diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go
index 1aedaa1563f..e0406baf02a 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch.go
@@ -1330,7 +1330,11 @@ func mergeMap(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta, me
 		if !ok {
 			if !isDeleteList {
 				// If it's not in the original document, just take the patch value.
-				original[k] = patchV
+				if mergeOptions.IgnoreUnmatchedNulls {
+					original[k] = discardNullValuesFromPatch(patchV)
+				} else {
+					original[k] = patchV
+				}
 			}
 			continue
 		}
@@ -1339,7 +1343,11 @@ func mergeMap(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta, me
 		patchType := reflect.TypeOf(patchV)
 		if originalType != patchType {
 			if !isDeleteList {
-				original[k] = patchV
+				if mergeOptions.IgnoreUnmatchedNulls {
+					original[k] = discardNullValuesFromPatch(patchV)
+				} else {
+					original[k] = patchV
+				}
 			}
 			continue
 		}
@@ -1375,6 +1383,29 @@ func mergeMap(original, patch map[string]interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta, me
 	return original, nil
 }
 
+// discardNullValuesFromPatch discards all null values from patch.
+// It traverses for all slices and map types to discard all nulls.
+func discardNullValuesFromPatch(patchV interface{}) interface{} {
+	switch patchV.(type) {
+	case map[string]interface{}:
+		for k, v := range patchV.(map[string]interface{}) {
+			if v == nil {
+				delete(patchV.(map[string]interface{}), k)
+			} else {
+				discardNullValuesFromPatch(v)
+			}
+		}
+	case []interface{}:
+		patchS := patchV.([]interface{})
+		for i, v := range patchV.([]interface{}) {
+			patchS[i] = discardNullValuesFromPatch(v)
+		}
+		return patchS
+	}
+
+	return patchV
+}
+
 // mergeMapHandler handles how to merge `patchV` whose key is `key` with `original` respecting
 // fieldPatchStrategy and mergeOptions.
 func mergeMapHandler(original, patch interface{}, schema LookupPatchMeta,
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch_test.go
index 5fe78133cb3..f895f234c58 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch/patch_test.go
@@ -6713,6 +6713,106 @@ func TestUnknownField(t *testing.T) {
 			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{}`,
 			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
 		},
+		"no diff even if modified null": {
+			Original: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			Current:  `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			Modified: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":{"key":null},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex_nullable":{"key":null}}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":{},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex_nullable":{"key":null}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":{},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+		},
+		"discard nulls in nested and adds not nulls": {
+			Original: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			Current:  `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			Modified: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":{"key":{"keynotnull":"value","keynull":null}},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex_nullable":{"key":{"keynotnull":"value","keynull":null}}}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":{"key":{"keynotnull":"value"}},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex_nullable":{"key":{"keynotnull":"value","keynull":null}}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":{"key":{"keynotnull":"value"}},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+		},
+		"discard if modified all nulls": {
+			Original: `{}`,
+			Current:  `{}`,
+			Modified: `{"complex":{"nested":null}}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex":{"nested":null}}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"complex":{}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex":{"nested":null}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"complex":{}}`,
+		},
+		"add only not nulls": {
+			Original: `{}`,
+			Current:  `{}`,
+			Modified: `{"complex":{"nested":null,"nested2":"foo"}}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex":{"nested":null,"nested2":"foo"}}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"complex":{"nested2":"foo"}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex":{"nested":null,"nested2":"foo"}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"complex":{"nested2":"foo"}}`,
+		},
+		"null values in original are preserved": {
+			Original: `{"thing":null}`,
+			Current:  `{"thing":null}`,
+			Modified: `{"nested":{"value":5},"thing":null}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"nested":{"value":5}}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"nested":{"value":5},"thing":null}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"nested":{"value":5}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"nested":{"value":5},"thing":null}`,
+		},
+		"nested null values in original are preserved": {
+			Original: `{"complex":{"key":null},"thing":null}`,
+			Current:  `{"complex":{"key":null},"thing":null}`,
+			Modified: `{"complex":{"key":null},"nested":{"value":5},"thing":null}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"nested":{"value":5}}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"complex":{"key":null},"nested":{"value":5},"thing":null}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"nested":{"value":5}}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"complex":{"key":null},"nested":{"value":5},"thing":null}`,
+		},
+		"add empty slices": {
+			Original: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			Current:  `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			Modified: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":[],"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex_nullable":[]}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":[],"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex_nullable":[]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"array":[1,2,3],"complex":{"nested":true},"complex_nullable":[],"name":"foo","scalar":true}`,
+		},
+		"filter nulls from nested slices": {
+			Original: `{}`,
+			Current:  `{}`,
+			Modified: `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":"foo","key_two":null}}]}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":"foo","key_two":null}}]}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":"foo"}}]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":"foo","key_two":null}}]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":"foo"}}]}`,
+		},
+		"filter if slice is all empty": {
+			Original: `{}`,
+			Current:  `{}`,
+			Modified: `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":null,"key_two":null}}]}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":null,"key_two":null}}]}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{}}]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{"key_one":null,"key_two":null}}]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"complex_nullable":[{"inner_one":{}}]}`,
+		},
+		"not filter nulls from non-associative slice": {
+			Original: `{}`,
+			Current:  `{}`,
+			Modified: `{"complex_nullable":["key1",null,"key2"]}`,
+
+			ExpectedTwoWay:         `{"complex_nullable":["key1",null,"key2"]}`,
+			ExpectedTwoWayResult:   `{"complex_nullable":["key1",null,"key2"]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWay:       `{"complex_nullable":["key1",null,"key2"]}`,
+			ExpectedThreeWayResult: `{"complex_nullable":["key1",null,"key2"]}`,
+		},
 		"added only": {
 			Original: `{"name":"foo"}`,
 			Current:  `{"name":"foo"}`,