diff --git a/pkg/apis/audit/types.go b/pkg/apis/audit/types.go
index b497be6df..e94a60093 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/audit/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/audit/types.go
@@ -62,15 +62,15 @@ type Stage string
 const (
 	// The stage for events generated as soon as the audit handler receives the request, and before it
 	// is delegated down the handler chain.
-	StageRequestReceived = "RequestReceived"
+	StageRequestReceived Stage = "RequestReceived"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response headers are sent, but before the response body
 	// is sent. This stage is only generated for long-running requests (e.g. watch).
-	StageResponseStarted = "ResponseStarted"
+	StageResponseStarted Stage = "ResponseStarted"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response body has been completed, and no more bytes
 	// will be sent.
-	StageResponseComplete = "ResponseComplete"
+	StageResponseComplete Stage = "ResponseComplete"
 	// The stage for events generated when a panic occurred.
-	StagePanic = "Panic"
+	StagePanic Stage = "Panic"
 )
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
diff --git a/pkg/apis/audit/v1/types.go b/pkg/apis/audit/v1/types.go
index cf6bb1a01..dace73ed9 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/audit/v1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/audit/v1/types.go
@@ -55,15 +55,15 @@ type Stage string
 const (
 	// The stage for events generated as soon as the audit handler receives the request, and before it
 	// is delegated down the handler chain.
-	StageRequestReceived = "RequestReceived"
+	StageRequestReceived Stage = "RequestReceived"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response headers are sent, but before the response body
 	// is sent. This stage is only generated for long-running requests (e.g. watch).
-	StageResponseStarted = "ResponseStarted"
+	StageResponseStarted Stage = "ResponseStarted"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response body has been completed, and no more bytes
 	// will be sent.
-	StageResponseComplete = "ResponseComplete"
+	StageResponseComplete Stage = "ResponseComplete"
 	// The stage for events generated when a panic occurred.
-	StagePanic = "Panic"
+	StagePanic Stage = "Panic"
 )
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
diff --git a/pkg/apis/audit/v1alpha1/types.go b/pkg/apis/audit/v1alpha1/types.go
index 3e4eca482..2616f5fe7 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/audit/v1alpha1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/audit/v1alpha1/types.go
@@ -62,15 +62,15 @@ type Stage string
 const (
 	// The stage for events generated as soon as the audit handler receives the request, and before it
 	// is delegated down the handler chain.
-	StageRequestReceived = "RequestReceived"
+	StageRequestReceived Stage = "RequestReceived"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response headers are sent, but before the response body
 	// is sent. This stage is only generated for long-running requests (e.g. watch).
-	StageResponseStarted = "ResponseStarted"
+	StageResponseStarted Stage = "ResponseStarted"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response body has been completed, and no more bytes
 	// will be sent.
-	StageResponseComplete = "ResponseComplete"
+	StageResponseComplete Stage = "ResponseComplete"
 	// The stage for events generated when a panic occurred.
-	StagePanic = "Panic"
+	StagePanic Stage = "Panic"
 )
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
diff --git a/pkg/apis/audit/v1beta1/types.go b/pkg/apis/audit/v1beta1/types.go
index 0bf6bfcb9..eb538bc17 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/audit/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/audit/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -55,15 +55,15 @@ type Stage string
 const (
 	// The stage for events generated as soon as the audit handler receives the request, and before it
 	// is delegated down the handler chain.
-	StageRequestReceived = "RequestReceived"
+	StageRequestReceived Stage = "RequestReceived"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response headers are sent, but before the response body
 	// is sent. This stage is only generated for long-running requests (e.g. watch).
-	StageResponseStarted = "ResponseStarted"
+	StageResponseStarted Stage = "ResponseStarted"
 	// The stage for events generated once the response body has been completed, and no more bytes
 	// will be sent.
-	StageResponseComplete = "ResponseComplete"
+	StageResponseComplete Stage = "ResponseComplete"
 	// The stage for events generated when a panic occurred.
-	StagePanic = "Panic"
+	StagePanic Stage = "Panic"
 )
 
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
diff --git a/pkg/audit/policy/util.go b/pkg/audit/policy/util.go
index 29be91230..555386756 100644
--- a/pkg/audit/policy/util.go
+++ b/pkg/audit/policy/util.go
@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ import (
 // AllStages returns all possible stages
 func AllStages() sets.String {
 	return sets.NewString(
-		audit.StageRequestReceived,
-		audit.StageResponseStarted,
-		audit.StageResponseComplete,
-		audit.StagePanic,
+		string(audit.StageRequestReceived),
+		string(audit.StageResponseStarted),
+		string(audit.StageResponseComplete),
+		string(audit.StagePanic),
 	)
 }