diff --git a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
index cd23ca3fb64..97825c3bf91 100644
--- a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
+++ b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
@@ -65826,7 +65826,9 @@
       "type": "array",
       "items": {
        "$ref": "#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.Initializer"
-      }
+      },
+      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "name",
+      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
      },
      "result": {
       "description": "If result is set with the Failure field, the object will be persisted to storage and then deleted, ensuring that other clients can observe the deletion.",
diff --git a/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json b/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json
index 6bfe197cc0f..ef779166d69 100644
--- a/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json
+++ b/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json
@@ -13441,7 +13441,9 @@
       "type": "array",
       "items": {
        "$ref": "#/definitions/io.k8s.apimachinery.pkg.apis.meta.v1.Initializer"
-      }
+      },
+      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "name",
+      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
      },
      "result": {
       "description": "If result is set with the Failure field, the object will be persisted to storage and then deleted, ensuring that other clients can observe the deletion.",
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/BUILD b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/BUILD
index 54529cc258b..60047ceb633 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/BUILD
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/BUILD
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ go_test(
     library = ":go_default_library",
     deps = [
         "//vendor/k8s.io/api/admissionregistration/v1alpha1:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/api/core/v1:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime:go_default_library",
         "//vendor/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authorization/authorizer:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go
index 447753c47b3..b60855c242c 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization.go
@@ -208,6 +208,9 @@ func (i *initializer) Admit(a admission.Attributes) (err error) {
 
 		glog.V(5).Infof("Modifying uninitialized resource %s", a.GetResource())
 
+		if updated != nil && len(updated.Pending) == 0 && updated.Result == nil {
+			accessor.SetInitializers(nil)
+		}
 		// because we are called before validation, we need to ensure the update transition is valid.
 		if errs := validation.ValidateInitializersUpdate(updated, existing, initializerFieldPath); len(errs) > 0 {
 			return errors.NewInvalid(a.GetKind().GroupKind(), a.GetName(), errs)
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go
index 8f871993919..cd8728379f2 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/admission/initialization/initialization_test.go
@@ -18,10 +18,17 @@ package initialization
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"k8s.io/api/admissionregistration/v1alpha1"
+	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authorization/authorizer"
 )
 
 func newInitializer(name string, rules ...v1alpha1.Rule) *v1alpha1.InitializerConfiguration {
@@ -97,3 +104,75 @@ func TestFindInitializers(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+type fakeAuthorizer struct {
+	accept bool
+}
+
+func (f *fakeAuthorizer) Authorize(a authorizer.Attributes) (bool, string, error) {
+	if f.accept {
+		return true, "", nil
+	}
+	return false, "denied", nil
+}
+
+func TestAdmitUpdate(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name             string
+		oldInitializers  *metav1.Initializers
+		newInitializers  *metav1.Initializers
+		verifyUpdatedObj func(runtime.Object) (pass bool, reason string)
+		err              string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:            "updates on initialized resources are allowed",
+			oldInitializers: nil,
+			newInitializers: nil,
+			err:             "",
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "updates on initialized resources are allowed",
+			oldInitializers: &metav1.Initializers{Pending: []metav1.Initializer{{Name: "init.k8s.io"}}},
+			newInitializers: &metav1.Initializers{},
+			verifyUpdatedObj: func(obj runtime.Object) (bool, string) {
+				accessor, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
+				if err != nil {
+					return false, "cannot get accessor"
+				}
+				if accessor.GetInitializers() != nil {
+					return false, "expect nil initializers"
+				}
+				return true, ""
+			},
+			err: "",
+		},
+		{
+			name:            "initializers may not be set once initialized",
+			oldInitializers: nil,
+			newInitializers: &metav1.Initializers{Pending: []metav1.Initializer{{Name: "init.k8s.io"}}},
+			err:             "field is immutable once initialization has completed",
+		},
+	}
+
+	plugin := initializer{
+		config:     nil,
+		authorizer: &fakeAuthorizer{true},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		oldObj := &v1.Pod{}
+		oldObj.Initializers = tc.oldInitializers
+		newObj := &v1.Pod{}
+		newObj.Initializers = tc.newInitializers
+		a := admission.NewAttributesRecord(newObj, oldObj, schema.GroupVersionKind{}, "", "foo", schema.GroupVersionResource{}, "", admission.Update, nil)
+		err := plugin.Admit(a)
+		switch {
+		case tc.err == "" && err != nil:
+			t.Errorf("%q: unexpected error: %v", tc.name, err)
+		case tc.err != "" && err == nil:
+			t.Errorf("%q: unexpected no error, expected %s", tc.name, tc.err)
+		case tc.err != "" && err != nil && !strings.Contains(err.Error(), tc.err):
+			t.Errorf("%q: expected %s, got %v", tc.name, tc.err, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/validation/objectmeta.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/validation/objectmeta.go
index 780c31c476c..5bef9495c60 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/validation/objectmeta.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/validation/objectmeta.go
@@ -200,9 +200,6 @@ func ValidateInitializers(initializers *metav1.Initializers, fldPath *field.Path
 		}
 	}
 	allErrs = append(allErrs, validateInitializersResult(initializers.Result, fldPath.Child("result"))...)
-	if len(initializers.Pending) == 0 && initializers.Result == nil {
-		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("pending"), nil, "must be non-empty when result is not set"))
-	}
 	return allErrs
 }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/generated.proto b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/generated.proto
index 83b9eb14bb2..c6a9edd3801 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/generated.proto
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/generated.proto
@@ -250,6 +250,8 @@ message Initializers {
   // When the last pending initializer is removed, and no failing result is set, the initializers
   // struct will be set to nil and the object is considered as initialized and visible to all
   // clients.
+  // +patchMergeKey=name
+  // +patchStrategy=merge
   repeated Initializer pending = 1;
 
