diff --git a/pkg/operator/resource/resourceapply/resource_cache.go b/pkg/operator/resource/resourceapply/resource_cache.go
index 2ff94536e1..daa1a5e154 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/resource/resourceapply/resource_cache.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/resource/resourceapply/resource_cache.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/md5"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"reflect"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -42,10 +43,16 @@ func NewResourceCache() *resourceCache {
 var noCache *resourceCache
 
 func getResourceMetadata(obj runtime.Object) (schema.GroupKind, string, string, string, error) {
+	if obj == nil {
+		return schema.GroupKind{}, "", "", "", fmt.Errorf("nil object has no metadata")
+	}
 	metadata, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return schema.GroupKind{}, "", "", "", err
 	}
+	if metadata == nil || reflect.ValueOf(metadata).IsNil() {
+		return schema.GroupKind{}, "", "", "", fmt.Errorf("object has no metadata")
+	}
 	resourceHash := hashOfResourceStruct(obj)
 
 	// retrieve kind, sometimes this can be done via the accesor, sometimes not (depends on the type)
@@ -66,10 +73,16 @@ func getResourceMetadata(obj runtime.Object) (schema.GroupKind, string, string,
 }
 
 func getResourceVersion(obj runtime.Object) (string, error) {
+	if obj == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("nil object has no resourceVersion")
+	}
 	metadata, err := meta.Accessor(obj)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
+	if metadata == nil || reflect.ValueOf(metadata).IsNil() {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("object has no metadata")
+	}
 	rv := metadata.GetResourceVersion()
 	if len(rv) == 0 {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("missing resourceVersion")