diff --git a/pkg/engine/api/policy.go b/pkg/engine/api/policy.go
index 584f3e33db..35fd934c3d 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/api/policy.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/api/policy.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ type GenericPolicy interface {
 	GetPolicy() interface{}
 	// GetType returns policy type
 	GetType() PolicyType
+	// GetAPIVersion returns policy API version
+	GetAPIVersion() string
 	// GetName returns policy name
 	GetName() string
 	// GetNamespace returns policy namespace
@@ -51,6 +53,10 @@ func (p *KyvernoPolicy) GetType() PolicyType {
 	return KyvernoPolicyType
 }
 
+func (p *KyvernoPolicy) GetAPIVersion() string {
+	return "kyverno.io/v1"
+}
+
 func (p *KyvernoPolicy) GetName() string {
 	return p.policy.GetName()
 }
@@ -97,6 +103,10 @@ func (p *ValidatingAdmissionPolicy) GetType() PolicyType {
 	return ValidatingAdmissionPolicyType
 }
 
+func (p *ValidatingAdmissionPolicy) GetAPIVersion() string {
+	return "admissionregistration.k8s.io/v1alpha1"
+}
+
 func (p *ValidatingAdmissionPolicy) GetName() string {
 	return p.policy.GetName()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/event/events.go b/pkg/event/events.go
index 13d34268d5..599803f905 100644
--- a/pkg/event/events.go
+++ b/pkg/event/events.go
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ func NewPolicyFailEvent(source Source, reason Reason, engineResponse engineapi.E
 	}
 	pol := engineResponse.Policy()
 	regarding := corev1.ObjectReference{
-		// TODO: iirc it's not safe to assume api version is set
-		APIVersion: "kyverno.io/v1",
+		APIVersion: pol.GetAPIVersion(),
 		Kind:       pol.GetKind(),
 		Name:       pol.GetName(),
 		Namespace:  pol.GetNamespace(),
@@ -94,8 +93,7 @@ func NewPolicyAppliedEvent(source Source, engineResponse engineapi.EngineRespons
 		action = ResourcePassed
 	}
 	regarding := corev1.ObjectReference{
-		// TODO: iirc it's not safe to assume api version is set
-		APIVersion: "kyverno.io/v1",
+		APIVersion: policy.GetAPIVersion(),
 		Kind:       policy.GetKind(),
 		Name:       policy.GetName(),
 		Namespace:  policy.GetNamespace(),