diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 873f888fd..ebb30a78a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20231010175941-2dd684a91f00
 	k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20230726121419-3b25d923346b
 	sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20221116044647-bc3834ca7abd
-	sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.3.0
+	sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.4.1
 	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0
 )
 
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 3d6bd3520..1e213a5fc 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20230726121419-3b25d923346b h1:sgn3ZU783SCgtaSJjpcVVlRqd6GSn
 k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20230726121419-3b25d923346b/go.mod h1:OLgZIPagt7ERELqWJFomSt595RzquPNLL48iOWgYOg0=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20221116044647-bc3834ca7abd h1:EDPBXCAspyGV4jQlpZSudPeMmr1bNJefnuqLsRAsHZo=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20221116044647-bc3834ca7abd/go.mod h1:B8JuhiUyNFVKdsE8h686QcCxMaH6HrOAZj4vswFpcB0=
-sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.3.0 h1:UZbZAZfX0wV2zr7YZorDz6GXROfDFj6LvqCRm4VUVKk=
-sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.3.0/go.mod h1:N8hJocpFajUSSeSJ9bOZ77VzejKZaXsTtZo4/u7Io08=
+sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.4.1 h1:150L+0vs/8DA78h1u02ooW1/fFq/Lwr+sGiqlzvrtq4=
+sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.4.1/go.mod h1:N8hJocpFajUSSeSJ9bOZ77VzejKZaXsTtZo4/u7Io08=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0 h1:a2VclLzOGrwOHDiV8EfBGhvjHvP46CtW5j6POvhYGGo=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0/go.mod h1:GeOyir5tyXNByN85N/dRIT9es5UQNerPYEKK56eTBm8=
diff --git a/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/structuredmerge.go b/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/structuredmerge.go
index 2112c9ab7..786ad991c 100644
--- a/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/structuredmerge.go
+++ b/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/structuredmerge.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4/fieldpath"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4/merge"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4/typed"
 )
 
 type structuredMergeManager struct {
@@ -95,11 +96,11 @@ func (f *structuredMergeManager) Update(liveObj, newObj runtime.Object, managed
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to proper version: %v", objectGVKNN(liveObj), err)
 	}
-	newObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(newObjVersioned)
+	newObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(newObjVersioned, typed.AllowDuplicates)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert new object (%v) to smd typed: %v", objectGVKNN(newObjVersioned), err)
 	}
-	liveObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(liveObjVersioned)
+	liveObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(liveObjVersioned, typed.AllowDuplicates)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to smd typed: %v", objectGVKNN(liveObjVersioned), err)
 	}
@@ -139,11 +140,13 @@ func (f *structuredMergeManager) Apply(liveObj, patchObj runtime.Object, managed
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert live object (%v) to proper version: %v", objectGVKNN(liveObj), err)
 	}
 
+	// Don't allow duplicates in the applied object.
 	patchObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(patchObj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create typed patch object (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(patchObj), err)
 	}
-	liveObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(liveObjVersioned)
+
+	liveObjTyped, err := f.typeConverter.ObjectToTyped(liveObjVersioned, typed.AllowDuplicates)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create typed live object (%v): %v", objectGVKNN(liveObjVersioned), err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/typeconverter.go b/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/typeconverter.go
index 1ac96d7f7..c6449467c 100644
--- a/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/typeconverter.go
+++ b/pkg/util/managedfields/internal/typeconverter.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import (
 // TypeConverter allows you to convert from runtime.Object to
 // typed.TypedValue and the other way around.
 type TypeConverter interface {
-	ObjectToTyped(runtime.Object) (*typed.TypedValue, error)
+	ObjectToTyped(runtime.Object, ...typed.ValidationOptions) (*typed.TypedValue, error)
 	TypedToObject(*typed.TypedValue) (runtime.Object, error)
 }
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func NewTypeConverter(openapiSpec map[string]*spec.Schema, preserveUnknownFields
 	return &typeConverter{parser: tr}, nil
 }
 
-func (c *typeConverter) ObjectToTyped(obj runtime.Object) (*typed.TypedValue, error) {
+func (c *typeConverter) ObjectToTyped(obj runtime.Object, opts ...typed.ValidationOptions) (*typed.TypedValue, error) {
 	gvk := obj.GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind()
 	t := c.parser[gvk]
 	if t == nil {
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@ func (c *typeConverter) ObjectToTyped(obj runtime.Object) (*typed.TypedValue, er
 	}
 	switch o := obj.(type) {
 	case *unstructured.Unstructured:
-		return t.FromUnstructured(o.UnstructuredContent())
+		return t.FromUnstructured(o.UnstructuredContent(), opts...)
 	default:
-		return t.FromStructured(obj)
+		return t.FromStructured(obj, opts...)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -84,12 +84,12 @@ func NewDeducedTypeConverter() TypeConverter {
 }
 
 // ObjectToTyped converts an object into a TypedValue with a "deduced type".
-func (deducedTypeConverter) ObjectToTyped(obj runtime.Object) (*typed.TypedValue, error) {
+func (deducedTypeConverter) ObjectToTyped(obj runtime.Object, opts ...typed.ValidationOptions) (*typed.TypedValue, error) {
 	switch o := obj.(type) {
 	case *unstructured.Unstructured:
-		return typed.DeducedParseableType.FromUnstructured(o.UnstructuredContent())
+		return typed.DeducedParseableType.FromUnstructured(o.UnstructuredContent(), opts...)
 	default:
-		return typed.DeducedParseableType.FromStructured(obj)
+		return typed.DeducedParseableType.FromStructured(obj, opts...)
 	}
 }