diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields.go
index 0c20d97b92b..6dbc840d01c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields.go
@@ -146,6 +146,27 @@ func encodeManagedFields(managedFields fieldpath.ManagedFields) (encodedManagedF
 		}
 		encodedManagedFields = append(encodedManagedFields, *v)
 	}
+	return sortEncodedManagedFields(encodedManagedFields)
+}
+
+func sortEncodedManagedFields(encodedManagedFields []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry) (sortedManagedFields []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry, err error) {
+	sort.Slice(encodedManagedFields, func(i, j int) bool {
+		p, q := encodedManagedFields[i], encodedManagedFields[j]
+
+		if p.Operation != q.Operation {
+			return p.Operation < q.Operation
+		}
+
+		if p.Time == nil || q.Time == nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		if !p.Time.Equal(q.Time) {
+			return p.Time.Before(q.Time)
+		}
+
+		return p.Manager < q.Manager
+	})
+
 	return encodedManagedFields, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields_test.go
index 1712b3b23ae..cedec758c84 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/internal/managedfields_test.go
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ limitations under the License.
 package internal
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
@@ -198,3 +200,113 @@ time: "2001-02-03T04:05:06Z"
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSortEncodedManagedFields(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		managedFields []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry
+		expected      []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "empty",
+			managedFields: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{},
+			expected:      []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "nil",
+			managedFields: nil,
+			expected:      nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "remains untouched",
+			managedFields: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "apply first",
+			managedFields: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "newest last",
+			managedFields: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "b", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "b", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "manager last",
+			managedFields: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "d", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "b", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "b", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "d", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "manager sorted",
+			managedFields: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "f", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "d", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "e", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "b", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{Manager: "a", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "b", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationApply, Time: nil},
+				{Manager: "c", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2001-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "d", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "e", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+				{Manager: "f", Operation: metav1.ManagedFieldsOperationUpdate, Time: parseTimeOrPanic("2002-01-01T01:00:00Z")},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			sorted, err := sortEncodedManagedFields(test.managedFields)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("did not expect error when sorting but got: %v", err)
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(sorted, test.expected) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected:\n%v\nbut got:\n%v", test.expected, sorted)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func parseTimeOrPanic(s string) *metav1.Time {
+	t, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, s)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to parse time %s, got: %v", s, err))
+	}
+	return &metav1.Time{Time: t.UTC()}
+}