diff --git a/util/annotations/helpers.go b/util/annotations/helpers.go
index 0ec9ef9388ac..47dc7fc6b77b 100644
--- a/util/annotations/helpers.go
+++ b/util/annotations/helpers.go
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ func AddAnnotations(o metav1.Object, desired map[string]string) bool {
 	annotations := o.GetAnnotations()
 	if annotations == nil {
 		annotations = make(map[string]string)
-		o.SetAnnotations(annotations)
 	}
 	hasChanged := false
 	for k, v := range desired {
@@ -80,6 +79,7 @@ func AddAnnotations(o metav1.Object, desired map[string]string) bool {
 			hasChanged = true
 		}
 	}
+	o.SetAnnotations(annotations)
 	return hasChanged
 }
 
diff --git a/util/annotations/helpers_test.go b/util/annotations/helpers_test.go
index 9793fcf87369..de973cfb9c14 100644
--- a/util/annotations/helpers_test.go
+++ b/util/annotations/helpers_test.go
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 )
 
 func TestAddAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 	g := NewWithT(t)
 
-	var testcases = []struct {
+	testcases := []struct {
 		name     string
 		obj      metav1.Object
 		input    map[string]string
@@ -141,6 +142,39 @@ func TestAddAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			changed: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "should add annotations to an empty unstructured",
+			obj:  &unstructured.Unstructured{},
+			input: map[string]string{
+				"foo": "buzz",
+			},
+			expected: map[string]string{
+				"foo": "buzz",
+			},
+			changed: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "should add annotations to a non empty unstructured",
+			obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+				Object: map[string]interface{}{
+					"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+						"annotations": map[string]interface{}{
+							"foo": "bar",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			input: map[string]string{
+				"thing1": "thing2",
+				"buzz":   "blah",
+			},
+			expected: map[string]string{
+				"foo":    "bar",
+				"thing1": "thing2",
+				"buzz":   "blah",
+			},
+			changed: true,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testcases {