diff --git a/pkg/spoke/apply/server_side_apply_test.go b/pkg/spoke/apply/server_side_apply_test.go
index 18e009f75..7da6a308b 100644
--- a/pkg/spoke/apply/server_side_apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/spoke/apply/server_side_apply_test.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestServerSideApply(t *testing.T) {
 				return
 			}
 
-			var ssaConflict *ServerSideApplyConflictError
+			var ssaConflict = &ServerSideApplyConflictError{}
 			if !errors.As(err, &ssaConflict) {
 				t.Errorf("expect serverside apply conflict error, but got %v", err)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go b/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go
index 52c95a027..9d34d7876 100644
--- a/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (m *ManifestWorkController) sync(ctx context.Context, controllerContext fac
 	newManifestConditions := []workapiv1.ManifestCondition{}
 	for _, result := range resourceResults {
 		// ignore server side apply conflict error since it cannot be resolved by error fallback.
-		var ssaConflict *apply.ServerSideApplyConflictError
+		var ssaConflict = &apply.ServerSideApplyConflictError{}
 		if result.Error != nil && !errors.As(result.Error, &ssaConflict) {
 			errs = append(errs, result.Error)
 		}