diff --git a/pkg/api/unversioned.go b/pkg/api/unversioned.go
index 9a531326851..86c9bcd07ec 100644
--- a/pkg/api/unversioned.go
+++ b/pkg/api/unversioned.go
@@ -64,3 +64,6 @@ func (apiVersions APIVersions) String() string {
 func (apiVersions APIVersions) GoString() string {
 	return apiVersions.String()
 }
+
+// Patch is provided to give a concrete name and type to the Kubernetes PATCH request body.
+type Patch struct{}
diff --git a/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go b/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go
index 261b34da6da..f4d5aae1a5e 100644
--- a/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go
+++ b/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go
@@ -447,8 +447,8 @@ func (a *APIInstaller) registerResourceHandlers(path string, storage rest.Storag
 				Consumes(string(api.JSONPatchType), string(api.MergePatchType), string(api.StrategicMergePatchType)).
 				Operation("patch"+kind+strings.Title(subresource)).
 				Produces(append(storageMeta.ProducesMIMETypes(action.Verb), "application/json")...).
-				Returns(http.StatusOK, "OK", "string").
-				Reads("string").
+				Returns(http.StatusOK, "OK", versionedObject).
+				Reads(api.Patch{}).
 				Writes(versionedObject)
 			addParams(route, action.Params)
 			ws.Route(route)