diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/scheme.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/scheme.go
index 450011f15f5..59163d77715 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/scheme.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/scheme.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func (s *Scheme) nameFunc(t reflect.Type) string {
 
 	for _, gvk := range gvks {
 		internalGV := gvk.GroupVersion()
-		internalGV.Version = "__internal" // this is hacky and maybe should be passed in
+		internalGV.Version = APIVersionInternal // this is hacky and maybe should be passed in
 		internalGVK := internalGV.WithKind(gvk.Kind)
 
 		if internalType, exists := s.gvkToType[internalGVK]; exists {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/versioning/versioning_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/versioning/versioning_test.go
index 43c24265788..f79b2a7cbd4 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/versioning/versioning_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/versioning/versioning_test.go
@@ -129,25 +129,25 @@ func TestDecode(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{
 			serializer:  &mockSerializer{actual: gvk1},
-			convertor:   &checkConvertor{groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: "__internal"}},
+			convertor:   &checkConvertor{groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal}},
 			expectedGVK: gvk1,
-			decodes:     schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: "__internal"},
+			decodes:     schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal},
 		},
 		{
 			serializer:  &mockSerializer{actual: gvk1, obj: decodable1},
-			convertor:   &checkConvertor{in: decodable1, obj: decodable2, groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: "__internal"}},
+			convertor:   &checkConvertor{in: decodable1, obj: decodable2, groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal}},
 			expectedGVK: gvk1,
 			sameObject:  decodable2,
-			decodes:     schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: "__internal"},
+			decodes:     schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal},
 		},
 		// defaultGVK.Group is allowed to force a conversion to the destination group
 		{
 			serializer:  &mockSerializer{actual: gvk1, obj: decodable1},
 			defaultGVK:  &schema.GroupVersionKind{Group: "force"},
-			convertor:   &checkConvertor{in: decodable1, obj: decodable2, groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "force", Version: "__internal"}},
+			convertor:   &checkConvertor{in: decodable1, obj: decodable2, groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "force", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal}},
 			expectedGVK: gvk1,
 			sameObject:  decodable2,
-			decodes:     schema.GroupVersion{Group: "force", Version: "__internal"},
+			decodes:     schema.GroupVersion{Group: "force", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal},
 		},
 		// uses direct conversion for into when objects differ
 		{
@@ -184,10 +184,10 @@ func TestDecode(t *testing.T) {
 			into: &runtime.VersionedObjects{Objects: []runtime.Object{}},
 
 			serializer:     &mockSerializer{actual: gvk1, obj: decodable1},
-			convertor:      &checkConvertor{in: decodable1, obj: decodable2, groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: "__internal"}},
+			convertor:      &checkConvertor{in: decodable1, obj: decodable2, groupVersion: schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal}},
 			expectedGVK:    gvk1,
 			expectedObject: &runtime.VersionedObjects{Objects: []runtime.Object{decodable1, decodable2}},
-			decodes:        schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: "__internal"},
+			decodes:        schema.GroupVersion{Group: "other", Version: runtime.APIVersionInternal},
 		},
 
 		// decode into the same version as the serialized object