diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/internal/secret_test.go b/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/internal/secret_test.go
index ef5904116..0d8c4fc99 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/internal/secret_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/internal/secret_test.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func Test_SecretsManager(t *testing.T) {
 	baseCert := gen.Certificate("test",
 		gen.SetCertificateIssuer(cmmeta.ObjectReference{Name: "ca-issuer", Kind: "Issuer", Group: "foo.io"}),
 		gen.SetCertificateSecretName("output"),
-		gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(time.Hour*36),
+		gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(&metav1.Duration{Duration: time.Hour * 36}),
 		gen.SetCertificateDNSNames("example.com"),
 		gen.SetCertificateUID(apitypes.UID("test-uid")),
 	)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/issuing_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/issuing_controller_test.go
index c5b492011..0234e993f 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/issuing_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificates/issuing/issuing_controller_test.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func TestIssuingController(t *testing.T) {
 		gen.SetCertificateIssuer(cmmeta.ObjectReference{Name: "ca-issuer", Kind: "Issuer", Group: "foo.io"}),
 		gen.SetCertificateGeneration(3),
 		gen.SetCertificateSecretName("output"),
-		gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(time.Hour*36),
+		gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(&metav1.Duration{Duration: time.Hour * 36}),
 		gen.SetCertificateDNSNames("example.com"),
 		gen.SetCertificateRevision(1),
 		gen.SetCertificateNextPrivateKeySecretName(nextPrivateKeySecretName),
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite/issuers/acme/certificate/notafter.go b/test/e2e/suite/issuers/acme/certificate/notafter.go
index 71019a275..3dbc9a00c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/suite/issuers/acme/certificate/notafter.go
+++ b/test/e2e/suite/issuers/acme/certificate/notafter.go
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ var _ = framework.CertManagerDescribe("ACME Certificate (HTTP01 + Not After)", f
 
 		By("Creating a Certificate")
 		cert := gen.Certificate(certificateName,
-			gen.SetCertificateDuration(time.Hour),
-			gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(45*time.Minute),
+			gen.SetCertificateDuration(&metav1.Duration{Duration: time.Hour}),
+			gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(&metav1.Duration{Duration: 45 * time.Minute}),
 			gen.SetCertificateSecretName(certificateSecretName),
 			gen.SetCertificateIssuer(cmmeta.ObjectReference{Name: issuerName}),
 			gen.SetCertificateDNSNames(acmeIngressDomain),
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite/issuers/ca/certificate.go b/test/e2e/suite/issuers/ca/certificate.go
index 708f4ebfd..a8d28658c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/suite/issuers/ca/certificate.go
+++ b/test/e2e/suite/issuers/ca/certificate.go
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ var _ = framework.CertManagerDescribe("CA Certificate", func() {
 						Name: issuerName,
 						Kind: v1.IssuerKind,
 					}),
-					gen.SetCertificateDuration(v.inputDuration.Duration),
-					gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(v.inputRenewBefore.Duration),
+					gen.SetCertificateDuration(v.inputDuration),
+					gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(v.inputRenewBefore),
 					gen.SetCertificateCommonName("test.domain.com"),
 					gen.SetCertificateOrganization("test-org"),
 				)
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite/issuers/selfsigned/certificate.go b/test/e2e/suite/issuers/selfsigned/certificate.go
index f751dbdce..cd055c39d 100644
--- a/test/e2e/suite/issuers/selfsigned/certificate.go
+++ b/test/e2e/suite/issuers/selfsigned/certificate.go
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ var _ = framework.CertManagerDescribe("Self Signed Certificate", func() {
 					Name: issuerDurationName,
 					Kind: v1.IssuerKind,
 				}),
-				gen.SetCertificateDuration(v.inputDuration.Duration),
-				gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(v.inputRenewBefore.Duration),
+				gen.SetCertificateDuration(v.inputDuration),
+				gen.SetCertificateRenewBefore(v.inputRenewBefore),
 				gen.SetCertificateCommonName("test.domain.com"),
 				gen.SetCertificateOrganization("test-org"),
 			)
diff --git a/test/unit/gen/certificate.go b/test/unit/gen/certificate.go
index 57174815c..0cc87f303 100644
--- a/test/unit/gen/certificate.go
+++ b/test/unit/gen/certificate.go
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package gen
 
 import (
-	"time"
-
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 
@@ -126,15 +124,15 @@ func SetCertificateSecretTemplate(annotations, labels map[string]string) Certifi
 	}
 }
 
-func SetCertificateDuration(duration time.Duration) CertificateModifier {
+func SetCertificateDuration(duration *metav1.Duration) CertificateModifier {
 	return func(crt *v1.Certificate) {
-		crt.Spec.Duration = &metav1.Duration{Duration: duration}
+		crt.Spec.Duration = duration
 	}
 }
 
-func SetCertificateRenewBefore(renewBefore time.Duration) CertificateModifier {
+func SetCertificateRenewBefore(renewBefore *metav1.Duration) CertificateModifier {
 	return func(crt *v1.Certificate) {
-		crt.Spec.RenewBefore = &metav1.Duration{Duration: renewBefore}
+		crt.Spec.RenewBefore = renewBefore
 	}
 }