diff --git a/pkg/registry/rest/create.go b/pkg/registry/rest/create.go
index 619acc3e0..388ca5233 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/rest/create.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/rest/create.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func BeforeCreate(strategy RESTCreateStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj runtime.
 		if !ValidNamespace(ctx, objectMeta) {
 			return errors.NewBadRequest("the namespace of the provided object does not match the namespace sent on the request")
 		}
-	} else {
+	} else if len(objectMeta.GetNamespace()) > 0 {
 		objectMeta.SetNamespace(metav1.NamespaceNone)
 	}
 	objectMeta.SetDeletionTimestamp(nil)
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ func BeforeCreate(strategy RESTCreateStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj runtime.
 	}
 
 	// ClusterName is ignored and should not be saved
-	objectMeta.SetClusterName("")
+	if len(objectMeta.GetClusterName()) > 0 {
+		objectMeta.SetClusterName("")
+	}
 
 	if errs := strategy.Validate(ctx, obj); len(errs) > 0 {
 		return errors.NewInvalid(kind.GroupKind(), objectMeta.GetName(), errs)
diff --git a/pkg/registry/rest/update.go b/pkg/registry/rest/update.go
index 24e918604..147541bcf 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/rest/update.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/rest/update.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ func validateCommonFields(obj, old runtime.Object, strategy RESTUpdateStrategy)
 // BeforeUpdate ensures that common operations for all resources are performed on update. It only returns
 // errors that can be converted to api.Status. It will invoke update validation with the provided existing
 // and updated objects.
+// It sets zero values only if the object does not have a zero value for the respective field.
 func BeforeUpdate(strategy RESTUpdateStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj, old runtime.Object) error {
 	objectMeta, kind, kerr := objectMetaAndKind(strategy, obj)
 	if kerr != nil {
@@ -92,9 +93,10 @@ func BeforeUpdate(strategy RESTUpdateStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj, old run
 		if !ValidNamespace(ctx, objectMeta) {
 			return errors.NewBadRequest("the namespace of the provided object does not match the namespace sent on the request")
 		}
-	} else {
+	} else if len(objectMeta.GetNamespace()) > 0 {
 		objectMeta.SetNamespace(metav1.NamespaceNone)
 	}
+
 	// Ensure requests cannot update generation
 	oldMeta, err := meta.Accessor(old)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -111,7 +113,9 @@ func BeforeUpdate(strategy RESTUpdateStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj, old run
 	strategy.PrepareForUpdate(ctx, obj, old)
 
 	// ClusterName is ignored and should not be saved
-	objectMeta.SetClusterName("")
+	if len(objectMeta.GetClusterName()) > 0 {
+		objectMeta.SetClusterName("")
+	}
 	// Use the existing UID if none is provided
 	if len(objectMeta.GetUID()) == 0 {
 		objectMeta.SetUID(oldMeta.GetUID())