diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
index b67830809d6..d882ec96ed4 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ Find more information at https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes.`,
 	cmds.PersistentFlags().StringP("server", "s", "", "Kubernetes apiserver to connect to")
 	cmds.PersistentFlags().StringP("auth-path", "a", os.Getenv("HOME")+"/.kubernetes_auth", "Path to the auth info file. If missing, prompt the user. Only used if using https.")
 	cmds.PersistentFlags().Bool("match-server-version", false, "Require server version to match client version")
-	cmds.PersistentFlags().String("api-version", latest.Version, "The version of the API to use against the server (used for viewing resources only)")
+	cmds.PersistentFlags().String("api-version", latest.Version, "The version of the API to use against the server")
 	cmds.PersistentFlags().String("certificate-authority", "", "Path to a certificate file for the certificate authority")
 	cmds.PersistentFlags().String("client-certificate", "", "Path to a client certificate for TLS.")
 	cmds.PersistentFlags().String("client-key", "", "Path to a client key file for TLS.")
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go
index bf2e3d1ef13..bd6e2cbead3 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl"
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ func (f *Factory) NewCmdGet(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 Possible resources include pods (po), replication controllers (rc), services
 (se) or minions (mi).
 
-If you specify a Go template, you can use any field defined in pkg/api/types.go.
+If you specify a Go template, you can use any fields defined for the API version
+you are connecting to the server with.
 
 Examples:
   $ kubectl get pods
@@ -54,16 +56,27 @@ Examples:
 			client, err := f.Client(cmd, mapping)
 			checkErr(err)
 
-			obj, err := kubectl.NewRESTHelper(client, mapping).Get(namespace, name, labels)
-			checkErr(err)
-
 			outputFormat := getFlagString(cmd, "output")
 			templateFile := getFlagString(cmd, "template")
 			defaultPrinter, err := f.Printer(cmd, mapping, getFlagBool(cmd, "no-headers"))
 			checkErr(err)
 
-			err = kubectl.Print(out, obj, outputFormat, templateFile, defaultPrinter)
+			printer, versioned, err := kubectl.GetPrinter(outputFormat, templateFile, defaultPrinter)
 			checkErr(err)
+
+			obj, err := kubectl.NewRESTHelper(client, mapping).Get(namespace, name, labels)
+			checkErr(err)
+
+			if versioned {
+				// TODO Add an --output-version lock which can ensure that regardless of the
+				// server version, the client output stays the same.
+				obj, err = mapping.ObjectConvertor.ConvertToVersion(obj, mapping.APIVersion)
+				checkErr(err)
+			}
+
+			if err := printer.PrintObj(obj, out); err != nil {
+				checkErr(fmt.Errorf("Unable to output the provided object: %v", err))
+			}
 		},
 	}
 	cmd.Flags().StringP("output", "o", "", "Output format: json|yaml|template|templatefile")
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go b/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go
index 5a34da68000..1248977924d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go
@@ -34,20 +34,10 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/v1/yaml"
 )
 
