diff --git a/pkg/api/ref.go b/pkg/api/ref.go
index 36eb647eb19..b1a46267b16 100644
--- a/pkg/api/ref.go
+++ b/pkg/api/ref.go
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ func GetReference(obj runtime.Object) (*ObjectReference, error) {
 	if obj == nil {
 		return nil, ErrNilObject
 	}
+	if ref, ok := obj.(*ObjectReference); ok {
+		// Don't make a reference to a reference.
+		return ref, nil
+	}
 	meta, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -57,3 +61,7 @@ func GetReference(obj runtime.Object) (*ObjectReference, error) {
 		ResourceVersion: meta.ResourceVersion(),
 	}, nil
 }
+
+// Allow clients to preemptively get a reference to an API object and pass it to places that
+// intend only to get a reference to that object. This simplifies the event recording interface.
+func (*ObjectReference) IsAnAPIObject() {}