diff --git a/util/diff/diff.go b/util/diff/diff.go
index 59da25320192c..8f9d9c10860ff 100644
--- a/util/diff/diff.go
+++ b/util/diff/diff.go
@@ -137,8 +137,16 @@ func removeNamespaceAnnotation(orig *unstructured.Unstructured) *unstructured.Un
 		metadata := metadataIf.(map[string]interface{})
 		delete(metadata, "namespace")
 		if annotationsIf, ok := metadata["annotations"]; ok {
-			annotation := annotationsIf.(map[string]interface{})
-			if len(annotation) == 0 {
+			shouldDelete := false
+			if annotationsIf == nil {
+				shouldDelete = true
+			} else {
+				annotation := annotationsIf.(map[string]interface{})
+				if len(annotation) == 0 {
+					shouldDelete = true
+				}
+			}
+			if shouldDelete {
 				delete(metadata, "annotations")
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/util/diff/diff_test.go b/util/diff/diff_test.go
index 136f6a48aadc8..06aa6589d555c 100644
--- a/util/diff/diff_test.go
+++ b/util/diff/diff_test.go
@@ -297,3 +297,23 @@ func TestThreeWayDiffExplicitNamespace(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	log.Println(ascii)
 }
+
+func TestRemoveNamespaceAnnotation(t *testing.T) {
+	obj := removeNamespaceAnnotation(&unstructured.Unstructured{Object: map[string]interface{}{
+		"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+			"name":      "test",
+			"namespace": "default",
+		},
+	}})
+	assert.Equal(t, "", obj.GetNamespace())
+
+	obj = removeNamespaceAnnotation(&unstructured.Unstructured{Object: map[string]interface{}{
+		"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+			"name":        "test",
+			"namespace":   "default",
+			"annotations": make(map[string]interface{}),
+		},
+	}})
+	assert.Equal(t, "", obj.GetNamespace())
+	assert.Nil(t, obj.GetAnnotations())
+}