diff --git a/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil.go b/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil.go
index de9dfa49fb..0a5ec49761 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
@@ -238,7 +237,7 @@ func mutate(f MutateFn, key client.ObjectKey, obj runtime.Object) error {
 type MutateFn func() error
 
 // AddFinalizer accepts a metav1 object and adds the provided finalizer if not present.
-func AddFinalizer(o metav1.Object, finalizer string) {
+func AddFinalizer(o Object, finalizer string) {
 	f := o.GetFinalizers()
 	for _, e := range f {
 		if e == finalizer {
@@ -248,19 +247,8 @@ func AddFinalizer(o metav1.Object, finalizer string) {
 	o.SetFinalizers(append(f, finalizer))
 }
 
-// AddFinalizerWithError tries to convert a runtime object to a metav1 object and add the provided finalizer.
-// It returns an error if the provided object cannot provide an accessor.
-func AddFinalizerWithError(o runtime.Object, finalizer string) error {
-	m, err := meta.Accessor(o)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	AddFinalizer(m, finalizer)
-	return nil
-}
-
 // RemoveFinalizer accepts a metav1 object and removes the provided finalizer if present.
-func RemoveFinalizer(o metav1.Object, finalizer string) {
+func RemoveFinalizer(o Object, finalizer string) {
 	f := o.GetFinalizers()
 	for i := 0; i < len(f); i++ {
 		if f[i] == finalizer {
@@ -271,17 +259,6 @@ func RemoveFinalizer(o metav1.Object, finalizer string) {
 	o.SetFinalizers(f)
 }
 
-// RemoveFinalizerWithError tries to convert a runtime object to a metav1 object and remove the provided finalizer.
-// It returns an error if the provided object cannot provide an accessor.
-func RemoveFinalizerWithError(o runtime.Object, finalizer string) error {
-	m, err := meta.Accessor(o)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	RemoveFinalizer(m, finalizer)
-	return nil
-}
-
 // ContainsFinalizer checks a metav1 object that the provided finalizer is present.
 func ContainsFinalizer(o Object, finalizer string) bool {
 	f := o.GetFinalizers()
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil_test.go b/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil_test.go
index 0de2221650..33162c5e64 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controllerutil/controllerutil_test.go
@@ -407,21 +407,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Controllerutil", func() {
 	})
 
 	Describe("Finalizers", func() {
-		var obj runtime.Object = &errRuntimeObj{}
 		var deploy *appsv1.Deployment
 
-		Describe("AddFinalizerWithError", func() {
-			It("should return an error if object can't provide accessor", func() {
-				Expect(controllerutil.AddFinalizerWithError(obj, testFinalizer)).To(HaveOccurred())
-			})
-		})
-
-		Describe("RemoveFinalizerWithError", func() {
-			It("should return an error if object can't provide accessor", func() {
-				Expect(controllerutil.RemoveFinalizerWithError(obj, testFinalizer)).To(HaveOccurred())
-			})
-		})
-
 		Describe("AddFinalizer", func() {
 			deploy = &appsv1.Deployment{
 				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{