diff --git a/kyaml/yaml/datamap.go b/kyaml/yaml/datamap.go
index 3181ff30f..f4b7e6664 100644
--- a/kyaml/yaml/datamap.go
+++ b/kyaml/yaml/datamap.go
@@ -35,6 +35,20 @@ func (rn *RNode) LoadMapIntoConfigMapData(m map[string]string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (rn *RNode) LoadMapIntoConfigMapBinaryData(m map[string]string) error {
+	for _, k := range SortedMapKeys(m) {
+		_, vrN := makeConfigMapValueRNode(m[k])
+		// we know this is binary data
+		fldName := BinaryDataField
+		if _, err := rn.Pipe(
+			LookupCreate(MappingNode, fldName),
+			SetField(k, vrN)); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func makeConfigMapValueRNode(s string) (field string, rN *RNode) {
 	yN := &Node{Kind: ScalarNode}
 	yN.Tag = NodeTagString
diff --git a/kyaml/yaml/rnode.go b/kyaml/yaml/rnode.go
index f0e001cfe..d317bb5c4 100644
--- a/kyaml/yaml/rnode.go
+++ b/kyaml/yaml/rnode.go
@@ -434,6 +434,19 @@ func (rn *RNode) GetDataMap() map[string]string {
 	return result
 }
 
+func (rn *RNode) GetBinaryDataMap() map[string]string {
+	n, err := rn.Pipe(Lookup(BinaryDataField))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	result := map[string]string{}
+	_ = n.VisitFields(func(node *MapNode) error {
+		result[GetValue(node.Key)] = GetValue(node.Value)
+		return nil
+	})
+	return result
+}
+
 func (rn *RNode) SetDataMap(m map[string]string) {
 	if rn == nil {
 		log.Fatal("cannot set data map on nil Rnode")
@@ -449,6 +462,21 @@ func (rn *RNode) SetDataMap(m map[string]string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (rn *RNode) SetBinaryDataMap(m map[string]string) {
+	if rn == nil {
+		log.Fatal("cannot set binaryData map on nil Rnode")
+	}
+	if err := rn.PipeE(Clear(BinaryDataField)); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(m) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	if err := rn.LoadMapIntoConfigMapBinaryData(m); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
 // AppendToFieldPath appends a field name to the FieldPath.
 func (rn *RNode) AppendToFieldPath(parts ...string) {
 	rn.fieldPath = append(rn.fieldPath, parts...)