diff --git a/internal/serialize/keyvalues.go b/internal/serialize/keyvalues.go
index 0bff64d0..f9558c3d 100644
--- a/internal/serialize/keyvalues.go
+++ b/internal/serialize/keyvalues.go
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 )
 
+type textWriter interface {
+	WriteText(*bytes.Buffer)
+}
+
 // WithValues implements LogSink.WithValues. The old key/value pairs are
 // assumed to be well-formed, the new ones are checked and padded if
 // necessary. It returns a new slice.
@@ -175,6 +179,8 @@ func KVFormat(b *bytes.Buffer, k, v interface{}) {
 	// than plain strings
 	// (https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/106594#issuecomment-975526235).
 	switch v := v.(type) {
+	case textWriter:
+		writeTextWriterValue(b, v)
 	case fmt.Stringer:
 		writeStringValue(b, true, StringerToString(v))
 	case string:
@@ -254,6 +260,16 @@ func ErrorToString(err error) (ret string) {
 	return
 }
 
+func writeTextWriterValue(b *bytes.Buffer, v textWriter) {
+	b.WriteRune('=')
+	defer func() {
+		if err := recover(); err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(b, `"<panic: %s>"`, err)
+		}
+	}()
+	v.WriteText(b)
+}
+
 func writeStringValue(b *bytes.Buffer, quote bool, v string) {
 	data := []byte(v)
 	index := bytes.IndexByte(data, '\n')
diff --git a/k8s_references.go b/k8s_references.go
index a6436b5d..ecd3f8b6 100644
--- a/k8s_references.go
+++ b/k8s_references.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package klog
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
@@ -42,6 +43,20 @@ func (ref ObjectRef) String() string {
 	return ref.Name
 }
 
+func (ref ObjectRef) WriteText(out *bytes.Buffer) {
+	out.WriteRune('"')
+	ref.writeUnquoted(out)
+	out.WriteRune('"')
+}
+
+func (ref ObjectRef) writeUnquoted(out *bytes.Buffer) {
+	if ref.Namespace != "" {
+		out.WriteString(ref.Namespace)
+		out.WriteRune('/')
+	}
+	out.WriteString(ref.Name)
+}
+
 // MarshalLog ensures that loggers with support for structured output will log
 // as a struct by removing the String method via a custom type.
 func (ref ObjectRef) MarshalLog() interface{} {
@@ -123,31 +138,31 @@ var _ fmt.Stringer = kobjSlice{}
 var _ logr.Marshaler = kobjSlice{}
 
 func (ks kobjSlice) String() string {
-	objectRefs, err := ks.process()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err.Error()
+	objectRefs, errStr := ks.process()
+	if errStr != "" {
+		return errStr
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%v", objectRefs)
 }
 
 func (ks kobjSlice) MarshalLog() interface{} {
-	objectRefs, err := ks.process()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err.Error()
+	objectRefs, errStr := ks.process()
+	if errStr != "" {
+		return errStr
 	}
 	return objectRefs
 }
 
