diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 56787292..d1106ae1 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.20.0
 	gopkg.in/evanphx/json-patch.v4 v4.12.0
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0
-	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20240626222244-89b2da1f0aa2
-	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20240626221953-276559d39884
+	k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20240627182225-77d4ad8e83c3
+	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20240627181936-a0fb8b1e7eb2
 	k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20240626225942-dad6f14f09b2
-	k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20240626222646-b043b561b47b
+	k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20240627182623-96c49b698799
 	k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20240626223637-3daec0d89dbf
 	k8s.io/component-helpers v0.0.0-20240626223804-9c307e9c2018
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 511a5069..1b1763ca 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -277,14 +277,14 @@ gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190102054323-c2f93a96b099/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
 honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.0-20190523083050-ea95bdfd59fc/go.mod h1:rf3lG4BRIbNafJWhAfAdb/ePZxsR/4RtNHQocxwk9r4=
-k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20240626222244-89b2da1f0aa2 h1:QOw2QiBBiIG84mSsdmcQytk3iZNRA4MMTrfdxq6wMqM=
-k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20240626222244-89b2da1f0aa2/go.mod h1:XZWSQ1mG1E6aV7roOnViE6A/NQzmDs3oLr1uEdTIgho=
-k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20240626221953-276559d39884 h1:/TR/WnQHZvcTpgDyX8ekmTqXa5PsCgpEeuOVuFRqTtQ=
-k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20240626221953-276559d39884/go.mod h1:FrtEnYmygkWHqq5eevqPc8AvY7pEqYQnNzaAFRnhgUI=
+k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20240627182225-77d4ad8e83c3 h1:P7Op/rq70kcXXoojMkjY8VbOzIQaw5mEDLLieIez2L4=
+k8s.io/api v0.0.0-20240627182225-77d4ad8e83c3/go.mod h1:ZQKk86qwk98AIUL9v2u4BNJzwSDpgqRGvk+S8YZUvS8=
+k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20240627181936-a0fb8b1e7eb2 h1:GqxQcqxvXH3yzNTTgMupE2YxhsssdHR4AepcdRDg99g=
+k8s.io/apimachinery v0.0.0-20240627181936-a0fb8b1e7eb2/go.mod h1:FrtEnYmygkWHqq5eevqPc8AvY7pEqYQnNzaAFRnhgUI=
 k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20240626225942-dad6f14f09b2 h1:tgv8GHx6DjADcIdq2oPkAYXnTAn5EZY4Htm8LgKix5Q=
 k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.0.0-20240626225942-dad6f14f09b2/go.mod h1:TEKkX0EbbfrnoDZQJdx9shmLscZRVLTt3RrXPWHqdQ0=
-k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20240626222646-b043b561b47b h1:17HQ2cNzbTTtojzHxWoWvWuw/prNvOqk/xWU/4Zv58o=
-k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20240626222646-b043b561b47b/go.mod h1:KEIO5qV0m2Nc2Xk8CbT/SpZGN2m8ZNR7AR0+31JsOLg=
+k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20240627182623-96c49b698799 h1:8xNkIoERfWt65xAw4lXUeUGg+Vh/szhuQ19Vsiszwhk=
+k8s.io/client-go v0.0.0-20240627182623-96c49b698799/go.mod h1:Up3UCbJMZiFt1oxzapxDGYUzkfFyp7vZHuUHnBVhct0=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20240626223637-3daec0d89dbf h1:9K8NcajKKj8tJ04tTt6qdhJkRt2a8jvsqZ0KSpH/rLc=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.0.0-20240626223637-3daec0d89dbf/go.mod h1:AwjQ2315fMhEuAabFzF8WJ7/BbOqK2GXqa0t0NQyKKw=
 k8s.io/component-helpers v0.0.0-20240626223804-9c307e9c2018 h1:/IhOYZKAk72TBGKsUpzYRm6qZ3FmcgK6t/XRqLsiWHw=
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go b/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
index 68d21e96..c3b31e31 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/csaupgrade"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/version"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
-	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/delete"
+	cmddelete "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/delete"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util"
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ type ApplyFlags struct {
 	RecordFlags *genericclioptions.RecordFlags
 	PrintFlags  *genericclioptions.PrintFlags
 
-	DeleteFlags *delete.DeleteFlags
+	DeleteFlags *cmddelete.DeleteFlags
 
 	FieldManager   string
 	Selector       string
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ type ApplyOptions struct {
 	PrintFlags *genericclioptions.PrintFlags
 	ToPrinter  func(string) (printers.ResourcePrinter, error)
 
-	DeleteOptions *delete.DeleteOptions
+	DeleteOptions *cmddelete.DeleteOptions
 
 	ServerSideApply bool
 	ForceConflicts  bool
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ var ApplySetToolVersion = version.Get().GitVersion
 func NewApplyFlags(streams genericiooptions.IOStreams) *ApplyFlags {
 	return &ApplyFlags{
 		RecordFlags: genericclioptions.NewRecordFlags(),
-		DeleteFlags: delete.NewDeleteFlags("The files that contain the configurations to apply."),
+		DeleteFlags: cmddelete.NewDeleteFlags("The files that contain the configurations to apply."),
 		PrintFlags:  genericclioptions.NewPrintFlags("created").WithTypeSetter(scheme.Scheme),
 
 		Overwrite:    true,
@@ -681,6 +681,12 @@ See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/server-side-apply/#conflicts`
 			return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr("creating", info.Source, err)
 		}
 
+		// prune nulls when client-side apply does a create to match what will happen when client-side applying an update.
+		// do this after CreateApplyAnnotation so the annotation matches what will be persisted on an update apply of the same manifest.
+		if u, ok := info.Object.(runtime.Unstructured); ok {
+			pruneNullsFromMap(u.UnstructuredContent())
+		}
+
 		if o.DryRunStrategy != cmdutil.DryRunClient {
 			// Then create the resource and skip the three-way merge
 			obj, err := helper.Create(info.Namespace, true, info.Object)
@@ -759,6 +765,29 @@ See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/server-side-apply/#conflicts`
 	return nil
 }
 
+func pruneNullsFromMap(data map[string]interface{}) {
+	for k, v := range data {
+		if v == nil {
+			delete(data, k)
+		} else {
+			pruneNulls(v)
+		}
+	}
+}
+func pruneNullsFromSlice(data []interface{}) {
+	for _, v := range data {
+		pruneNulls(v)
+	}
+}
+func pruneNulls(v interface{}) {
+	switch v := v.(type) {
+	case map[string]interface{}:
+		pruneNullsFromMap(v)
+	case []interface{}:
+		pruneNullsFromSlice(v)
+	}
+}
+
 // Saves the last-applied-configuration annotation in a separate SSA field manager
 // to prevent it from being dropped by users who have transitioned to SSA.
 //