-// Print outputs a runtime.Object to an io.Writer in the given format
-func Print(w io.Writer, obj runtime.Object, format string, templateFile string, defaultPrinter ResourcePrinter) error {
-	printer, err := getPrinter(format, templateFile, defaultPrinter)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if err := printer.PrintObj(obj, w); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to print: %v\nRaw received object:\n%#v", err, obj)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func getPrinter(format, templateFile string, defaultPrinter ResourcePrinter) (ResourcePrinter, error) {
+// GetPrinter returns a resource printer and a bool indicating whether the object must be
+// versioned for the given format.
+func GetPrinter(format, templateFile string, defaultPrinter ResourcePrinter) (ResourcePrinter, bool, error) {
+	versioned := true
 	var printer ResourcePrinter
 	switch format {
 	case "json":
@@ -57,11 +47,11 @@ func getPrinter(format, templateFile string, defaultPrinter ResourcePrinter) (Re
 	case "template":
 		var data []byte
 		if len(templateFile) == 0 {
-			return printer, fmt.Errorf("template format specified but no template given")
+			return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("template format specified but no template given")
 		}
 		tmpl, err := template.New("output").Parse(templateFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			return printer, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing template %s, %v\n", string(data), err)
+			return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing template %s, %v\n", string(data), err)
 		}
 		printer = &TemplatePrinter{
 			Template: tmpl,
@@ -72,27 +62,30 @@ func getPrinter(format, templateFile string, defaultPrinter ResourcePrinter) (Re
 			var err error
 			data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(templateFile)
 			if err != nil {
-				return printer, fmt.Errorf("Error reading template %s, %v\n", templateFile, err)
+				return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("Error reading template %s, %v\n", templateFile, err)
 			}
 		} else {
-			return printer, fmt.Errorf("templatefile format specified but no template file given")
+			return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("templatefile format specified but no template file given")
 		}
 		tmpl, err := template.New("output").Parse(string(data))
 		if err != nil {
-			return printer, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing template %s, %v\n", string(data), err)
+			return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("Error parsing template %s, %v\n", string(data), err)
 		}
 		printer = &TemplatePrinter{
 			Template: tmpl,
 		}
-	default:
+	case "":
 		printer = defaultPrinter
+		versioned = false
+	default:
+		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("output format %q not recognized", format)
 	}
-	return printer, nil
+	return printer, versioned, nil
 }
 
 // ResourcePrinter is an interface that knows how to print API resources.
 type ResourcePrinter interface {
-	// Print receives an arbitrary JSON body, formats it and prints it to a writer.
+	// Print receives an arbitrary object, formats it and prints it to a writer.
 	PrintObj(runtime.Object, io.Writer) error
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer_test.go
index 7fc8dfc6c8a..5cf4aacee00 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer_test.go
@@ -54,9 +54,14 @@ func TestJSONPrinter(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPrintJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	if err := Print(buf, &api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, "json", "", nil); err != nil {
+	printer, versioned, err := GetPrinter("json", "", nil)
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %#v", err)
 	}
+	if !versioned {
+		t.Errorf("printer should be versioned")
+	}
+	printer.PrintObj(&api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, buf)
 	obj := map[string]interface{}{}
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), &obj); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %#v\n%s", err, buf.String())
@@ -65,9 +70,14 @@ func TestPrintJSON(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPrintYAML(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	if err := Print(buf, &api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, "yaml", "", nil); err != nil {
+	printer, versioned, err := GetPrinter("yaml", "", nil)
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %#v", err)
 	}
+	if !versioned {
+		t.Errorf("printer should be versioned")
+	}
+	printer.PrintObj(&api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, buf)
 	obj := map[string]interface{}{}
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), &obj); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %#v\n%s", err, buf.String())
@@ -76,31 +86,33 @@ func TestPrintYAML(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPrintTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	if err := Print(buf, &api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, "template", "{{ .Name }}", nil); err != nil {
+	printer, versioned, err := GetPrinter("template", "{{ .Name }}", nil)
+	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %#v", err)
 	}
+	if !versioned {
+		t.Errorf("printer should be versioned")
+	}
+	printer.PrintObj(&api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, buf)
 	if buf.String() != "foo" {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
 	}
 }
 
 func TestPrintEmptyTemplate(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	if err := Print(buf, &api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, "template", "", nil); err == nil {
+	if _, _, err := GetPrinter("template", "", nil); err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected non-error")
 	}
 }
 
 func TestPrintBadTemplate(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	if err := Print(buf, &api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, "template", "{{ .Name", nil); err == nil {
+	if _, _, err := GetPrinter("template", "{{ .Name", nil); err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected non-error")
 	}
 }
 
 func TestPrintBadTemplateFile(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	if err := Print(buf, &api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"}}, "templatefile", "", nil); err == nil {
+	if _, _, err := GetPrinter("templatefile", "", nil); err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected non-error")
 	}
 }