diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/BUILD b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/BUILD
index 9a4c73a2188..a265bdc6ed0 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/BUILD
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/BUILD
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ go_test(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/rest:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference:go_default_library",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go
index 3acfe68bed3..1459922b373 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/event_broadcaster.go
@@ -111,7 +111,9 @@ func (e *eventBroadcasterImpl) refreshExistingEventSeries() {
 	for isomorphicKey, event := range e.eventCache {
 		if event.Series != nil {
 			if recordedEvent, retry := recordEvent(e.sink, event); !retry {
-				e.eventCache[isomorphicKey] = recordedEvent
+				if recordedEvent != nil {
+					e.eventCache[isomorphicKey] = recordedEvent
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/eventseries_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/eventseries_test.go
index c930c189fab..42ea1cd72ec 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/eventseries_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/events/eventseries_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	k8sruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
+	restclient "k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	ref "k8s.io/client-go/tools/reference"
 )
 
@@ -299,51 +300,72 @@ func TestRefreshExistingEventSeries(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	LastObservedTime := metav1.MicroTime{Time: time.Now().Add(-9 * time.Minute)}
-
 	createEvent := make(chan *v1beta1.Event, 10)
 	updateEvent := make(chan *v1beta1.Event, 10)
 	patchEvent := make(chan *v1beta1.Event, 10)
-	testEvents := testEventSeriesSink{
-		OnCreate: func(event *v1beta1.Event) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
-			createEvent <- event
-			return event, nil
-		},
-		OnUpdate: func(event *v1beta1.Event) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
-			updateEvent <- event
-			return event, nil
-		},
-		OnPatch: func(event *v1beta1.Event, patch []byte) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
-			// event we receive is already patched, usually the sink uses it
-			//only to retrieve the name and namespace, here we'll use it directly.
-			patchEvent <- event
-			return event, nil
-		},
-	}
-	cache := map[eventKey]*v1beta1.Event{}
-	eventBroadcaster := newBroadcaster(&testEvents, 0, cache).(*eventBroadcasterImpl)
-	recorder := eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(scheme.Scheme, "k8s.io/kube-foo").(*recorderImpl)
-	cachedEvent := recorder.makeEvent(regarding, related, metav1.MicroTime{time.Now()}, v1.EventTypeNormal, "test", "some verbose message: 1", "eventTest", "eventTest-"+hostname, "started")
-	cachedEvent.Series = &v1beta1.EventSeries{
-		Count:            10,
-		LastObservedTime: LastObservedTime,
-	}
-	cacheKey := getKey(cachedEvent)
-	cache[cacheKey] = cachedEvent
 
-	eventBroadcaster.refreshExistingEventSeries()
-	select {
-	case <-patchEvent:
-		t.Logf("validating event affected by patch request")
-		eventBroadcaster.mu.Lock()
-		defer eventBroadcaster.mu.Unlock()
-		if len(cache) != 1 {
-			t.Errorf("cache should be with same size, but instead got a size of %v", len(cache))
+	table := []struct {
+		patchFunc func(event *v1beta1.Event, patch []byte) (*v1beta1.Event, error)
+	}{
+		{
+			patchFunc: func(event *v1beta1.Event, patch []byte) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
+				// event we receive is already patched, usually the sink uses it
+				//only to retrieve the name and namespace, here we'll use it directly.
+				patchEvent <- event
+				return event, nil
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			patchFunc: func(event *v1beta1.Event, patch []byte) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
+				// we simulate an apiserver error here
+				patchEvent <- nil
+				return nil, &restclient.RequestConstructionError{}
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, item := range table {
+		testEvents := testEventSeriesSink{
+			OnCreate: func(event *v1beta1.Event) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
+				createEvent <- event
+				return event, nil
+			},
+			OnUpdate: func(event *v1beta1.Event) (*v1beta1.Event, error) {
+				updateEvent <- event
+				return event, nil
+			},
+			OnPatch: item.patchFunc,
 		}
-		// check that we emitted only one event
-		if len(patchEvent) != 0 || len(createEvent) != 0 || len(updateEvent) != 0 {
-			t.Errorf("exactly one event should be emitted, but got %v", len(patchEvent))
+		cache := map[eventKey]*v1beta1.Event{}
+		eventBroadcaster := newBroadcaster(&testEvents, 0, cache).(*eventBroadcasterImpl)
+		recorder := eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(scheme.Scheme, "k8s.io/kube-foo").(*recorderImpl)
+		cachedEvent := recorder.makeEvent(regarding, related, metav1.MicroTime{time.Now()}, v1.EventTypeNormal, "test", "some verbose message: 1", "eventTest", "eventTest-"+hostname, "started")
+		cachedEvent.Series = &v1beta1.EventSeries{
+			Count:            10,
+			LastObservedTime: LastObservedTime,
+		}
+		cacheKey := getKey(cachedEvent)
+		cache[cacheKey] = cachedEvent
+
+		eventBroadcaster.refreshExistingEventSeries()
+		select {
+		case <-patchEvent:
+			t.Logf("validating event affected by patch request")
+			eventBroadcaster.mu.Lock()
+			defer eventBroadcaster.mu.Unlock()
+			if len(cache) != 1 {
+				t.Errorf("cache should be with same size, but instead got a size of %v", len(cache))
+			}
+			// check that we emitted only one event
+			if len(patchEvent) != 0 || len(createEvent) != 0 || len(updateEvent) != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("exactly one event should be emitted, but got %v", len(patchEvent))
+			}
+			cacheEvent, exists := cache[cacheKey]
+
+			if cacheEvent == nil || !exists {
+				t.Errorf("expected event to exist and not being nil, but instead event: %v and exists: %v", cacheEvent, exists)
+			}
+		case <-time.After(wait.ForeverTestTimeout):
+			t.Fatalf("timeout after %v", wait.ForeverTestTimeout)
 		}
-	case <-time.After(wait.ForeverTestTimeout):
-		t.Fatalf("timeout after %v", wait.ForeverTestTimeout)
 	}
 }