diff --git a/kubernetes_asyncio/client/api_client.py b/kubernetes_asyncio/client/api_client.py
index 9353ecc0..28bae63e 100644
--- a/kubernetes_asyncio/client/api_client.py
+++ b/kubernetes_asyncio/client/api_client.py
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ def select_header_content_type(self, content_types, method=None, body=None):
                     isinstance(body, list)):
                 return 'application/json-patch+json'
             if ('application/strategic-merge-patch+json' in content_types and
-                    isinstance(body, dict)):
+                    (isinstance(body, dict) or hasattr(body, "to_dict"))):
                 return 'application/strategic-merge-patch+json'
 
         if 'application/json' in content_types or '*/*' in content_types:
diff --git a/kubernetes_asyncio/e2e_test/test_apply_patch.py b/kubernetes_asyncio/e2e_test/test_apply_patch.py
index 2c9deac3..bf8bfc43 100644
--- a/kubernetes_asyncio/e2e_test/test_apply_patch.py
+++ b/kubernetes_asyncio/e2e_test/test_apply_patch.py
@@ -50,8 +50,18 @@ async def test_apply_patch(self):
         )
         self.assertEqual(name, resp.metadata.name)
 
-        resp = await api.read_namespaced_config_map(name=name, namespace="default")
-        self.assertEqual(name, resp.metadata.name)
+        cm = await api.read_namespaced_config_map(name=name, namespace="default")
+        self.assertEqual(name, cm.metadata.name)
+
+        # strategic merge patch for object
+        cm.data["new"] = "value"
+        resp = await api.patch_namespaced_config_map(
+            field_manager="test",
+            body=cm,
+            name=name,
+            namespace="default",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(resp.data, {'hello': 'world!', 'new': 'value'})
 
         resp = await api.delete_namespaced_config_map(
             name=name, body={}, namespace="default"
diff --git a/scripts/api_client_strategic_merge_patch.diff b/scripts/api_client_strategic_merge_patch.diff
index 31d724ce..f286b88d 100644
--- a/scripts/api_client_strategic_merge_patch.diff
+++ b/scripts/api_client_strategic_merge_patch.diff
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 +                    isinstance(body, list)):
 +                return 'application/json-patch+json'
 +            if ('application/strategic-merge-patch+json' in content_types and
-+                    isinstance(body, dict)):
++                    (isinstance(body, dict) or hasattr(body, "to_dict"))):
 +                return 'application/strategic-merge-patch+json'
  
          if 'application/json' in content_types or '*/*' in content_types: