diff --git a/pkg/resmap/configmap.go b/pkg/resmap/configmap.go
index f95d475b7..3954d4d6a 100644
--- a/pkg/resmap/configmap.go
+++ b/pkg/resmap/configmap.go
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ func newResourceFromConfigMap(l loader.Loader, cmArgs types.ConfigMapArgs) (*res
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if cmArgs.Behavior == "" {
+		cmArgs.Behavior = "create"
+	}
 	return resource.NewResourceWithBehavior(cm, resource.NewGenerationBehavior(cmArgs.Behavior))
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/resmap/secret.go b/pkg/resmap/secret.go
index aa64234e7..d693d7b12 100644
--- a/pkg/resmap/secret.go
+++ b/pkg/resmap/secret.go
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ func newResourceFromSecretGenerator(p string, sArgs types.SecretArgs) (*resource
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "makeSecret")
 	}
+	if sArgs.Behavior == "" {
+		sArgs.Behavior = "create"
+	}
 	return resource.NewResourceWithBehavior(
 		s, resource.NewGenerationBehavior(sArgs.Behavior))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/resource/generationbehavior.go b/pkg/resource/generationbehavior.go
index 993cde82c..943537a51 100644
--- a/pkg/resource/generationbehavior.go
+++ b/pkg/resource/generationbehavior.go
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ func NewGenerationBehavior(s string) GenerationBehavior {
 	case "create":
 		return BehaviorCreate
 	default:
-		//return BehaviorUnspecified
-		return BehaviorCreate
+		return BehaviorUnspecified
 	}
 }