   // If result is set with the Failure field, the object will be persisted to storage and then deleted,
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go
index 597e0e80ddc..54c43d9a72e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/types.go
@@ -248,7 +248,9 @@ type Initializers struct {
 	// When the last pending initializer is removed, and no failing result is set, the initializers
 	// struct will be set to nil and the object is considered as initialized and visible to all
 	// clients.
-	Pending []Initializer `json:"pending" protobuf:"bytes,1,rep,name=pending"`
+	// +patchMergeKey=name
+	// +patchStrategy=merge
+	Pending []Initializer `json:"pending" protobuf:"bytes,1,rep,name=pending" patchStrategy:"merge" patchMergeKey:"name"`
 	// If result is set with the Failure field, the object will be persisted to storage and then deleted,
 	// ensuring that other clients can observe the deletion.
 	Result *Status `json:"result,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=result"`
diff --git a/test/e2e/apimachinery/initializers.go b/test/e2e/apimachinery/initializers.go
index 6e6ca4806c3..39f02528562 100644
--- a/test/e2e/apimachinery/initializers.go
+++ b/test/e2e/apimachinery/initializers.go
@@ -262,6 +262,29 @@ var _ = SIGDescribe("Initializers", func() {
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 		Expect(len(pods.Items)).Should(Equal(1))
 	})
+
+	It("will be set to nil if a patch removes the last pending initializer", func() {
+		ns := f.Namespace.Name
+		c := f.ClientSet
+
+		podName := "to-be-patch-initialized-pod"
+		framework.Logf("Creating pod %s", podName)
+
+		// TODO: lower the timeout so that the server responds faster.
+		_, err := c.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Create(newUninitializedPod(podName))
+		if err != nil && !errors.IsTimeout(err) {
+			framework.Failf("expect err to be timeout error, got %v", err)
+		}
+		uninitializedPod, err := c.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Get(podName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(uninitializedPod.Initializers).NotTo(BeNil())
+		Expect(len(uninitializedPod.Initializers.Pending)).Should(Equal(1))
+
+		patch := fmt.Sprintf(`{"metadata":{"initializers":{"pending":[{"$patch":"delete","name":"%s"}]}}}`, uninitializedPod.Initializers.Pending[0].Name)
+		patchedPod, err := c.CoreV1().Pods(ns).Patch(uninitializedPod.Name, types.StrategicMergePatchType, []byte(patch))
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		Expect(patchedPod.Initializers).To(BeNil())
+	})
 })
 
 func newUninitializedPod(podName string) *v1.Pod {