diff --git a/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go b/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go
index c7e53f12bc9..73a5c4ca068 100644
--- a/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go
+++ b/pkg/apiserver/api_installer.go
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ type action struct {
 	Namer  ScopeNamer
 }
 
+// An interface to see if an object supports swagger documentation as a method
+type documentable interface {
+	SwaggerDoc() map[string]string
+}
+
 // errEmptyName is returned when API requests do not fill the name section of the path.
 var errEmptyName = errors.NewBadRequest("name must be provided")
 
@@ -796,7 +801,11 @@ func addObjectParams(ws *restful.WebService, route *restful.RouteBuilder, obj in
 				if len(jsonName) == 0 {
 					continue
 				}
-				desc := sf.Tag.Get("description")
+
+				var desc string
+				if docable, ok := obj.(documentable); ok {
+					desc = docable.SwaggerDoc()[jsonName]
+				}
 				route.Param(ws.QueryParameter(jsonName, desc).DataType(typeToJSON(sf.Type.Name())))
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go b/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go
index ab2ccd484ee..80b9dc218e1 100644
--- a/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apiserver/apiserver_test.go
@@ -247,11 +247,18 @@ func (*SimpleRoot) IsAnAPIObject() {}
 
 type SimpleGetOptions struct {
 	api.TypeMeta `json:",inline"`
-	Param1       string `json:"param1" description:"description for param1"`
-	Param2       string `json:"param2" description:"description for param2"`
+	Param1       string `json:"param1"`
+	Param2       string `json:"param2"`
 	Path         string `json:"atAPath"`
 }
 
+func (SimpleGetOptions) SwaggerDoc() map[string]string {
+	return map[string]string{
+		"param1": "description for param1",
+		"param2": "description for param2",
+	}
+}
+
 func (*SimpleGetOptions) IsAnAPIObject() {}
 
 type SimpleList struct {