diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete/delete_flags.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete/delete_flags.go
index ecad7d35c2c..f6dcc74d95f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete/delete_flags.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete/delete_flags.go
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ func (f *DeleteFlags) ToOptions(dynamicClient dynamic.Interface, streams generic
 		options.WaitForDeletion = *f.Wait
 	}
 
-	options.FilenameOptions.EnableKustomization = true
 	return options
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
index 516f6b17086..9a392cde59b 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
@@ -385,7 +385,6 @@ func AddValidateOptionFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, options *ValidateOptions) {
 func AddFilenameOptionFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, options *resource.FilenameOptions, usage string) {
 	AddJsonFilenameFlag(cmd.Flags(), &options.Filenames, "Filename, directory, or URL to files "+usage)
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&options.Recursive, "recursive", "R", options.Recursive, "Process the directory used in -f, --filename recursively. Useful when you want to manage related manifests organized within the same directory.")
-	options.EnableKustomization = true
 }
 
 func AddJsonFilenameFlag(flags *pflag.FlagSet, value *[]string, usage string) {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder.go
index c67be8651f7..42f660a4e53 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder.go
@@ -130,9 +130,8 @@ func IsUsageError(err error) bool {
 }
 
 type FilenameOptions struct {
-	Filenames           []string
-	Recursive           bool
-	EnableKustomization bool
+	Filenames []string
+	Recursive bool
 }
 
 type resourceTuple struct {
@@ -198,7 +197,6 @@ func (b *Builder) AddError(err error) *Builder {
 // recognized will be ignored (but logged at V(2)).
 func (b *Builder) FilenameParam(enforceNamespace bool, filenameOptions *FilenameOptions) *Builder {
 	recursive := filenameOptions.Recursive
-	enableKustomization := filenameOptions.EnableKustomization
 	paths := filenameOptions.Filenames
 	for _, s := range paths {
 		switch {
@@ -215,7 +213,7 @@ func (b *Builder) FilenameParam(enforceNamespace bool, filenameOptions *Filename
 			if !recursive {
 				b.singleItemImplied = true
 			}
-			b.Path(recursive, enableKustomization, s)
+			b.Path(recursive, s)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -334,7 +332,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Stream(r io.Reader, name string) *Builder {
 // FileVisitor is streaming the content to a StreamVisitor. If ContinueOnError() is set
 // prior to this method being called, objects on the path that are unrecognized will be
 // ignored (but logged at V(2)).
-func (b *Builder) Path(recursive, enableKustomization bool, paths ...string) *Builder {
+func (b *Builder) Path(recursive bool, paths ...string) *Builder {
 	for _, p := range paths {
 		_, err := os.Stat(p)
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
@@ -346,7 +344,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Path(recursive, enableKustomization bool, paths ...string) *Bu
 			continue
 		}
 
-		visitors, err := ExpandPathsToFileVisitors(b.mapper, p, recursive, enableKustomization, FileExtensions, b.schema)
+		visitors, err := ExpandPathsToFileVisitors(b.mapper, p, recursive, FileExtensions, b.schema)
 		if err != nil {
 			b.errs = append(b.errs, fmt.Errorf("error reading %q: %v", p, err))
 		}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder_test.go
index b41d49580c1..801f13f7723 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/builder_test.go
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ func TestDirectoryBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		b := newDefaultBuilder().
-			FilenameParam(false, &FilenameOptions{Recursive: false, EnableKustomization: true, Filenames: tt.directories}).
+			FilenameParam(false, &FilenameOptions{Recursive: false, Filenames: tt.directories}).
 			NamespaceParam("test").DefaultNamespace()
 
 		test := &testVisitor{}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/visitor.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/visitor.go
index 1b21c38d394..15a9ff30728 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/visitor.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions/resource/visitor.go
@@ -451,13 +451,13 @@ func FileVisitorForSTDIN(mapper *mapper, schema ContentValidator) Visitor {
 // ExpandPathsToFileVisitors will return a slice of FileVisitors that will handle files from the provided path.
 // After FileVisitors open the files, they will pass an io.Reader to a StreamVisitor to do the reading. (stdin
 // is also taken care of). Paths argument also accepts a single file, and will return a single visitor
-func ExpandPathsToFileVisitors(mapper *mapper, paths string, recursive bool, enableKustomize bool, extensions []string, schema ContentValidator) ([]Visitor, error) {
+func ExpandPathsToFileVisitors(mapper *mapper, paths string, recursive bool, extensions []string, schema ContentValidator) ([]Visitor, error) {
 	var visitors []Visitor
 	err := filepath.Walk(paths, func(path string, fi os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if enableKustomize && isKustomizationDir(path) {
+		if isKustomizationDir(path) {
 			visitors = append(visitors, NewKustomizationVisitor(mapper, path, schema))
 			return filepath.SkipDir
 		}
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ func ExpandPathsToFileVisitors(mapper *mapper, paths string, recursive bool, ena
 		if path != paths && ignoreFile(path, extensions) {
 			return nil
 		}
-		if enableKustomize && filepath.Base(path) == constants.KustomizationFileName {
+		if filepath.Base(path) == constants.KustomizationFileName {
 			visitors = append(visitors, NewKustomizationVisitor(mapper, filepath.Dir(path), schema))
 			return nil
 		}