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/**/*.go' \
+        || true) \
         | xargs -0 rm -f
 
     "${applyconfigurationgen}" \
@@ -776,10 +777,11 @@ function codegen::clients() {
         done
     fi
 
-    git_grep -l --null \
+    (git_grep -l --null \
         -e '^// Code generated by client-gen. DO NOT EDIT.$' \
         -- \
         ':(glob)staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/**/*.go' \
+        || true) \
         | xargs -0 rm -f
 
     "${clientgen}" \
@@ -819,10 +821,11 @@ function codegen::listers() {
         done
     fi
 
-    git_grep -l --null \
+    (git_grep -l --null \
         -e '^// Code generated by lister-gen. DO NOT EDIT.$' \
         -- \
         ':(glob)staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/**/*.go' \
+        || true) \
         | xargs -0 rm -f
 
     "${listergen}" \
@@ -859,10 +862,11 @@ function codegen::informers() {
         done
     fi
 
-    git_grep -l --null \
+    (git_grep -l --null \
         -e '^// Code generated by informer-gen. DO NOT EDIT.$' \
         -- \
         ':(glob)staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/**/*.go' \
+        || true) \
         | xargs -0 rm -f
 
     "${informergen}" \