diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/drain_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/drain_test.go
index 7a28cf62f40..9cd2e330b28 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/drain_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/drain_test.go
@@ -74,10 +74,9 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 		},
 		Status: v1.NodeStatus{},
 	}
-	clone, _ := api.Scheme.DeepCopy(node)
 
 	// A copy of the same node, but cordoned.
-	cordoned_node = clone.(*v1.Node)
+	cordoned_node = node.DeepCopy()
 	cordoned_node.Spec.Unschedulable = true
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go
index 6c23d126fbd..7bfd7146100 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go
@@ -130,8 +130,7 @@ func TestPatchNoop(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Patched
 	{
-		copied, _ := api.Scheme.DeepCopy(patchObject)
-		patchObject = copied.(*api.Service)
+		patchObject = patchObject.DeepCopy()
 		if patchObject.Annotations == nil {
 			patchObject.Annotations = map[string]string{}
 		}
@@ -150,11 +149,7 @@ func TestPatchNoop(t *testing.T) {
 func TestPatchObjectFromFileOutput(t *testing.T) {
 	_, svc, _ := testData()
 
-	svcCopyObj, err := api.Scheme.DeepCopy(&svc.Items[0])
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	svcCopy := svcCopyObj.(*api.Service)
+	svcCopy := svc.Items[0].DeepCopy()
 	if svcCopy.Labels == nil {
 		svcCopy.Labels = map[string]string{}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/taint_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/taint_test.go
index d6b2939ddbf..0bdf71409ac 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/taint_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/taint_test.go
@@ -49,10 +49,9 @@ func generateNodeAndTaintedNode(oldTaints []v1.Taint, newTaints []v1.Taint) (*v1
 		},
 		Status: v1.NodeStatus{},
 	}
-	clone, _ := api.Scheme.DeepCopy(node)
 
 	// A copy of the same node, but tainted.
-	taintedNode = clone.(*v1.Node)
+	taintedNode = node.DeepCopy()
 	taintedNode.Spec.Taints = newTaints
 
 	return node, taintedNode
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go
index f855cb16e7a..03e77da5e3f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go
@@ -445,10 +445,7 @@ func GetApplyPatch(obj runtime.Object, codec runtime.Encoder) ([]byte, []byte, t
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, []byte(""), types.MergePatchType, err
 	}
-	objCopy, err := api.Scheme.Copy(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, beforeJSON, types.MergePatchType, err
-	}
+	objCopy := obj.DeepCopyObject()
 	accessor := meta.NewAccessor()
 	annotations, err := accessor.Annotations(objCopy)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/delete_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/delete_test.go
index 0d2f5ea9daa..66803de1470 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/delete_test.go
@@ -201,10 +201,7 @@ func TestReplicationControllerStop(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
-		copiedForWatch, err := api.Scheme.Copy(test.Objs[0])
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("%s unexpected error: %v", test.Name, err)
-		}
+		copiedForWatch := test.Objs[0].DeepCopyObject()
 		fake := fake.NewSimpleClientset(test.Objs...)
 		fakeWatch := watch.NewFake()
 		fake.PrependWatchReactor("replicationcontrollers", testcore.DefaultWatchReactor(fakeWatch, nil))
@@ -214,7 +211,7 @@ func TestReplicationControllerStop(t *testing.T) {
 		}()
 
 		reaper := ReplicationControllerReaper{fake.Core(), time.Millisecond, time.Millisecond}
-		err = reaper.Stop(ns, name, 0, nil)
+		err := reaper.Stop(ns, name, 0, nil)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(err, test.StopError) {
 			t.Errorf("%s unexpected error: %v", test.Name, err)
 			continue
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/rolling_updater.go b/pkg/kubectl/rolling_updater.go
index b15e20c6e22..3259d6dd976 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/rolling_updater.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/rolling_updater.go
@@ -772,12 +772,8 @@ type updateRcFunc func(controller *api.ReplicationController)
 // 3. Update the resource
 func updateRcWithRetries(rcClient coreclient.ReplicationControllersGetter, namespace string, rc *api.ReplicationController, applyUpdate updateRcFunc) (*api.ReplicationController, error) {
 	// Deep copy the rc in case we failed on Get during retry loop
-	obj, err := api.Scheme.Copy(rc)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to deep copy rc before updating it: %v", err)
-	}
-	oldRc := obj.(*api.ReplicationController)
-	err = retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() (e error) {
+	oldRc := rc.DeepCopy()
+	err := retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() (e error) {
 		// Apply the update, then attempt to push it to the apiserver.
 		applyUpdate(rc)
 		if rc, e = rcClient.ReplicationControllers(namespace).Update(rc); e == nil {
@@ -807,12 +803,8 @@ type updatePodFunc func(controller *api.Pod)
 // 3. Update the resource
 func updatePodWithRetries(podClient coreclient.PodsGetter, namespace string, pod *api.Pod, applyUpdate updatePodFunc) (*api.Pod, error) {
 	// Deep copy the pod in case we failed on Get during retry loop
-	obj, err := api.Scheme.Copy(pod)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to deep copy pod before updating it: %v", err)
-	}
-	oldPod := obj.(*api.Pod)
-	err = retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() (e error) {
+	oldPod := pod.DeepCopy()
+	err := retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() (e error) {
 		// Apply the update, then attempt to push it to the apiserver.
 		applyUpdate(pod)
 		if pod, e = podClient.Pods(namespace).Update(pod); e == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/testing/BUILD b/pkg/kubectl/testing/BUILD
index cef4a41c33a..21e5a1e4588 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/testing/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/testing/BUILD
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ load(
 go_library(
     name = "go_default_library",
     srcs = [
+        "doc.go",
         "types.generated.go",
         "types.go",
         "zz_generated.deepcopy.go",
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/testing/doc.go b/pkg/kubectl/testing/doc.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0ea50660981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/testing/doc.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+// +k8s:deepcopy-gen=package
+
+package testing
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/testing/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/pkg/kubectl/testing/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index d12b262572c..79c1b4003db 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/testing/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/testing/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ import (
 	reflect "reflect"
 )
 
-// Deprecated: GetGeneratedDeepCopyFuncs returns the generated funcs, since we aren't registering them.
+// GetGeneratedDeepCopyFuncs returns the generated funcs, since we aren't registering them.
+//
+// Deprecated: deepcopy registration will go away when static deepcopy is fully implemented.
 func GetGeneratedDeepCopyFuncs() []conversion.GeneratedDeepCopyFunc {
 	return []conversion.GeneratedDeepCopyFunc{
 		{Fn: func(in interface{}, out interface{}, c *conversion.Cloner) error {
@@ -61,19 +63,19 @@ func (in *TestStruct) DeepCopyInto(out *TestStruct) {
 	return
 }
 
-// DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new TestStruct.
-func (x *TestStruct) DeepCopy() *TestStruct {
-	if x == nil {
+// DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new TestStruct.
+func (in *TestStruct) DeepCopy() *TestStruct {
+	if in == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 	out := new(TestStruct)
-	x.DeepCopyInto(out)
+	in.DeepCopyInto(out)
 	return out
 }
 
 // DeepCopyObject is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new runtime.Object.
-func (x *TestStruct) DeepCopyObject() runtime.Object {
-	if c := x.DeepCopy(); c != nil {
+func (in *TestStruct) DeepCopyObject() runtime.Object {
+	if c := in.DeepCopy(); c != nil {
 		return c
 	} else {
 		return nil