diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission.go
index d489fda6502..a276be9a7d2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/warning"
 )
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ func (admit *managedFieldsValidatingAdmissionController) Admit(ctx context.Conte
 		return err
 	}
 	managedFieldsAfterAdmission := objectMeta.GetManagedFields()
-	if err := validateManagedFields(managedFieldsAfterAdmission); err != nil {
+	if err := ValidateManagedFields(managedFieldsAfterAdmission); err != nil {
 		objectMeta.SetManagedFields(managedFieldsBeforeAdmission)
 		warning.AddWarning(ctx, "",
 			fmt.Sprintf(InvalidManagedFieldsAfterMutatingAdmissionWarningFormat,
@@ -82,21 +81,3 @@ func (admit *managedFieldsValidatingAdmissionController) Validate(ctx context.Co
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func validateManagedFields(managedFields []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry) error {
-	for i, managed := range managedFields {
-		if len(managed.APIVersion) < 1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf(".metadata.managedFields[%d]: missing apiVersion", i)
-		}
-		if len(managed.FieldsType) < 1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf(".metadata.managedFields[%d]: missing fieldsType", i)
-		}
-		if len(managed.Manager) < 1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf(".metadata.managedFields[%d]: missing manager", i)
-		}
-		if managed.FieldsV1 == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf(".metadata.managedFields[%d]: missing fieldsV1", i)
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f1c0ca1269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/admission_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package fieldmanager_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission"
+	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager"
+	api "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/core"
+)
+
+func TestAdmission(t *testing.T) {
+	wrap := &mockAdmissionController{}
+	ac := fieldmanager.NewManagedFieldsValidatingAdmissionController(wrap)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		beforeAdmission []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry
+		afterAdmission  []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry
+		expected        []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry
+	}{
+		{
+			beforeAdmission: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					Manager: "test",
+				},
+			},
+			afterAdmission: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					Manager: "",
+				},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					Manager: "test",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			beforeAdmission: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					APIVersion: "test",
+				},
+			},
+			afterAdmission: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					APIVersion: "",
+				},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					APIVersion: "test",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			beforeAdmission: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					FieldsType: "FieldsV1",
+				},
+			},
+			afterAdmission: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					FieldsType: "test",
+				},
+			},
+			expected: []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry{
+				{
+					FieldsType: "FieldsV1",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		obj := &unstructured.Unstructured{}
+		obj.SetManagedFields(test.beforeAdmission)
+		wrap.admit = replaceManagedFields(test.afterAdmission)
+
+		attrs := admission.NewAttributesRecord(obj, obj, api.Kind("ConfigMap").WithVersion("version"), "default", "", api.Resource("configmaps").WithVersion("version"), "", admission.Update, nil, false, nil)
+		if err := ac.(admission.MutationInterface).Admit(context.TODO(), attrs, nil); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(obj.GetManagedFields(), test.expected) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected: \n%v\ngot:\n%v", test.expected, obj.GetManagedFields())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func replaceManagedFields(with []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry) func(ctx context.Context, a admission.Attributes, o admission.ObjectInterfaces) error {
+	return func(ctx context.Context, a admission.Attributes, o admission.ObjectInterfaces) error {
+		objectMeta, err := meta.Accessor(a.GetObject())
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		objectMeta.SetManagedFields(with)
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+type mockAdmissionController struct {
+	admit func(ctx context.Context, a admission.Attributes, o admission.ObjectInterfaces) error
+}
+
+func (c *mockAdmissionController) Handles(operation admission.Operation) bool {
+	return true
+}
+
+func (c *mockAdmissionController) Admit(ctx context.Context, a admission.Attributes, o admission.ObjectInterfaces) error {
+	return c.admit(ctx, a, o)
+}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/validation.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/validation.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c862a7745bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/handlers/fieldmanager/validation.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package fieldmanager
+
+import (
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	v1validation "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/validation"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
+)
+
+// ValidateManagedFields by checking the integrity of every entry and trying to decode
+// them to the internal format
+func ValidateManagedFields(managedFields []metav1.ManagedFieldsEntry) error {
+	validationErrs := v1validation.ValidateManagedFields(managedFields, field.NewPath("metadata").Child("managedFields"))
+	if len(validationErrs) > 0 {
+		return validationErrs.ToAggregate()
+	}
+
+	if _, err := DecodeManagedFields(managedFields); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}