diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/set.go b/kyaml/setters2/set.go
index ec242d805..e610c035e 100644
--- a/kyaml/setters2/set.go
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/set.go
@@ -150,10 +150,8 @@ func (s SetOpenAPI) Filter(object *yaml.RNode) (*yaml.RNode, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if s.SetBy != "" {
-		if err := def.PipeE(&yaml.FieldSetter{Name: "setBy", StringValue: s.SetBy}); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	if err := def.PipeE(&yaml.FieldSetter{Name: "setBy", StringValue: s.SetBy}); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	if s.Description != "" {
diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/set_test.go b/kyaml/setters2/set_test.go
index 1550a6244..28bf43ac1 100644
--- a/kyaml/setters2/set_test.go
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/set_test.go
@@ -581,6 +581,54 @@ openAPI:
         setter:
           name: no-match-2
           value: "2"
+`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "set-replicas-set-by-empty",
+			setter: "replicas",
+			value:  "3",
+			input: `
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.no-match-1':
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: no-match-1
+          value: "1"
+          setBy: "package-default"
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "4"
+          setBy: "package-default"
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.no-match-2':
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: no-match-2
+          value: "2"
+          setBy: "package-default"
+ `,
+			expected: `
+openAPI:
+  definitions:
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.no-match-1':
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: no-match-1
+          value: "1"
+          setBy: "package-default"
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas:
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: replicas
+          value: "3"
+    io.k8s.cli.setters.no-match-2':
+      x-k8s-cli:
+        setter:
+          name: no-match-2
+          value: "2"
+          setBy: "package-default"
 `,
 		},
 		{