diff --git a/internal/controller/certificaterequests/apply.go b/internal/controller/certificaterequests/apply.go
index 0c5fc946f..78cf6c100 100644
--- a/internal/controller/certificaterequests/apply.go
+++ b/internal/controller/certificaterequests/apply.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import (
 // the Apply call.
 // Always sets Force Apply to true.
 func Apply(ctx context.Context, cl cmclient.Interface, fieldManager string, req *cmapi.CertificateRequest) (*cmapi.CertificateRequest, error) {
-	reqData, err := serializeApplyStatus(req)
+	reqData, err := serializeApply(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ func serializeApplyStatus(req *cmapi.CertificateRequest) ([]byte, error) {
 	req = &cmapi.CertificateRequest{
 		TypeMeta:   metav1.TypeMeta{Kind: cmapi.CertificateRequestKind, APIVersion: cmapi.SchemeGroupVersion.Identifier()},
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: req.Namespace, Name: req.Name},
+		Spec:       cmapi.CertificateRequestSpec{},
 		Status:     *req.Status.DeepCopy(),
 	}
 	reqData, err := json.Marshal(req)
diff --git a/test/integration/certificaterequests/BUILD.bazel b/test/integration/certificaterequests/BUILD.bazel
index 334568c01..38797e157 100644
--- a/test/integration/certificaterequests/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/test/integration/certificaterequests/BUILD.bazel
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_test")
 
 go_test(
     name = "go_default_test",
-    srcs = ["condition_list_type_test.go"],
+    srcs = [
+        "apply_test.go",
+        "condition_list_type_test.go",
+    ],
     deps = [
         "//pkg/apis/certmanager/v1:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/apis/meta/v1:go_default_library",
diff --git a/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go b/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3be825859
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2020 The cert-manager Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package certificaterequests
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	fakeclock "k8s.io/utils/clock/testing"
+
+	internalcertificaterequests "github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/internal/controller/certificaterequests"
+	cmapi "github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1"
+	cmmeta "github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/test/integration/framework"
+	testcrypto "github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/test/unit/crypto"
+)
+
+// Test_Apply ensures that the CertificateRequest Apply helpers can set both
+// the ObjectMeta and Status objects respectively.
+func Test_Apply(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		namespace = "test-condition-list-type"
+		name      = "test-condition-list-type"
+	)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second*40)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	restConfig, stopFn := framework.RunControlPlane(t, ctx)
+	defer stopFn()
+
+	kubeClient, _, cmClient, _ := framework.NewClients(t, restConfig)
+
+	t.Log("creating test Namespace")
+	ns := &corev1.Namespace{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: namespace}}
+	_, err := kubeClient.CoreV1().Namespaces().Create(ctx, ns, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	bundle := testcrypto.MustCreateCryptoBundle(t, &cmapi.Certificate{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: namespace, Name: name},
+		Spec: cmapi.CertificateSpec{
+			CommonName: "test-bundle-1",
+			IssuerRef:  cmmeta.ObjectReference{Name: "test-bundle-1"},
+		}},
+		&fakeclock.FakeClock{},
+	)
+	req := bundle.CertificateRequest
+	req.OwnerReferences = nil
+	req.Name = name
+	req.Labels = nil
+	req.Annotations = nil
+
+	t.Log("creating CertificateRequest")
+	_, err = cmClient.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(namespace).Create(ctx, req, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	t.Log("ensuring apply will can set annotations and labels")
+	req, err = internalcertificaterequests.Apply(ctx, cmClient, "cert-manager-test", &cmapi.CertificateRequest{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Namespace: namespace, Name: name,
+			Annotations: map[string]string{"test-1": "abc", "test-2": "def"},
+			Labels:      map[string]string{"123": "456", "789": "abc"},
+		},
+		Spec: req.Spec,
+	})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"test-1": "abc", "test-2": "def"}, req.Annotations, "annotations")
+	assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"123": "456", "789": "abc"}, req.Labels, "labels")
+
+	t.Log("ensuring apply will can status")
+	assert.NoError(t,
+		internalcertificaterequests.ApplyStatus(ctx, cmClient, "cert-manager-test", &cmapi.CertificateRequest{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: namespace, Name: name},
+			Status: cmapi.CertificateRequestStatus{
+				Conditions: []cmapi.CertificateRequestCondition{{Type: cmapi.CertificateRequestConditionType("Random"), Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue, Reason: "reason", Message: "message"}},
+			},
+		}),
+	)
+	req, err = cmClient.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(namespace).Get(ctx, name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, []cmapi.CertificateRequestCondition{{Type: cmapi.CertificateRequestConditionType("Random"), Status: cmmeta.ConditionTrue, Reason: "reason", Message: "message"}}, req.Status.Conditions)
+}