diff --git a/pkg/auth/auth.go b/pkg/auth/auth.go
index d9ca250bb2..1fb319a4be 100644
--- a/pkg/auth/auth.go
+++ b/pkg/auth/auth.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package auth
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	kubeutils "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/utils/kube"
 	authorizationv1 "k8s.io/api/authorization/v1"
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ func (o *canIOptions) RunAccessCheck(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVR for kind %s", o.kind)
 	}
 
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(gvr, schema.GroupVersionResource{}) {
+	if gvr.Empty() {
 		// cannot find GVR
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to get the Group Version Resource for kind %s", o.kind)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/background/common/context.go b/pkg/background/common/context.go
index fac5bbd031..a0bce3092d 100644
--- a/pkg/background/common/context.go
+++ b/pkg/background/common/context.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package common
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ func NewBackgroundContext(dclient dclient.Interface, ur *kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRe
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load request in context: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(new, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+		if new.Object != nil {
 			if !check(&new, trigger) {
 				err := fmt.Errorf("resources don't match")
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("resource %v: %w", ur.Spec.GetResource().String(), err)
diff --git a/pkg/engine/imageVerifyValidate.go b/pkg/engine/imageVerifyValidate.go
index f917436929..1da65d5e79 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/imageVerifyValidate.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/imageVerifyValidate.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package engine
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	gojmespath "github.com/jmespath/go-jmespath"
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ func validateImage(ctx engineapi.PolicyContext, imageVerify *kyvernov1.ImageVeri
 		return fmt.Errorf("missing digest for %s", image)
 	}
 	newResource := ctx.NewResource()
-	if imageVerify.Required && !reflect.DeepEqual(newResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if imageVerify.Required && newResource.Object != nil {
 		verified, err := isImageVerified(newResource, image, log)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@ func validateImage(ctx engineapi.PolicyContext, imageVerify *kyvernov1.ImageVeri
 }
 
 func isImageVerified(resource unstructured.Unstructured, image string, log logr.Logger) (bool, error) {
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(resource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if resource.Object == nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("nil resource")
 	}
 	if annotations := resource.GetAnnotations(); len(annotations) == 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/engine/internal/imageverifier.go b/pkg/engine/internal/imageverifier.go
index 8c7420f74a..3a3697a8a3 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/internal/imageverifier.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/internal/imageverifier.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
-	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
@@ -53,8 +52,7 @@ func NewImageVerifier(
 func HasImageVerifiedAnnotationChanged(ctx engineapi.PolicyContext, log logr.Logger) bool {
 	newResource := ctx.NewResource()
 	oldResource := ctx.OldResource()
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(newResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) ||
-		reflect.DeepEqual(oldResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if newResource.Object == nil || oldResource.Object == nil {
 		return false
 	}
 	newValue := newResource.GetAnnotations()[engineapi.ImageVerifyAnnotationKey]
@@ -76,7 +74,7 @@ func matchImageReferences(imageReferences []string, image string) bool {
 }
 
 func isImageVerified(resource unstructured.Unstructured, image string, log logr.Logger) (bool, error) {
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(resource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if resource.Object == nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("nil resource")
 	}
 	annotations := resource.GetAnnotations()
diff --git a/pkg/engine/internal/logging.go b/pkg/engine/internal/logging.go
index 0d502cd8c5..f7e8db4dd4 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/internal/logging.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/internal/logging.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package internal
 
 import (
-	"reflect"
-
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
 	engineapi "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/engine/api"
@@ -25,7 +23,7 @@ func LoggerWithPolicy(logger logr.Logger, policy kyvernov1.PolicyInterface) logr
 }
 
 func LoggerWithResource(logger logr.Logger, prefix string, resource unstructured.Unstructured) logr.Logger {
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(resource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if resource.Object == nil {
 		return logger
 	}
 	return logger.WithValues(
diff --git a/pkg/engine/internal/response.go b/pkg/engine/internal/response.go
index e651b95014..7c9a9d8828 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/internal/response.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/internal/response.go
@@ -2,12 +2,10 @@ package internal
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
 	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
 	engineapi "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/engine/api"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 )
 
 func RuleError(rule *kyvernov1.Rule, ruleType engineapi.RuleType, msg string, err error) *engineapi.RuleResponse {
@@ -44,10 +42,10 @@ func AddRuleResponse(resp *engineapi.PolicyResponse, ruleResp *engineapi.RuleRes
 }
 
 func BuildResponse(ctx engineapi.PolicyContext, resp *engineapi.EngineResponse, startTime time.Time) *engineapi.EngineResponse {
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(resp.PatchedResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if resp.PatchedResource.Object == nil {
 		// for delete requests patched resource will be oldResource since newResource is empty
 		resource := ctx.NewResource()
-		if reflect.DeepEqual(resource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+		if resource.Object == nil {
 			resource = ctx.OldResource()
 		}
 		resp.PatchedResource = resource
diff --git a/pkg/engine/mutation.go b/pkg/engine/mutation.go
index 02eb9a2618..b67b1213f1 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/mutation.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/mutation.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package engine
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ func (e *engine) mutate(
 				}
 
 				for _, patchedResource := range patchedResources {
-					if reflect.DeepEqual(patchedResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+					if patchedResource.unstructured.Object == nil {
 						continue
 					}
 
