diff --git a/api/filters/filtersutil/setters.go b/api/filters/filtersutil/setters.go
index a209f8d598..7015a0cb7f 100644
--- a/api/filters/filtersutil/setters.go
+++ b/api/filters/filtersutil/setters.go
@@ -8,13 +8,20 @@ import (
 type SetFn func(*yaml.RNode) error
 
 // SetScalar returns a SetFn to set a scalar value
-func SetScalar(value, tag string) SetFn {
+func SetScalar(value string) SetFn {
+	return func(node *yaml.RNode) error {
+		return node.PipeE(yaml.FieldSetter{StringValue: value})
+	}
+}
+
+// SetString returns a SetFn to set a string value
+func SetString(value string) SetFn {
 	n := &yaml.Node{
 		Kind:  yaml.ScalarNode,
 		Value: value,
-		Tag:   tag,
+		Tag:   yaml.NodeTagString,
 	}
-	if tag == yaml.NodeTagString && yaml.IsYaml1_1NonString(n) {
+	if yaml.IsYaml1_1NonString(n) {
 		n.Style = yaml.DoubleQuotedStyle
 	}
 	return func(node *yaml.RNode) error {
@@ -55,8 +62,8 @@ func (s *TrackableSetter) WithMutationTracker(callback func(key, value, tag stri
 // SetScalar returns a SetFn to set a scalar value
 // if a mutation tracker has been registered, the tracker will be invoked each
 // time a scalar is set
-func (s TrackableSetter) SetScalar(value, tag string) SetFn {
-	origSetScalar := SetScalar(value, tag)
+func (s TrackableSetter) SetScalar(value string) SetFn {
+	origSetScalar := SetScalar(value)
 	return func(node *yaml.RNode) error {
 		if s.setValueCallback != nil {
 			s.setValueCallback("", value, "", node)