diff --git a/pkg/api/meta.go b/pkg/api/meta.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 3df6a2e79f6..00000000000
--- a/pkg/api/meta.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2014 The Kubernetes Authors.
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package api
-
-import (
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-)
-
-// HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues returns true if fields that are managed by the system on ObjectMeta have values.
-func HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(meta *metav1.ObjectMeta) bool {
-	return !meta.CreationTimestamp.Time.IsZero() ||
-		len(meta.UID) != 0
-}
diff --git a/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/meta_test.go b/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/meta_test.go
index 36131a3f4f6..dbf10c2969d 100644
--- a/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/meta_test.go
+++ b/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/meta_test.go
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ func TestFillObjectMetaSystemFields(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := genericapirequest.NewDefaultContext()
 	resource := metav1.ObjectMeta{}
-	if api.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&resource) {
+	if metav1.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&resource) {
 		t.Errorf("the resource does not have all fields yet populated, but incorrectly reports it does")
 	}
 	FillObjectMetaSystemFields(ctx, &resource)
-	if !api.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&resource) {
+	if !metav1.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&resource) {
 		t.Errorf("the resource does have all fields populated, but incorrectly reports it does not")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/resttest/resttest.go b/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/resttest/resttest.go
index 23befacfb73..3981265df35 100644
--- a/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/resttest/resttest.go
+++ b/pkg/genericapiserver/registry/rest/resttest/resttest.go
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func (t *Tester) testCreateHasMetadata(valid runtime.Object) {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected object from result: %#v", obj)
 	}
 	defer t.delete(t.TestContext(), obj)
-	if !api.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(objectMeta) {
+	if !metav1.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(objectMeta) {
 		t.Errorf("storage did not populate object meta field values")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/service/rest_test.go b/pkg/registry/core/service/rest_test.go
index cec3b37ae74..a652f83ddb6 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/service/rest_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/service/rest_test.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryCreate(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 	created_service := created_svc.(*api.Service)
-	if !api.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&created_service.ObjectMeta) {
+	if !metav1.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&created_service.ObjectMeta) {
 		t.Errorf("storage did not populate object meta field values")
 	}
 	if created_service.Name != "foo" {
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryCreateMultiNodePortsService(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
 		}
 		created_service := created_svc.(*api.Service)
-		if !api.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&created_service.ObjectMeta) {
+		if !metav1.HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(&created_service.ObjectMeta) {
 			t.Errorf("storage did not populate object meta field values")
 		}
 		if created_service.Name != test.name {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/helpers.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/helpers.go
index 877aa193d34..b62dd9ee02c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/helpers.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/helpers.go
@@ -226,3 +226,9 @@ func NewUIDPreconditions(uid string) *Preconditions {
 	u := types.UID(uid)
 	return &Preconditions{UID: &u}
 }
+
+// HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues returns true if fields that are managed by the system on ObjectMeta have values.
+func HasObjectMetaSystemFieldValues(meta *ObjectMeta) bool {
+	return !meta.CreationTimestamp.Time.IsZero() ||
+		len(meta.UID) != 0
+}