diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
index 93c67e07c2f8..196d599b6fb2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/diff/diff.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ var (
 		KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF environment variable can be used to select your own
 		diff command. By default, the "diff" command available in your path will be
 		run with "-u" (unified diff) and "-N" (treat absent files as empty) options.
-		
+
 		Exit status:
 		 0
 		No differences were found.
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ type DiffOptions struct {
 	FilenameOptions resource.FilenameOptions
 
 	ServerSideApply bool
+	FieldManager    string
 	ForceConflicts  bool
 
 	OpenAPISchema    openapi.Resources
@@ -296,6 +297,7 @@ type InfoObject struct {
 	OpenAPI         openapi.Resources
 	Force           bool
 	ServerSideApply bool
+	FieldManager    string
 	ForceConflicts  bool
 	genericclioptions.IOStreams
 }
@@ -316,8 +318,9 @@ func (obj InfoObject) Merged() (runtime.Object, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		options := metav1.PatchOptions{
-			Force:  &obj.ForceConflicts,
-			DryRun: []string{metav1.DryRunAll},
+			Force:        &obj.ForceConflicts,
+			FieldManager: obj.FieldManager,
+			DryRun:       []string{metav1.DryRunAll},
 		}
 		return resource.NewHelper(obj.Info.Client, obj.Info.Mapping).Patch(
 			obj.Info.Namespace,
@@ -441,6 +444,7 @@ func (o *DiffOptions) Complete(f cmdutil.Factory, cmd *cobra.Command) error {
 	}
 
 	o.ServerSideApply = cmdutil.GetServerSideApplyFlag(cmd)
+	o.FieldManager = cmdutil.GetFieldManagerFlag(cmd)
 	o.ForceConflicts = cmdutil.GetForceConflictsFlag(cmd)
 	if o.ForceConflicts && !o.ServerSideApply {
 		return fmt.Errorf("--force-conflicts only works with --server-side")
@@ -529,6 +533,7 @@ func (o *DiffOptions) Run() error {
 				OpenAPI:         o.OpenAPISchema,
 				Force:           force,
 				ServerSideApply: o.ServerSideApply,
+				FieldManager:    o.FieldManager,
 				ForceConflicts:  o.ForceConflicts,
 				IOStreams:       o.Diff.IOStreams,
 			}
diff --git a/test/cmd/diff.sh b/test/cmd/diff.sh
index e56a08eacf26..c1eaaea46bb9 100755
--- a/test/cmd/diff.sh
+++ b/test/cmd/diff.sh
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ run_kubectl_diff_tests() {
     # Test that it works when the live object doesn't exist
     output_message=$(! kubectl diff -f hack/testdata/pod.yaml)
     kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'test-pod'
+    # Ensure diff only dry-runs and doesn't persist change
+    kube::test::get_object_assert 'pod' "{{range.items}}{{ if eq ${id_field:?} \\\"test-pod\\\" }}found{{end}}{{end}}:" ':'
 
     kubectl apply -f hack/testdata/pod.yaml
+    kube::test::get_object_assert 'pod' "{{range.items}}{{ if eq ${id_field:?} \\\"test-pod\\\" }}found{{end}}{{end}}:" 'found:'
 
     # Make sure that diffing the resource right after returns nothing (0 exit code).
     kubectl diff -f hack/testdata/pod.yaml
@@ -41,6 +44,11 @@ run_kubectl_diff_tests() {
     output_message=$(kubectl diff -f hack/testdata/pod-changed.yaml || test $? -eq 1)
     kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.0'
 
+    # Test found diff with server-side apply
+    kubectl apply -f hack/testdata/pod.yaml
+    output_message=$(kubectl diff -f hack/testdata/pod-changed.yaml --server-side --force-conflicts || test $? -eq 1)
+    kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.0'
+
     # Test that we have a return code bigger than 1 if there is an error when diffing
     kubectl diff -f hack/testdata/invalid-pod.yaml || test $? -gt 1