diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time.go
index 6f6c5111bc8..cdd9a6a7a0c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time.go
@@ -41,11 +41,6 @@ func (t *MicroTime) DeepCopyInto(out *MicroTime) {
 	*out = *t
 }
 
-// String returns the representation of the time.
-func (t MicroTime) String() string {
-	return t.Time.String()
-}
-
 // NewMicroTime returns a wrapped instance of the provided time
 func NewMicroTime(time time.Time) MicroTime {
 	return MicroTime{time}
@@ -72,22 +67,40 @@ func (t *MicroTime) IsZero() bool {
 
 // Before reports whether the time instant t is before u.
 func (t *MicroTime) Before(u *MicroTime) bool {
-	return t.Time.Before(u.Time)
+	if t != nil && u != nil {
+		return t.Time.Before(u.Time)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // Equal reports whether the time instant t is equal to u.
 func (t *MicroTime) Equal(u *MicroTime) bool {
-	return t.Time.Equal(u.Time)
+	if t == nil && u == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	if t != nil && u != nil {
+		return t.Time.Equal(u.Time)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // BeforeTime reports whether the time instant t is before second-lever precision u.
 func (t *MicroTime) BeforeTime(u *Time) bool {
-	return t.Time.Before(u.Time)
+	if t != nil && u != nil {
+		return t.Time.Before(u.Time)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // EqualTime reports whether the time instant t is equal to second-lever precision u.
 func (t *MicroTime) EqualTime(u *Time) bool {
-	return t.Time.Equal(u.Time)
+	if t == nil && u == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	if t != nil && u != nil {
+		return t.Time.Equal(u.Time)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // UnixMicro returns the local time corresponding to the given Unix time
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time_test.go
index b08e3f236c5..3b274578689 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/micro_time_test.go
@@ -137,3 +137,119 @@ func TestMicroTimeProto(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMicroTimeEqual(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewMicroTime(time.Now())
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		x      *MicroTime
+		y      *MicroTime
+		result bool
+	}{
+		{"nil =? nil", nil, nil, true},
+		{"!nil =? !nil", &t1, &t1, true},
+		{"nil =? !nil", nil, &t1, false},
+		{"!nil =? nil", &t1, nil, false},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.Equal(c.y)
+			if result != c.result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed equality test for '%v', '%v': expected %+v, got %+v", c.x, c.y, c.result, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMicroTimeEqualTime(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewMicroTime(time.Now())
+	t2 := NewTime(t1.Time)
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		x      *MicroTime
+		y      *Time
+		result bool
+	}{
+		{"nil =? nil", nil, nil, true},
+		{"!nil =? !nil", &t1, &t2, true},
+		{"nil =? !nil", nil, &t2, false},
+		{"!nil =? nil", &t1, nil, false},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.EqualTime(c.y)
+			if result != c.result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed equality test for '%v', '%v': expected %+v, got %+v", c.x, c.y, c.result, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMicroTimeBefore(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewMicroTime(time.Now())
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		x    *MicroTime
+		y    *MicroTime
+	}{
+		{"nil <? nil", nil, nil},
+		{"!nil <? !nil", &t1, &t1},
+		{"nil <? !nil", nil, &t1},
+		{"!nil <? nil", &t1, nil},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.Before(c.y)
+			if result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed before test for '%v', '%v': expected false, got %+v", c.x, c.y, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+func TestMicroTimeBeforeTime(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewMicroTime(time.Now())
+	t2 := NewTime(t1.Time)
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		x    *MicroTime
+		y    *Time
+	}{
+		{"nil <? nil", nil, nil},
+		{"!nil <? !nil", &t1, &t2},
+		{"nil <? !nil", nil, &t2},
+		{"!nil <? nil", &t1, nil},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.BeforeTime(c.y)
+			if result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed before test for '%v', '%v': expected false, got %+v", c.x, c.y, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMicroTimeIsZero(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewMicroTime(time.Now())
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		x      *MicroTime
+		result bool
+	}{
+		{"nil =? 0", nil, true},
+		{"!nil =? 0", &t1, false},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.IsZero()
+			if result != c.result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed equality test for '%v': expected %+v, got %+v", c.x, c.result, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time.go
index 79904fd7943..fe510ed9e6d 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time.go
@@ -41,11 +41,6 @@ func (t *Time) DeepCopyInto(out *Time) {
 	*out = *t
 }
 
-// String returns the representation of the time.
-func (t Time) String() string {
-	return t.Time.String()
-}
-
 // NewTime returns a wrapped instance of the provided time
 func NewTime(time time.Time) Time {
 	return Time{time}
@@ -72,7 +67,10 @@ func (t *Time) IsZero() bool {
 
 // Before reports whether the time instant t is before u.
 func (t *Time) Before(u *Time) bool {
-	return t.Time.Before(u.Time)
+	if t != nil && u != nil {
+		return t.Time.Before(u.Time)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 // Equal reports whether the time instant t is equal to u.
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time_test.go
index 7ade16f6197..41e171fce40 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/time_test.go
@@ -195,3 +195,47 @@ func TestTimeEqual(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTimeBefore(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewTime(time.Now())
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		x    *Time
+		y    *Time
+	}{
+		{"nil <? nil", nil, nil},
+		{"!nil <? !nil", &t1, &t1},
+		{"nil <? !nil", nil, &t1},
+		{"!nil <? nil", &t1, nil},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.Before(c.y)
+			if result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed equality test for '%v', '%v': expected false, got %+v", c.x, c.y, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTimeIsZero(t *testing.T) {
+	t1 := NewTime(time.Now())
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		x      *Time
+		result bool
+	}{
+		{"nil =? 0", nil, true},
+		{"!nil =? 0", &t1, false},
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			result := c.x.IsZero()
+			if result != c.result {
+				t.Errorf("Failed equality test for '%v': expected %+v, got %+v", c.x, c.result, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}