diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
index 4afcfcb5fa2..2c69cf1cbc5 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
@@ -181,8 +182,11 @@ func RunApply(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, out, errOut io.Writer, opti
 		}
 	}
 
-	mapper, typer := f.Object()
-	r := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, resource.ClientMapperFunc(f.ClientForMapping), f.Decoder(true)).
+	mapper, typer, err := f.UnstructuredObject()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	r := resource.NewBuilder(mapper, typer, resource.ClientMapperFunc(f.UnstructuredClientForMapping), unstructured.UnstructuredJSONScheme).
 		Schema(schema).
 		ContinueOnError().
 		NamespaceParam(cmdNamespace).DefaultNamespace().
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
index 89a4d425f97..c41de7aa158 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
@@ -197,11 +197,11 @@ func TestApplyObjectWithoutAnnotation(t *testing.T) {
 	nameRC, rcBytes := readReplicationController(t, filenameRC)
 	pathRC := "/namespaces/test/replicationcontrollers/" + nameRC
 
-	f, tf, _, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	f, tf, _, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
 	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == pathRC && m == "GET":
@@ -242,11 +242,11 @@ func TestApplyObject(t *testing.T) {
 	nameRC, currentRC := readAndAnnotateReplicationController(t, filenameRC)
 	pathRC := "/namespaces/test/replicationcontrollers/" + nameRC
 
-	f, tf, _, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	f, tf, _, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
 	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == pathRC && m == "GET":
@@ -286,11 +286,11 @@ func TestApplyRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	firstPatch := true
 	retry := false
 	getCount := 0
-	f, tf, _, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	f, tf, _, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
 	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == pathRC && m == "GET":
@@ -340,11 +340,11 @@ func TestApplyNonExistObject(t *testing.T) {
 	pathRC := "/namespaces/test/replicationcontrollers"
 	pathNameRC := pathRC + "/" + nameRC
 
-	f, tf, _, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	f, tf, _, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
 	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == "/api/v1/namespaces/test" && m == "GET":
@@ -391,11 +391,11 @@ func testApplyMultipleObjects(t *testing.T, asList bool) {
 	nameSVC, currentSVC := readAndAnnotateService(t, filenameSVC)
 	pathSVC := "/namespaces/test/services/" + nameSVC
 
-	f, tf, _, ns := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	f, tf, _, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
 	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
-	tf.Client = &fake.RESTClient{
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
 		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
-		NegotiatedSerializer: ns,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == pathRC && m == "GET":