diff --git a/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/BUILD b/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/BUILD
index 3dee3649dd0..86beccd8775 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/BUILD
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/security/apparmor:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/security/podsecuritypolicy/seccomp:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/security/podsecuritypolicy/util:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality",
         "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1",
         "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/validation",
         "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels",
diff --git a/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/validation.go
index 3b309cef7f0..97a95d31a48 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/extensions/validation/validation.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	apiequality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	unversionedvalidation "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/validation"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ func ValidateDaemonSetSpecUpdate(newSpec, oldSpec *extensions.DaemonSetSpec, fld
 	}
 
 	// TemplateGeneration should be increased when and only when template is changed
-	templateUpdated := !reflect.DeepEqual(newSpec.Template, oldSpec.Template)
+	templateUpdated := !apiequality.Semantic.DeepEqual(newSpec.Template, oldSpec.Template)
 	if newSpec.TemplateGeneration == oldSpec.TemplateGeneration && templateUpdated {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("templateGeneration"), newSpec.TemplateGeneration, "must be incremented upon template update"))
 	} else if newSpec.TemplateGeneration > oldSpec.TemplateGeneration && !templateUpdated {
diff --git a/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/BUILD b/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/BUILD
index d523cf24486..24cebe6d4c4 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/BUILD
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/api:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/apis/extensions:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/apis/extensions/validation:go_default_library",
+        "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality",
         "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields",
         "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels",
         "//vendor:k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime",
diff --git a/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/strategy.go b/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/strategy.go
index 2e508bdb998..cc06e0a9cb0 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/extensions/daemonset/strategy.go
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ package daemonset
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
+	apiequality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ func (daemonSetStrategy) PrepareForUpdate(ctx genericapirequest.Context, obj, ol
 	//
 	// TODO: Any changes to a part of the object that represents desired state (labels,
 	// annotations etc) should also increment the generation.
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldDaemonSet.Spec.Template, newDaemonSet.Spec.Template) {
+	if !apiequality.Semantic.DeepEqual(oldDaemonSet.Spec.Template, newDaemonSet.Spec.Template) {
 		newDaemonSet.Spec.TemplateGeneration = oldDaemonSet.Spec.TemplateGeneration + 1
 		newDaemonSet.Generation = oldDaemonSet.Generation + 1
 		return
 	}
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldDaemonSet.Spec, newDaemonSet.Spec) {
+	if !apiequality.Semantic.DeepEqual(oldDaemonSet.Spec, newDaemonSet.Spec) {
 		newDaemonSet.Generation = oldDaemonSet.Generation + 1
 	}
 }