diff --git a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/KubernetesClientApplication.scala b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/KubernetesClientApplication.scala
index 9f9b5655e26fc..2b2dad1cf13c7 100644
--- a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/KubernetesClientApplication.scala
+++ b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/KubernetesClientApplication.scala
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ private[spark] class Client(
     // setup resources before pod creation
     val preKubernetesResources = resolvedDriverSpec.driverPreKubernetesResources
     try {
-      kubernetesClient.resourceList(preKubernetesResources: _*).createOrReplace()
+      kubernetesClient.resourceList(preKubernetesResources: _*).forceConflicts().serverSideApply()
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(e) =>
         logError("Please check \"kubectl auth can-i create [resource]\" first." +
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ private[spark] class Client(
     // Refresh all pre-resources' owner references
     try {
       addOwnerReference(createdDriverPod, preKubernetesResources)
-      kubernetesClient.resourceList(preKubernetesResources: _*).createOrReplace()
+      kubernetesClient.resourceList(preKubernetesResources: _*).forceConflicts().serverSideApply()
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(e) =>
         kubernetesClient.pods().resource(createdDriverPod).delete()
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ private[spark] class Client(
     try {
       val otherKubernetesResources = resolvedDriverSpec.driverKubernetesResources ++ Seq(configMap)
       addOwnerReference(createdDriverPod, otherKubernetesResources)
-      kubernetesClient.resourceList(otherKubernetesResources: _*).createOrReplace()
+      kubernetesClient.resourceList(otherKubernetesResources: _*).forceConflicts().serverSideApply()
     } catch {
       case NonFatal(e) =>
         kubernetesClient.pods().resource(createdDriverPod).delete()
diff --git a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/ClientSuite.scala b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/ClientSuite.scala
index 8c2be6c142d74..a813b3a876f87 100644
--- a/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/ClientSuite.scala
+++ b/resource-managers/kubernetes/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/deploy/k8s/submit/ClientSuite.scala
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ class ClientSuite extends SparkFunSuite with BeforeAndAfter {
     createdPodArgumentCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(classOf[Pod])
     createdResourcesArgumentCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(classOf[HasMetadata])
     when(podsWithNamespace.resource(fullExpectedPod())).thenReturn(namedPods)
+    when(resourceList.forceConflicts()).thenReturn(resourceList)
+    when(namedPods.serverSideApply()).thenReturn(podWithOwnerReference())
     when(namedPods.create()).thenReturn(podWithOwnerReference())
     when(namedPods.watch(loggingPodStatusWatcher)).thenReturn(mock[Watch])
     val sId = submissionId(kconf.namespace, POD_NAME)
@@ -309,7 +311,8 @@ class ClientSuite extends SparkFunSuite with BeforeAndAfter {
 
     when(podsWithNamespace.resource(fullExpectedPod(expectedKeyToPaths)))
       .thenReturn(namedPods)
-    when(namedPods.create()).thenReturn(podWithOwnerReference(expectedKeyToPaths))
+    when(namedPods.forceConflicts()).thenReturn(namedPods)
+    when(namedPods.serverSideApply()).thenReturn(podWithOwnerReference(expectedKeyToPaths))
 
     kconf = KubernetesTestConf.createDriverConf(sparkConf = sparkConf,
       resourceNamePrefix = Some(KUBERNETES_RESOURCE_PREFIX))