diff --git a/sdk/python/kfp/compiler/compiler.py b/sdk/python/kfp/compiler/compiler.py
index e93afd6aa0a..ab78f63a9c1 100644
--- a/sdk/python/kfp/compiler/compiler.py
+++ b/sdk/python/kfp/compiler/compiler.py
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ def _convert_k8s_obj_to_dic(self, obj):
     Returns: The serialized form of data.
     """
 
-    from six import text_type, integer_types
+    from six import text_type, integer_types, iteritems
     PRIMITIVE_TYPES = (float, bool, bytes, text_type) + integer_types
     from datetime import date, datetime
     if obj is None:
@@ -532,7 +532,6 @@ def _convert_k8s_obj_to_dic(self, obj):
       # and attributes which value is not None.
       # Convert attribute name to json key in
       # model definition for request.
-      from six import iteritems
       obj_dict = {obj.attribute_map[attr]: getattr(obj, attr)
                   for attr, _ in iteritems(obj.swagger_types)
                   if getattr(obj, attr) is not None}
diff --git a/sdk/python/tests/compiler/compiler_tests.py b/sdk/python/tests/compiler/compiler_tests.py
index 4c0c9c6a7c1..6363d6537a9 100644
--- a/sdk/python/tests/compiler/compiler_tests.py
+++ b/sdk/python/tests/compiler/compiler_tests.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import tempfile
 import unittest
 import yaml
+import datetime
 
 class TestCompiler(unittest.TestCase):
 
@@ -141,6 +142,21 @@ def test_basic_workflow(self):
       shutil.rmtree(tmpdir)
       # print(tmpdir)
 
+  def test_convert_k8s_obj_to_dic_accepts_dict(self):
+    now = datetime.datetime.now()
+    converted = compiler.Compiler()._convert_k8s_obj_to_dic({
+      "ENV": "test",
+      "number": 3,
+      "list": [1,2,3],
+      "time": now
+    })
+    self.assertEqual(converted, {
+      "ENV": "test",
+      "number": 3,
+      "list": [1,2,3],
+      "time": now.isoformat()
+    })
+
   def test_composing_workflow(self):
     """Test compiling a simple workflow, and a bigger one composed from the simple one."""