diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/drain/filters.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/drain/filters.go
index f34b543252e..1edec35ffa3 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/drain/filters.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/drain/filters.go
@@ -171,6 +171,12 @@ func hasLocalStorage(pod corev1.Pod) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func isControllerRefDaemonSet(workloadRef *metav1.OwnerReference) bool {
+	// find if workloadRef is daemonSet
+	daemonSetAPIVersion, daemonSetKind := appsv1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("DaemonSet").ToAPIVersionAndKind()
+	return workloadRef.Kind == daemonSetKind && workloadRef.APIVersion == daemonSetAPIVersion
+}
+
 func (d *Helper) daemonSetFilter(pod corev1.Pod) PodDeleteStatus {
 	// Note that we return false in cases where the pod is DaemonSet managed,
 	// regardless of flags.
@@ -179,7 +185,7 @@ func (d *Helper) daemonSetFilter(pod corev1.Pod) PodDeleteStatus {
 	// management resource - including DaemonSet - is not found).
 	// Such pods will be deleted if --force is used.
 	controllerRef := metav1.GetControllerOf(&pod)
-	if controllerRef == nil || controllerRef.Kind != appsv1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("DaemonSet").Kind {
+	if controllerRef == nil || !isControllerRefDaemonSet(controllerRef) {
 		return MakePodDeleteStatusOkay()
 	}
 	// Any finished pod can be removed.