diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
index b69c8dd2579..9eba52acdc1 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jonboulle/clockwork"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
+	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -303,6 +304,8 @@ func (o *ApplyOptions) Run(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	visitedUids := sets.NewString()
 	visitedNamespaces := sets.NewString()
 
+	var objs []runtime.Object
+
 	count := 0
 	err = r.Visit(func(info *resource.Info, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -354,6 +357,11 @@ func (o *ApplyOptions) Run(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 
 			count++
 
+			if printObject {
+				objs = append(objs, info.Object)
+				return nil
+			}
+
 			printer, err := o.ToPrinter("created")
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
@@ -416,20 +424,52 @@ func (o *ApplyOptions) Run(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 		}
 		count++
 
+		if printObject {
+			objs = append(objs, info.Object)
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		printer, err := o.ToPrinter("configured")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		return printer.PrintObj(info.AsVersioned(), o.Out)
 	})
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	if count == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("no objects passed to apply")
 	}
 
+	// print objects
+	if len(objs) > 0 {
+		printer, err := o.ToPrinter("")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		objToPrint := objs[0]
+		if len(objs) > 1 {
+			list := &v1.List{
+				TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+					Kind:       "List",
+					APIVersion: "v1",
+				},
+				ListMeta: metav1.ListMeta{},
+			}
+			if err := meta.SetList(list, objs); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			objToPrint = list
+		}
+		if err := printer.PrintObj(objToPrint, o.Out); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	if !o.Prune {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
index 536329b7b0a..d6064939153 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	autoscalingv1 "k8s.io/api/autoscaling/v1"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	kubeerr "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ func validateApplyArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 const (
+	filenameCM                = "../../../test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/cm.yaml"
 	filenameRC                = "../../../test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/rc.yaml"
 	filenameRCArgs            = "../../../test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/rc-args.yaml"
 	filenameRCLastAppliedArgs = "../../../test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/rc-lastapplied-args.yaml"
@@ -105,6 +107,21 @@ const (
 	filenameWidgetServerside = "../../../test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/widget-serverside.yaml"
 )
 
+func readConfigMapList(t *testing.T, filename string) []byte {
+	data := readBytesFromFile(t, filename)
+	cmList := corev1.ConfigMapList{}
+	if err := runtime.DecodeInto(testapi.Default.Codec(), data, &cmList); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	cmListBytes, err := runtime.Encode(testapi.Default.Codec(), &cmList)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	return cmListBytes
+}
+
 func readBytesFromFile(t *testing.T, filename string) []byte {
 	file, err := os.Open(filename)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -255,6 +272,48 @@ func walkMapPath(t *testing.T, start map[string]interface{}, path []string) map[
 	return finish
 }
 
+func TestRunApplyPrintsValidObjectList(t *testing.T) {
+	initTestErrorHandler(t)
+	cmBytes := readConfigMapList(t, filenameCM)
+	pathCM := "/namespaces/test/configmaps"
+
+	tf := cmdtesting.NewTestFactory()
+	defer tf.Cleanup()
+
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
+		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, pathCM) && m != "GET":
+				pod := ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(cmBytes))
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Header: defaultHeader(), Body: pod}, nil
+			case strings.HasPrefix(p, pathCM) && m != "PATCH":
+				pod := ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(cmBytes))
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Header: defaultHeader(), Body: pod}, nil
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	tf.Namespace = "test"
+	tf.ClientConfigVal = defaultClientConfig()
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+	errBuf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+
+	cmd := NewCmdApply("kubectl", tf, buf, errBuf)
+	cmd.Flags().Set("filename", filenameCM)
+	cmd.Flags().Set("output", "json")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("dry-run", "true")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{})
+
+	// ensure that returned list can be unmarshaled back into a configmap list
+	cmList := corev1.List{}
+	if err := runtime.DecodeInto(testapi.Default.Codec(), buf.Bytes(), &cmList); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunApplyViewLastApplied(t *testing.T) {
 	_, rcBytesWithConfig := readReplicationController(t, filenameRCLASTAPPLIED)
 	_, rcBytesWithArgs := readReplicationController(t, filenameRCLastAppliedArgs)
diff --git a/test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/cm.yaml b/test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/cm.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..571afe8ae56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply/cm.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+items:
+- kind: ConfigMap
+  apiVersion: v1
+  metadata:
+    name: test
+  data:
+    key1: apple
+- kind: ConfigMap
+  apiVersion: v1
+  metadata:
+    name: test2
+  data:
+    key2: apple
+kind: ConfigMapList
+metadata: {}