diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/componentconfig.go b/pkg/apis/kops/componentconfig.go
index f61eb4763775e..0885a3d604816 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/componentconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/componentconfig.go
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ type KubeControllerManagerConfig struct {
 	// long the autoscaler has to wait before another upscale operation can
 	// be performed after the current one has completed.
 	HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay *metav1.Duration `json:"horizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay,omitempty" flag:"horizontal-pod-autoscaler-upscale-delay"`
+	// HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients determines if the new-style clients
+	// should be used if support for custom metrics is enabled.
+	HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients *bool `json:"horizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients,omitempty" flag:"horizontal-pod-autoscaler-use-rest-clients"`
 	// FeatureGates is set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.
 	FeatureGates map[string]string `json:"featureGates,omitempty" flag:"feature-gates"`
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/componentconfig.go b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/componentconfig.go
index b8c42aad360d7..226a2b6ed5b92 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/componentconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/componentconfig.go
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ type KubeControllerManagerConfig struct {
 	// long the autoscaler has to wait before another upscale operation can
 	// be performed after the current one has completed.
 	HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay *metav1.Duration `json:"horizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay,omitempty" flag:"horizontal-pod-autoscaler-upscale-delay"`
+	// HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients determines if the new-style clients
+	// should be used if support for custom metrics is enabled.
+	HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients *bool `json:"horizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients,omitempty" flag:"horizontal-pod-autoscaler-use-rest-clients"`
 	// FeatureGates is set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.
 	FeatureGates map[string]string `json:"featureGates,omitempty" flag:"feature-gates"`
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.conversion.go b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.conversion.go
index f1f6e123db4d0..b35d8891847d0 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.conversion.go
@@ -1944,6 +1944,7 @@ func autoConvert_v1alpha1_KubeControllerManagerConfig_To_kops_KubeControllerMana
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay
+	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
 	out.FeatureGates = in.FeatureGates
 	return nil
 }
@@ -1979,6 +1980,7 @@ func autoConvert_kops_KubeControllerManagerConfig_To_v1alpha1_KubeControllerMana
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay
+	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
 	out.FeatureGates = in.FeatureGates
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 60dc6022a716d..e1d6228c3680b 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -2173,6 +2173,15 @@ func (in *KubeControllerManagerConfig) DeepCopyInto(out *KubeControllerManagerCo
 			**out = **in
 		}
 	}
+	if in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients != nil {
+		in, out := &in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients, &out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
+		if *in == nil {
+			*out = nil
+		} else {
+			*out = new(bool)
+			**out = **in
+		}
+	}
 	if in.FeatureGates != nil {
 		in, out := &in.FeatureGates, &out.FeatureGates
 		*out = make(map[string]string, len(*in))
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/componentconfig.go b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/componentconfig.go
index c3a94929f28a1..4b61278732d20 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/componentconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/componentconfig.go
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ type KubeControllerManagerConfig struct {
 	// long the autoscaler has to wait before another upscale operation can
 	// be performed after the current one has completed.
 	HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay *metav1.Duration `json:"horizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay,omitempty" flag:"horizontal-pod-autoscaler-upscale-delay"`
+	// HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients determines if the new-style clients
+	// should be used if support for custom metrics is enabled.
+	HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients *bool `json:"horizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients,omitempty" flag:"horizontal-pod-autoscaler-use-rest-clients"`
 	// FeatureGates is set of key=value pairs that describe feature gates for alpha/experimental features.
 	FeatureGates map[string]string `json:"featureGates,omitempty" flag:"feature-gates"`
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.conversion.go b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.conversion.go
index c86c197cca99d..b3697b091a1eb 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.conversion.go
@@ -2206,6 +2206,7 @@ func autoConvert_v1alpha2_KubeControllerManagerConfig_To_kops_KubeControllerMana
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay
+	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
 	out.FeatureGates = in.FeatureGates
 	return nil
 }
@@ -2241,6 +2242,7 @@ func autoConvert_kops_KubeControllerManagerConfig_To_v1alpha2_KubeControllerMana
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerSyncPeriod
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerDownscaleDelay
 	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUpscaleDelay
+	out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients = in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
 	out.FeatureGates = in.FeatureGates
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index d6a4c85b01d87..3c50685758c6b 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -2299,6 +2299,15 @@ func (in *KubeControllerManagerConfig) DeepCopyInto(out *KubeControllerManagerCo
 			**out = **in
 		}
 	}
+	if in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients != nil {
+		in, out := &in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients, &out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
+		if *in == nil {
+			*out = nil
+		} else {
+			*out = new(bool)
+			**out = **in
+		}
+	}
 	if in.FeatureGates != nil {
 		in, out := &in.FeatureGates, &out.FeatureGates
 		*out = make(map[string]string, len(*in))
diff --git a/pkg/apis/kops/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/pkg/apis/kops/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index e464bcf38bc57..2f3f1fc455581 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/kops/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/kops/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -2518,6 +2518,15 @@ func (in *KubeControllerManagerConfig) DeepCopyInto(out *KubeControllerManagerCo
 			**out = **in
 		}
 	}
+	if in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients != nil {
+		in, out := &in.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients, &out.HorizontalPodAutoscalerUseRestClients
+		if *in == nil {
+			*out = nil
+		} else {
+			*out = new(bool)
+			**out = **in
+		}
+	}
 	if in.FeatureGates != nil {
 		in, out := &in.FeatureGates, &out.FeatureGates
 		*out = make(map[string]string, len(*in))