diff --git a/pkg/controller/disruption/BUILD b/pkg/controller/disruption/BUILD
index 1e837373291..cca52c58c62 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/disruption/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/controller/disruption/BUILD
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ go_library(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/policy/v1beta1:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types:go_default_library",
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ go_test(
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/apps/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/api/policy/v1beta1:go_default_library",
+        "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr:go_default_library",
         "//staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid:go_default_library",
diff --git a/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption.go b/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption.go
index 1ad58e5205e..740a83f1ed4 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption.go
@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@ package disruption
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
 	apps "k8s.io/api/apps/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/api/extensions/v1beta1"
 	policy "k8s.io/api/policy/v1beta1"
+	apiequality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ func (dc *DisruptionController) updatePdbStatus(pdb *policy.PodDisruptionBudget,
 		pdb.Status.DesiredHealthy == desiredHealthy &&
 		pdb.Status.ExpectedPods == expectedCount &&
 		pdb.Status.PodDisruptionsAllowed == disruptionsAllowed &&
-		reflect.DeepEqual(pdb.Status.DisruptedPods, disruptedPods) &&
+		apiequality.Semantic.DeepEqual(pdb.Status.DisruptedPods, disruptedPods) &&
 		pdb.Status.ObservedGeneration == pdb.Generation {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption_test.go b/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption_test.go
index fdd92d8b6c2..4503eaec16c 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/disruption/disruption_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package disruption
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	apps "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	policy "k8s.io/api/policy/v1beta1"
+	apiequality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/intstr"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/uuid"
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (ps *pdbStates) VerifyPdbStatus(t *testing.T, key string, disruptionsAllowe
 		ObservedGeneration:    actualPDB.Generation,
 	}
 	actualStatus := actualPDB.Status
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(actualStatus, expectedStatus) {
+	if !apiequality.Semantic.DeepEqual(actualStatus, expectedStatus) {
 		debug.PrintStack()
 		t.Fatalf("PDB %q status mismatch.  Expected %+v but got %+v.", key, expectedStatus, actualStatus)
 	}