diff --git a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.c b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.c
index b5f90a15015..00d2c49c84e 100644
--- a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.c
+++ b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.c
@@ -167,19 +167,6 @@ static int refresh_token_if_needed(struct k8s_events *ctx)
 
     return 0;
 }
-static int timestamp_lookup(struct k8s_events *ctx, char *ts, struct flb_time *time)
-{
-    struct flb_tm tm = { 0 };
-
-    if (flb_strptime(ts, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ", &tm) == NULL) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    time->tm.tv_sec = flb_parser_tm2time(&tm);
-    time->tm.tv_nsec = 0;
-
-    return 0;
-}
 
 static msgpack_object *record_get_field_ptr(msgpack_object *obj, const char *fieldname)
 {
@@ -301,25 +288,19 @@ static int item_get_timestamp(msgpack_object *obj, time_t *event_time)
     return FLB_FALSE;
 }
 
-static bool check_event_is_filtered(struct k8s_events *ctx, msgpack_object *obj)
+static bool check_event_is_filtered(struct k8s_events *ctx, msgpack_object *obj,
+                                    time_t* event_time)
 {
     int ret;
-    time_t event_time;
     time_t now;
     msgpack_object *metadata;
     flb_sds_t uid;
     uint64_t resource_version;
 
-    ret = item_get_timestamp(obj, &event_time);
-    if (ret == -FLB_FALSE) {
-        flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "Cannot get timestamp for item in response");
-        return FLB_FALSE;
-    }
-
     now = (time_t)(cfl_time_now() / 1000000000);
-    if (event_time < (now - ctx->retention_time)) {
+    if (*event_time < (now - ctx->retention_time)) {
         flb_plg_debug(ctx->ins, "Item is older than retention_time: %ld < %ld",
-                      event_time,  (now - ctx->retention_time));
+                      *event_time,  (now - ctx->retention_time));
         return FLB_TRUE;
     }
 
@@ -393,7 +374,6 @@ static int process_events(struct k8s_events *ctx, char *in_data, size_t in_size,
     size_t buf_size;
     size_t off = 0;
     struct flb_time ts;
-    struct flb_ra_value *rval;
     uint64_t resource_version;
     msgpack_unpacked result;
     msgpack_object root;
@@ -498,7 +478,14 @@ static int process_events(struct k8s_events *ctx, char *in_data, size_t in_size,
             goto msg_error;
         }
 
-        if (check_event_is_filtered(ctx, item) == FLB_TRUE) {
+        /* get event timestamp */
+        ret = item_get_timestamp(item, &ts);
+        if (ret == FLB_FALSE) {
+            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "cannot retrieve event timestamp");
+            goto msg_error;
+        }
+
+        if (check_event_is_filtered(ctx, item, (time_t)&ts) == FLB_TRUE) {
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -508,21 +495,6 @@ static int process_events(struct k8s_events *ctx, char *in_data, size_t in_size,
         }
 #endif
 
-        /* get event timestamp */
-        rval = flb_ra_get_value_object(ctx->ra_timestamp, *item);
-        if (!rval || rval->type != FLB_RA_STRING) {
-            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "cannot retrieve event timestamp");
-            goto msg_error;
-        }
-
-        /* convert timestamp */
-        ret = timestamp_lookup(ctx, rval->val.string, &ts);
-        if (ret == -1) {
-            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "cannot lookup event timestamp");
-            flb_ra_key_value_destroy(rval);
-            goto msg_error;
-        }
-
         /* encode content as a log event */
         flb_log_event_encoder_begin_record(ctx->encoder);
         flb_log_event_encoder_set_timestamp(ctx->encoder, &ts);
@@ -533,7 +505,6 @@ static int process_events(struct k8s_events *ctx, char *in_data, size_t in_size,
         } else {
             flb_plg_warn(ctx->ins, "unable to encode: %lu", resource_version);
         }
-        flb_ra_key_value_destroy(rval);
     }
 
     if (ctx->encoder->output_length > 0) {
@@ -889,11 +860,6 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
       0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct k8s_events, namespace),
       "kubernetes namespace to get events from, gets event from all namespaces by default."
     },
-    {
-       FLB_CONFIG_MAP_STR, "timestamp_key", K8S_EVENTS_RA_TIMESTAMP,
-       0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct k8s_events, timestamp_key),
-       "Record accessor for the timestamp from the event. Default is $lastTimestamp."
-    },
 
 #ifdef FLB_HAVE_SQLDB
     {
diff --git a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.h b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.h
index cb1e7233775..85b50ac148c 100644
--- a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.h
+++ b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events.h
@@ -74,11 +74,7 @@ struct k8s_events {
 
     struct flb_log_event_encoder *encoder;
 
-    /* timestamp key */
-    flb_sds_t timestamp_key;
-
     /* record accessor */
-    struct flb_record_accessor *ra_timestamp;
     struct flb_record_accessor *ra_resource_version;
 
     /* others */
diff --git a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.c b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.c
index 2d4ed6f17cb..725d2b916de 100644
--- a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.c
+++ b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.c
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ struct k8s_events *k8s_events_conf_create(struct flb_input_instance *ins)
     int ret;
     const char *p;
     const char *url;
-    const char *timestampKey;
     const char *tmp;
     struct k8s_events *ctx = NULL;
     pthread_mutexattr_t attr;
@@ -165,19 +164,6 @@ struct k8s_events *k8s_events_conf_create(struct flb_input_instance *ins)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    /* Record accessor pattern */
-    timestampKey = flb_input_get_property("timestamp_key", ins);
-    if (!timestampKey ) {
-        timestampKey = K8S_EVENTS_RA_TIMESTAMP;
-    }
-    ctx->ra_timestamp = flb_ra_create(timestampKey, FLB_TRUE);
-    if (!ctx->ra_timestamp) {
-        flb_plg_error(ctx->ins,
-                      "could not create record accessor for record timestamp");
-        k8s_events_conf_destroy(ctx);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     ctx->ra_resource_version = flb_ra_create(K8S_EVENTS_RA_RESOURCE_VERSION, FLB_TRUE);
     if (!ctx->ra_resource_version) {
         flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "could not create record accessor for resource version");
@@ -289,9 +275,6 @@ struct k8s_events *k8s_events_conf_create(struct flb_input_instance *ins)
 
 void k8s_events_conf_destroy(struct k8s_events *ctx)
 {
-    if (ctx->ra_timestamp) {
-        flb_ra_destroy(ctx->ra_timestamp);
-    }
 
     if (ctx->ra_resource_version) {
         flb_ra_destroy(ctx->ra_resource_version);
diff --git a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.h b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.h
index 73b48c323f3..734765626e3 100644
--- a/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.h
+++ b/plugins/in_kubernetes_events/kubernetes_events_conf.h
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 #define K8S_EVENTS_KUBE_TOKEN          "/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/token"
 #define K8S_EVENTS_KUBE_CA             "/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount/ca.crt"
 
-#define K8S_EVENTS_RA_TIMESTAMP        "$lastTimestamp"
 #define K8S_EVENTS_RA_RESOURCE_VERSION "$metadata['resourceVersion']"
 
 struct k8s_events *k8s_events_conf_create(struct flb_input_instance *ins);