diff --git a/pkg/client/apiutil/apimachinery.go b/pkg/client/apiutil/apimachinery.go
index a1fd04a7a4..aeac424680 100644
--- a/pkg/client/apiutil/apimachinery.go
+++ b/pkg/client/apiutil/apimachinery.go
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ func GVKForObject(obj runtime.Object, scheme *runtime.Scheme) (schema.GroupVersi
 // with the given GroupVersionKind.
 func RESTClientForGVK(gvk schema.GroupVersionKind, baseConfig *rest.Config, codecs serializer.CodecFactory) (rest.Interface, error) {
 	cfg := createRestConfig(gvk, baseConfig)
-	cfg.NegotiatedSerializer = serializer.DirectCodecFactory{CodecFactory: codecs}
+	if cfg.NegotiatedSerializer == nil {
+		cfg.NegotiatedSerializer = serializer.DirectCodecFactory{CodecFactory: codecs}
+	}
 	return rest.RESTClientFor(cfg)
 }