diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/BUILD
index 8409bfd7848..dee7025f2f6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/BUILD
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ go_library(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/printers:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/explain:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/i18n:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/templates:go_default_library",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/taint.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/taint.go
index 9be64c5de27..bf7e7909701 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/taint.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/taint/taint.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"k8s.io/klog"
+	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/explain"
 
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
@@ -59,6 +60,8 @@ type TaintOptions struct {
 	ClientForMapping func(*meta.RESTMapping) (resource.RESTClient, error)
 
 	genericclioptions.IOStreams
+
+	Mapper meta.RESTMapper
 }
 
 var (
@@ -129,6 +132,11 @@ func (o *TaintOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, args []st
 		return err
 	}
 
+	o.Mapper, err = f.ToRESTMapper()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	o.DryRunStrategy, err = cmdutil.GetDryRunStrategy(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -219,15 +227,18 @@ func (o TaintOptions) validateFlags() error {
 // Validate checks to the TaintOptions to see if there is sufficient information run the command.
 func (o TaintOptions) Validate() error {
 	resourceType := strings.ToLower(o.resources[0])
-	validResources, isValidResource := []string{"node", "nodes"}, false
-	for _, validResource := range validResources {
-		if resourceType == validResource {
-			isValidResource = true
-			break
-		}
+	fullySpecifiedGVR, _, err := explain.SplitAndParseResourceRequest(resourceType, o.Mapper)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	if !isValidResource {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid resource type %s, only %q are supported", o.resources[0], validResources)
+
+	gvk, err := o.Mapper.KindFor(fullySpecifiedGVR)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if gvk.Kind != "Node" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid resource type %s, only node types are supported", resourceType)
 	}
 
 	// check the format of taint args and checks removed taints aren't in the new taints list