diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
index 71486bdac48..6fa3998c6cb 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply.go
@@ -271,12 +271,12 @@ func RunApply(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command, out, errOut io.Writer, opti
 		// in the patch sent to the server.
 		modified, err := kubectl.GetModifiedConfiguration(info, true, encoder)
 		if err != nil {
-			return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving modified configuration from:\n%v\nfor:", info), info.Source, err)
+			return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving modified configuration from:\n%s\nfor:", info.String()), info.Source, err)
 		}
 
 		if err := info.Get(); err != nil {
 			if !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-				return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%v\nfrom server for:", info), info.Source, err)
+				return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%s\nfrom server for:", info.String()), info.Source, err)
 			}
 			// Create the resource if it doesn't exist
 			// First, update the annotation used by kubectl apply
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_set_last_applied.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_set_last_applied.go
index 5a0c565b501..fea8f831910 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_set_last_applied.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_set_last_applied.go
@@ -143,12 +143,12 @@ func (o *SetLastAppliedOptions) Validate(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command)
 			if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
 				return err
 			} else {
-				return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%v\nfrom server for:", info), info.Source, err)
+				return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%s\nfrom server for:", info.String()), info.Source, err)
 			}
 		}
 		originalBuf, err := kubectl.GetOriginalConfiguration(info.Mapping, info.Object)
 		if err != nil {
-			return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%v\nfrom server for:", info), info.Source, err)
+			return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%s\nfrom server for:", info.String()), info.Source, err)
 		}
 		if originalBuf == nil && !o.CreateAnnotation {
 			return cmdutil.UsageErrorf(cmd, "no last-applied-configuration annotation found on resource: %s, to create the annotation, run the command with --create-annotation", info.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/diff.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/diff.go
index 490db667c25..43440f54907 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/diff.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/diff.go
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ func RunDiff(f cmdutil.Factory, diff *DiffProgram, options *DiffOptions, from, t
 
 		if err := info.Get(); err != nil {
 			if !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-				return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%v\nfrom server for:", info), info.Source, err)
+				return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr(fmt.Sprintf("retrieving current configuration of:\n%s\nfrom server for:", info.String()), info.Source, err)
 			}
 			info.Object = nil
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/resource/visitor.go b/pkg/kubectl/resource/visitor.go
index 554fa4a6611..b580f722362 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/resource/visitor.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/resource/visitor.go
@@ -154,6 +154,17 @@ func (i *Info) Refresh(obj runtime.Object, ignoreError bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// String returns the general purpose string representation
+func (i *Info) String() string {
+	basicInfo := fmt.Sprintf("Name: %q, Namespace: %q\nObject: %+q", i.Name, i.Namespace, i.Object)
+	if i.Mapping != nil {
+		mappingInfo := fmt.Sprintf("Resource: %q, GroupVersionKind: %q", i.Mapping.Resource,
+			i.Mapping.GroupVersionKind.String())
+		return fmt.Sprint(mappingInfo, "\n", basicInfo)
+	}
+	return basicInfo
+}
+
 // Namespaced returns true if the object belongs to a namespace
 func (i *Info) Namespaced() bool {
 	return i.Mapping != nil && i.Mapping.Scope.Name() == meta.RESTScopeNameNamespace