diff --git a/api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go
index cf0ee285d3..286a851ae9 100644
--- a/api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go
+++ b/api/internal/target/kusttarget_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		"nonsenseLatin": {
-			errContains: "error converting YAML to JSON",
+			errContains: "found a tab character that violates indentation",
 			content: `
 		Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
 		adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor
diff --git a/api/krusty/openapicustomschema_test.go b/api/krusty/openapicustomschema_test.go
index 791ed6f8d6..bb6467b08e 100644
--- a/api/krusty/openapicustomschema_test.go
+++ b/api/krusty/openapicustomschema_test.go
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ spec:
 `)
 
 		// component declared in overlay with custom schema and patch
-		th.WriteC("components/dc-openapi", `patches:
+		th.WriteC("components/dc-openapi", `patchesStrategicMerge:
   - patch.yml
 openapi:
   path: openapi.json
diff --git a/api/types/fix.go b/api/types/fix.go
index de70467ed9..d50d878a22 100644
--- a/api/types/fix.go
+++ b/api/types/fix.go
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ package types
 
 import (
 	"regexp"
-
-	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 )
 
 // FixKustomizationPreUnmarshalling modifies the raw data
@@ -20,35 +18,5 @@ func FixKustomizationPreUnmarshalling(data []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 		pattern := regexp.MustCompile(oldname)
 		data = pattern.ReplaceAll(data, []byte(newname))
 	}
-	doLegacy, err := useLegacyPatch(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if doLegacy {
-		pattern := regexp.MustCompile("patches:")
-		data = pattern.ReplaceAll(data, []byte("patchesStrategicMerge:"))
-	}
 	return data, nil
 }
-
-func useLegacyPatch(data []byte) (bool, error) {
-	found := false
-	var object map[string]interface{}
-	err := yaml.Unmarshal(data, &object)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	if rawPatches, ok := object["patches"]; ok {
-		patches, ok := rawPatches.([]interface{})
-		if !ok {
-			return false, err
-		}
-		for _, p := range patches {
-			_, ok := p.(string)
-			if ok {
-				found = true
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return found, nil
-}
diff --git a/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go b/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go
index 0cc0a202ed..285d8c6c3f 100644
--- a/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go
+++ b/kustomize/commands/internal/kustfile/kustomizationfile_test.go
@@ -280,42 +280,6 @@ generatorOptions:
 	}
 }
 
-func TestFixPatchesField(t *testing.T) {
-	kustomizationContentWithComments := []byte(`
-patches:
-- patch1.yaml
-- patch2.yaml
-`)
-
-	expected := []byte(`
-patchesStrategicMerge:
-- patch1.yaml
-- patch2.yaml
-apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
-kind: Kustomization
-`)
-	fSys := filesys.MakeFsInMemory()
-	testutils_test.WriteTestKustomizationWith(
-		fSys, kustomizationContentWithComments)
-	mf, err := NewKustomizationFile(fSys)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Unexpected Error: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	kustomization, err := mf.Read()
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Unexpected Error: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err = mf.Write(kustomization); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Unexpected Error: %v", err)
-	}
-	bytes, _ := fSys.ReadFile(mf.path)
-
-	if diff := cmp.Diff(expected, bytes); diff != "" {
-		t.Errorf("Mismatch (-expected, +actual):\n%s", diff)
-	}
-}
-
 func TestFixPatchesFieldForExtendedPatch(t *testing.T) {
 	kustomizationContentWithComments := []byte(`
 patches: