diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 26714bd91..74688a8b6 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.38.0
 	gopkg.in/natefinch/lumberjack.v2 v2.0.0
 	gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2 v2.2.2
-	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707054401-2c49f10e0b15
+	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707174547-c7120651ba6c
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20210701054147-830375057167
-	k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210706214629-68cb2ddef93f
+	k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210707174930-b2678640329d
 	k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20210702054709-fddd92849e34
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.9.0
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20210421082810-95288971da7e
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ require (
 )
 
 replace (
-	k8s.io/api => k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707054401-2c49f10e0b15
+	k8s.io/api => k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707174547-c7120651ba6c
 	k8s.io/apimachinery => k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20210701054147-830375057167
-	k8s.io/client-go => k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210706214629-68cb2ddef93f
+	k8s.io/client-go => k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210707174930-b2678640329d
 	k8s.io/component-base => k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20210702054709-fddd92849e34
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a93e8876d..4389adc2b 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -779,12 +779,12 @@ honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190418001031-e561f6794a2a/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWh
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190523083050-ea95bdfd59fc/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.1-2019.2.3/go.mod h1:a3bituU0lyd329TUQxRnasdCoJDkEUEAqEt0JzvZhAg=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.1-2020.1.3/go.mod h1:X/FiERA/W4tHapMX5mGpAtMSVEeEUOyHaw9vFzvIQ3k=
-k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707054401-2c49f10e0b15 h1:KDL/0Eab3o5BswoTN53Hp0H1QFN8RGD/x2ItzJN9l4g=
-k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707054401-2c49f10e0b15/go.mod h1:zoURDvOPW5UMFZr2YUU/sStjYnWSPt+x+MM4R94ATgQ=
+k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707174547-c7120651ba6c h1:fSuqMc1G40Cl6BY7TuYWLdo+wcWUfaWijwWPMGm3hrE=
+k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20210707174547-c7120651ba6c/go.mod h1:zoURDvOPW5UMFZr2YUU/sStjYnWSPt+x+MM4R94ATgQ=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20210701054147-830375057167 h1:fob/j8+uMBIVvyo+9bG7GvjFSj0LX3RNuSXW+RcUrwo=
 k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20210701054147-830375057167/go.mod h1:O3oNtNadZdeOMxHFVxOreoznohCpy0z6mocxbZr7oJ0=
-k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210706214629-68cb2ddef93f h1:seULy+bqIY8G2Q98h/e3WaQdkgNIIQUqy8MSUP2TReY=
-k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210706214629-68cb2ddef93f/go.mod h1:sbkKCOXetW3FaqcSYCG3ghdfOCSOKTGwitXlliklRrc=
+k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210707174930-b2678640329d h1:JZpwpZ5mK716hQiKLwGnoABxEbWhFSaM36csnj4mw3M=
+k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20210707174930-b2678640329d/go.mod h1:sHAZo8Y/PMppsKX6llqj9HPjDT8PM/PYRxWZCCt1zlc=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20210702054709-fddd92849e34 h1:L7kJX0+rX5SJ2ZUaFy8zarcUMW0+2AHkd3gyuIp0ZLM=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20210702054709-fddd92849e34/go.mod h1:KuldLgSPMxWtcVmPn3hcUoWNJqm7HEdVcSID+ZdAB24=
 k8s.io/gengo v0.0.0-20200413195148-3a45101e95ac/go.mod h1:ezvh/TsK7cY6rbqRK0oQQ8IAqLxYwwyPxAX1Pzy0ii0=
diff --git a/pkg/registry/rest/delete.go b/pkg/registry/rest/delete.go
index dcb78e4e2..34102690e 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/rest/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/rest/delete.go
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ type GarbageCollectionDeleteStrategy interface {
 type RESTGracefulDeleteStrategy interface {
 	// CheckGracefulDelete should return true if the object can be gracefully deleted and set
 	// any default values on the DeleteOptions.
+	// NOTE: if return true, `options.GracePeriodSeconds` must be non-nil (nil will fail),
+	// that's what tells the deletion how "graceful" to be.
 	CheckGracefulDelete(ctx context.Context, obj runtime.Object, options *metav1.DeleteOptions) bool
 }
 
@@ -136,9 +138,15 @@ func BeforeDelete(strategy RESTDeleteStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj runtime.
 		return false, true, nil
 	}
 
+	// `CheckGracefulDelete` will be implemented by specific strategy
 	if !gracefulStrategy.CheckGracefulDelete(ctx, obj, options) {
 		return false, false, nil
 	}
+
+	if options.GracePeriodSeconds == nil {
+		return false, false, errors.NewInternalError(fmt.Errorf("options.GracePeriodSeconds should not be nil"))
+	}
+
 	now := metav1.NewTime(metav1.Now().Add(time.Second * time.Duration(*options.GracePeriodSeconds)))
 	objectMeta.SetDeletionTimestamp(&now)
 	objectMeta.SetDeletionGracePeriodSeconds(options.GracePeriodSeconds)
@@ -149,6 +157,7 @@ func BeforeDelete(strategy RESTDeleteStrategy, ctx context.Context, obj runtime.
 	if objectMeta.GetGeneration() > 0 {
 		objectMeta.SetGeneration(objectMeta.GetGeneration() + 1)
 	}
+
 	return true, false, nil
 }