diff --git a/kubernetes/client/rest.py b/kubernetes/client/rest.py
index 5716565df6..9889b1295a 100644
--- a/kubernetes/client/rest.py
+++ b/kubernetes/client/rest.py
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ def request(self, method, url, query_params=None, headers=None,
                 if query_params:
                     url += '?' + urlencode(query_params)
                 if re.search('json', headers['Content-Type'], re.IGNORECASE):
+                    if headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json-patch+json':
+                        if not isinstance(body, list):
+                            headers['Content-Type'] = \
+                                'application/strategic-merge-patch+json'
                     request_body = None
                     if body is not None:
                         request_body = json.dumps(body)
diff --git a/scripts/rest_client_patch.diff b/scripts/rest_client_patch.diff
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b47e6e0a78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/rest_client_patch.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+diff --git a/kubernetes/client/rest.py b/kubernetes/client/rest.py
+index 65fbe95..e174317 100644
+--- a/kubernetes/client/rest.py
++++ b/kubernetes/client/rest.py
+@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ class RESTClientObject(object):
+                 if query_params:
+                     url += '?' + urlencode(query_params)
+                 if re.search('json', headers['Content-Type'], re.IGNORECASE):
++                    if headers['Content-Type'] == 'application/json-patch+json':
++                        if not isinstance(body, list):
++                            headers['Content-Type'] = \
++                                'application/strategic-merge-patch+json'
+                     request_body = None
+                     if body is not None:
+                         request_body = json.dumps(body)
diff --git a/scripts/update-client.sh b/scripts/update-client.sh
index 6e02f50192..118d95b221 100755
--- a/scripts/update-client.sh
+++ b/scripts/update-client.sh
@@ -65,4 +65,10 @@ sed -i'' "s/^CLIENT_VERSION = .*/CLIENT_VERSION = \\\"${CLIENT_VERSION}\\\"/" "$
 sed -i'' "s/^__version__ = .*/__version__ = \\\"${CLIENT_VERSION}\\\"/" "${CLIENT_ROOT}/__init__.py"
 sed -i'' "s/^PACKAGE_NAME = .*/PACKAGE_NAME = \\\"${PACKAGE_NAME}\\\"/" "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/../setup.py"
 sed -i'' "s,^DEVELOPMENT_STATUS = .*,DEVELOPMENT_STATUS = \\\"${DEVELOPMENT_STATUS}\\\"," "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/../setup.py"
+
+# This is a terrible hack:
+# first, this must be in gen repo not here
+# second, this should be ported to swagger-codegen
+echo ">>> patching client..."
+git apply "${SCRIPT_ROOT}/rest_client_patch.diff"
 echo ">>> Done."