diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label.go
index 8a3d795185b..681b06ec37f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label.go
@@ -17,21 +17,24 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 
+	jsonpatch "github.com/evanphx/json-patch"
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	utilerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation"
+
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/templates"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"
@@ -175,8 +178,12 @@ func (o *LabelOptions) RunLabel(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	}
 
 	changeCause := f.Command()
-	mapper, typer := f.Object()
-	b := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, resource.ClientMapperFunc(f.ClientForMapping), f.Decoder(true)).
+
+	mapper, typer, err := f.UnstructuredObject()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	b := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, resource.ClientMapperFunc(f.UnstructuredClientForMapping), unstructured.UnstructuredJSONScheme).
 		ContinueOnError().
 		NamespaceParam(cmdNamespace).DefaultNamespace().
 		FilenameParam(enforceNamespace, &o.FilenameOptions).
@@ -213,10 +220,7 @@ func (o *LabelOptions) RunLabel(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 			}
 			outputObj = info.Object
 		} else {
-			obj, err := cmdutil.MaybeConvertObject(info.Object, info.Mapping.GroupVersionKind.GroupVersion(), info.Mapping)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
+			obj := info.Object
 			name, namespace := info.Name, info.Namespace
 			oldData, err := json.Marshal(obj)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -247,21 +251,21 @@ func (o *LabelOptions) RunLabel(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 			if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldData, newData) {
 				dataChangeMsg = "labeled"
 			}
-			patchBytes, err := strategicpatch.CreateTwoWayMergePatch(oldData, newData, obj)
+			patchBytes, err := jsonpatch.CreateMergePatch(oldData, newData)
 			createdPatch := err == nil
 			if err != nil {
 				glog.V(2).Infof("couldn't compute patch: %v", err)
 			}
 
 			mapping := info.ResourceMapping()
-			client, err := f.ClientForMapping(mapping)
+			client, err := f.UnstructuredClientForMapping(mapping)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			helper := resource.NewHelper(client, mapping)
 
 			if createdPatch {
-				outputObj, err = helper.Patch(namespace, name, types.StrategicMergePatchType, patchBytes)
+				outputObj, err = helper.Patch(namespace, name, types.MergePatchType, patchBytes)
 			} else {
 				outputObj, err = helper.Replace(namespace, name, false, obj)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label_test.go
index 8d051f3add2..40590cf72e3 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/label_test.go
@@ -347,10 +347,10 @@ func TestLabelErrors(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestLabelForResourceFromFile(t *testing.T) {
 	pods, _, _ := testData()
-	f, tf, codec, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	f, tf, codec, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch req.Method {
 			case "GET":
@@ -398,10 +398,10 @@ func TestLabelForResourceFromFile(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLabelLocal(t *testing.T) {
-	f, tf, _, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	f, tf, _, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %s %#v\n%#v", req.Method, req.URL, req)
 			return nil, nil
@@ -432,10 +432,10 @@ func TestLabelLocal(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestLabelMultipleObjects(t *testing.T) {
 	pods, _, _ := testData()
-	f, tf, codec, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	f, tf, codec, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch req.Method {
 			case "GET":