@@ -327,7 +326,7 @@ func buildRuleResponse(rule *kyvernov1.Rule, mutateResp *mutate.Response, info r
 }
 
 func buildSuccessMessage(r unstructured.Unstructured) string {
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(unstructured.Unstructured{}, r) {
+	if r.Object == nil {
 		return "mutated resource"
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/engine/validation.go b/pkg/engine/validation.go
index 0f95867f78..1f32025b69 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/validation.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -498,11 +497,9 @@ func isEmptyUnstructured(u *unstructured.Unstructured) bool {
 	if u == nil {
 		return true
 	}
-
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(*u, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if u.Object == nil {
 		return true
 	}
-
 	return false
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/webhooks/resource/generation/handler.go b/pkg/webhooks/resource/generation/handler.go
index 69ac7582c7..64ea170404 100644
--- a/pkg/webhooks/resource/generation/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/webhooks/resource/generation/handler.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package generation
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
@@ -22,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	webhookgenerate "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/webhooks/updaterequest"
 	webhookutils "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/webhooks/utils"
 	admissionv1 "k8s.io/api/admission/v1"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	corev1listers "k8s.io/client-go/listers/core/v1"
 )
 
@@ -249,7 +247,7 @@ func (h *generationHandler) createUR(ctx context.Context, policyContext *engine.
 
 	managedBy := oldLabels[kyvernov1.LabelAppManagedBy] == kyvernov1.ValueKyvernoApp
 	deleteDownstream := false
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(new, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
+	if new.Object == nil {
 		labels = oldLabels
 		if !managedBy {
 			deleteDownstream = true
diff --git a/pkg/webhooks/resource/imageverification/handler.go b/pkg/webhooks/resource/imageverification/handler.go
index 69b3e1fbed..43f4a99b3d 100644
--- a/pkg/webhooks/resource/imageverification/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/webhooks/resource/imageverification/handler.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
@@ -135,11 +134,9 @@ func hasAnnotations(context *engine.PolicyContext) bool {
 
 func isResourceDeleted(policyContext *engine.PolicyContext) bool {
 	var deletionTimeStamp *metav1.Time
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(policyContext.NewResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
-		resource := policyContext.NewResource()
+	if resource := policyContext.NewResource(); resource.Object != nil {
 		deletionTimeStamp = resource.GetDeletionTimestamp()
-	} else {
-		resource := policyContext.OldResource()
+	} else if resource := policyContext.OldResource(); resource.Object != nil {
 		deletionTimeStamp = resource.GetDeletionTimestamp()
 	}
 	return deletionTimeStamp != nil
diff --git a/pkg/webhooks/resource/mutation/mutation.go b/pkg/webhooks/resource/mutation/mutation.go
index 58830243f9..c017881ef2 100644
--- a/pkg/webhooks/resource/mutation/mutation.go
+++ b/pkg/webhooks/resource/mutation/mutation.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package mutation
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 	admissionv1 "k8s.io/api/admission/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	corev1listers "k8s.io/client-go/listers/core/v1"
 )
 
@@ -186,11 +184,9 @@ func logMutationResponse(patches [][]byte, engineResponses []*engineapi.EngineRe
 
 func isResourceDeleted(policyContext *engine.PolicyContext) bool {
 	var deletionTimeStamp *metav1.Time
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(policyContext.NewResource, unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
-		resource := policyContext.NewResource()
+	if resource := policyContext.NewResource(); resource.Object != nil {
 		deletionTimeStamp = resource.GetDeletionTimestamp()
-	} else {
-		resource := policyContext.OldResource()
+	} else if resource := policyContext.OldResource(); resource.Object != nil {
 		deletionTimeStamp = resource.GetDeletionTimestamp()
 	}
 	return deletionTimeStamp != nil
diff --git a/pkg/webhooks/resource/validation/validation.go b/pkg/webhooks/resource/validation/validation.go
index aad5f5b5ce..3d44320c05 100644
--- a/pkg/webhooks/resource/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/webhooks/resource/validation/validation.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package validation
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
@@ -80,11 +79,9 @@ func (v *validationHandler) HandleValidation(
 	logger := v.log.WithValues("action", "validate", "resource", resourceName, "operation", request.Operation, "gvk", request.Kind)
 
 	var deletionTimeStamp *metav1.Time
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(policyContext.NewResource(), unstructured.Unstructured{}) {
-		resource := policyContext.NewResource()
+	if resource := policyContext.NewResource(); resource.Object != nil {
 		deletionTimeStamp = resource.GetDeletionTimestamp()
-	} else {
-		resource := policyContext.OldResource()
+	} else if resource := policyContext.OldResource(); resource.Object != nil {
 		deletionTimeStamp = resource.GetDeletionTimestamp()
 	}