-func (ks kobjSlice) process() ([]interface{}, error) {
+func (ks kobjSlice) process() (objs []interface{}, err string) {
 	s := reflect.ValueOf(ks.arg)
 	switch s.Kind() {
 	case reflect.Invalid:
 		// nil parameter, print as nil.
-		return nil, nil
+		return nil, ""
 	case reflect.Slice:
 		// Okay, handle below.
 	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("<KObjSlice needs a slice, got type %T>", ks.arg)
+		return nil, fmt.Sprintf("<KObjSlice needs a slice, got type %T>", ks.arg)
 	}
 	objectRefs := make([]interface{}, 0, s.Len())
 	for i := 0; i < s.Len(); i++ {
@@ -157,8 +172,41 @@ func (ks kobjSlice) process() ([]interface{}, error) {
 		} else if v, ok := item.(KMetadata); ok {
 			objectRefs = append(objectRefs, KObj(v))
 		} else {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type %T>", item)
+			return nil, fmt.Sprintf("<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type %T>", item)
+		}
+	}
+	return objectRefs, ""
+}
+
+var nilToken = []byte("<nil>")
+
+func (ks kobjSlice) WriteText(out *bytes.Buffer) {
+	s := reflect.ValueOf(ks.arg)
+	switch s.Kind() {
+	case reflect.Invalid:
+		// nil parameter, print as empty slice.
+		out.WriteString("[]")
+		return
+	case reflect.Slice:
+		// Okay, handle below.
+	default:
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, `"<KObjSlice needs a slice, got type %T>"`, ks.arg)
+		return
+	}
+	out.Write([]byte{'['})
+	defer out.Write([]byte{']'})
+	for i := 0; i < s.Len(); i++ {
+		if i > 0 {
+			out.Write([]byte{' '})
+		}
+		item := s.Index(i).Interface()
+		if item == nil {
+			out.Write(nilToken)
+		} else if v, ok := item.(KMetadata); ok {
+			KObj(v).writeUnquoted(out)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprintf(out, "<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type %T>", item)
+			return
 		}
 	}
-	return objectRefs, nil
 }
diff --git a/test/output.go b/test/output.go
index bfd026c2..4dc52f76 100644
--- a/test/output.go
+++ b/test/output.go
@@ -290,14 +290,14 @@ I output.go:<LINE>] "test" firstKey=1 secondKey=3
 				&kmeta{Name: "pod-1", Namespace: "kube-system"},
 				&kmeta{Name: "pod-2", Namespace: "kube-system"},
 			})},
-		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods="[kube-system/pod-1 kube-system/pod-2]"
+		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods=[kube-system/pod-1 kube-system/pod-2]
 `,
 	},
 	"KObjSlice nil arg": {
 		text: "test",
 		values: []interface{}{"pods",
 			klog.KObjSlice(nil)},
-		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods="[]"
+		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods=[]
 `,
 	},
 	"KObjSlice int arg": {
@@ -314,14 +314,14 @@ I output.go:<LINE>] "test" firstKey=1 secondKey=3
 				&kmeta{Name: "pod-1", Namespace: "kube-system"},
 				nil,
 			})},
-		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods="[kube-system/pod-1 <nil>]"
+		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods=[kube-system/pod-1 <nil>]
 `,
 	},
 	"KObjSlice ints": {
 		text: "test",
 		values: []interface{}{"ints",
 			klog.KObjSlice([]int{1, 2, 3})},
-		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" ints="<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type int>"
+		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "test" ints=[<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type int>]
 `,
 	},
 	"regular error types as value": {
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ I output.go:<LINE>] "test" firstKey=1 secondKey=3
 	"MarshalLog() for nil": {
 		text:   "marshaler nil",
 		values: []interface{}{"obj", (*klog.ObjectRef)(nil)},
-		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "marshaler nil" obj="<panic: value method k8s.io/klog/v2.ObjectRef.String called using nil *ObjectRef pointer>"
+		expectedOutput: `I output.go:<LINE>] "marshaler nil" obj="<panic: value method k8s.io/klog/v2.ObjectRef.WriteText called using nil *ObjectRef pointer>"
 `,
 	},
 	"Error() that panics": {
diff --git a/test/zapr.go b/test/zapr.go
index 48cf2c3d..680e022d 100644
--- a/test/zapr.go
+++ b/test/zapr.go
@@ -73,11 +73,7 @@ func ZaprOutputMappingDirect() map[string]string {
 `: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"test","v":0,"pods":[{"name":"pod-1","namespace":"kube-system"},{"name":"pod-2","namespace":"kube-system"}]}
 `,
 
-		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods="[kube-system/pod-1 kube-system/pod-2]"
-`: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"test","v":0,"pods":[{"name":"pod-1","namespace":"kube-system"},{"name":"pod-2","namespace":"kube-system"}]}
-`,
-
-		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods="[]"
+		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods=[]
 `: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"test","v":0,"pods":null}
 `,
 
@@ -85,11 +81,11 @@ func ZaprOutputMappingDirect() map[string]string {
 `: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"test","v":0,"pods":"<KObjSlice needs a slice, got type int>"}
 `,
 
-		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" ints="<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type int>"
+		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" ints=[<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type int>]
 `: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"test","v":0,"ints":"<KObjSlice needs a slice of values implementing KMetadata, got type int>"}
 `,
 
-		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods="[kube-system/pod-1 <nil>]"
+		`I output.go:<LINE>] "test" pods=[kube-system/pod-1 <nil>]
 `: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"test","v":0,"pods":[{"name":"pod-1","namespace":"kube-system"},null]}
 `,
 
@@ -140,7 +136,7 @@ I output.go:<LINE>] "odd WithValues" keyWithoutValue="(MISSING)"
 {"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"both odd","basekey1":"basevar1","v":0,"akey":"avalue"}
 `,
 
-		`I output.go:<LINE>] "marshaler nil" obj="<panic: value method k8s.io/klog/v2.ObjectRef.String called using nil *ObjectRef pointer>"
+		`I output.go:<LINE>] "marshaler nil" obj="<panic: value method k8s.io/klog/v2.ObjectRef.WriteText called using nil *ObjectRef pointer>"
 `: `{"caller":"test/output.go:<LINE>","msg":"marshaler nil","v":0,"objError":"PANIC=value method k8s.io/klog/v2.ObjectRef.MarshalLog called using nil *ObjectRef pointer"}
 `,