diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large.go
index 9530b247d2f..e54b4d252cb 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large.go
@@ -51,7 +51,16 @@ func NewDashboardLargeObjectSupport(scheme *runtime.Scheme) *apistore.BasicLarge
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			return json.Unmarshal(blob, &dash.Spec)
+
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(blob, &dash.Spec); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal blob into spec: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			if err := scheme.Convert(dash, obj, nil); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to update original object: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			return nil
 		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large_test.go b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large_test.go
index 45510304a65..c5d65fa8f5f 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/dashboard/large_test.go
@@ -59,11 +59,17 @@ func TestLargeDashboardSupport(t *testing.T) {
 	}`, string(small))
 
 	// Now make it big again
-	err = largeObject.RebuildSpec(dash, f)
+	rehydratedDash := &dashboardv0alpha1.Dashboard{
+		ObjectMeta: v1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "test",
+			Namespace: "test",
+		},
+	}
+	err = largeObject.RebuildSpec(rehydratedDash, f)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// check that all panels exist again
-	panels, found, err = unstructured.NestedSlice(dash.Spec.Object, "panels")
+	panels, found, err = unstructured.NestedSlice(rehydratedDash.Spec.Object, "panels")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.True(t, found)
 	require.Len(t, panels, expectedPanelCount)