diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/structuredmerge.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/structuredmerge.go
index 1be9e763af4..213988e23c2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/structuredmerge.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/structuredmerge.go
@@ -72,30 +72,41 @@ func NewCRDStructuredMergeManager(typeConverter TypeConverter, objectConverter r
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func objectGVKNN(obj runtime.Object) string {
+	name := "<unknown>"
+	namespace := "<unknown>"
+	if accessor, err := meta.Accessor(obj); err == nil {
+		name = accessor.GetName()
+		namespace = accessor.GetNamespace()
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%v/%v; %v", namespace, name, obj.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind())
+}
+
 // Update implements Manager.
 func (f *structuredMergeManager) Update(liveObj, newObj runtime.Object, managed Managed, manager string) (runtime.Object, Managed, error) {
 	newObjVersioned, err := f.toVersioned(newObj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object to proper version: %v (from %v to %v)", err, newObj.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind(), f.groupVersion)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object (%v) to proper version (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(newObj), f.groupVersion, err)
 	}
 	liveObjVersioned, err := f.toVersioned(liveObj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object to proper version: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to proper version: %v", objectGVKNN(liveObj), err)
 	}
 	newObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(newObjVersioned)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object (%v) to smd typed: %v", newObjVersioned.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind(), err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object (%v) to smd typed: %v", objectGVKNN(newObjVersioned), err)
 	}
 	liveObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(liveObjVersioned)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to smd typed: %v", liveObjVersioned.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind(), err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to smd typed: %v", objectGVKNN(liveObjVersioned), err)
 	}
 	apiVersion := fieldpath.APIVersion(f.groupVersion.String())
 
 	// TODO(apelisse) use the first return value when unions are implemented
 	_, managedFields, err := f.updater.Update(liveObjTyped, newObjTyped, apiVersion, managed.Fields(), manager)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to update ManagedFields: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to update ManagedFields (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(newObjVersioned), err)
 	}
 	managed = internal.NewManaged(managedFields, managed.Times())
 
@@ -123,16 +134,16 @@ func (f *structuredMergeManager) Apply(liveObj, patchObj runtime.Object, managed
 
 	liveObjVersioned, err := f.toVersioned(liveObj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object to proper version: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to proper version: %v", objectGVKNN(liveObj), err)
 	}
 
 	patchObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(patchObj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create typed patch object: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create typed patch object (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(patchObj), err)
 	}
 	liveObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(liveObjVersioned)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create typed live object: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create typed live object (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(liveObjVersioned), err)
 	}
 
 	apiVersion := fieldpath.APIVersion(f.groupVersion.String())
@@ -148,18 +159,18 @@ func (f *structuredMergeManager) Apply(liveObj, patchObj runtime.Object, managed
 
 	newObj, err := f.typeConverter.TypedToObject(newObjTyped)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new typed object to object: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new typed object (%v) to object: %v", objectGVKNN(patchObj), err)
 	}
 
 	newObjVersioned, err := f.toVersioned(newObj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object to proper version: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object (%v) to proper version: %v", objectGVKNN(patchObj), err)
 	}
 	f.objectDefaulter.Default(newObjVersioned)
 
 	newObjUnversioned, err := f.toUnversioned(newObjVersioned)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert to unversioned: %v", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert to unversioned (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(patchObj), err)
 	}
 	return newObjUnversioned, managed, nil
 }