diff --git a/hack/lib/test.sh b/hack/lib/test.sh
index 1650a38d729..1771a82160f 100644
--- a/hack/lib/test.sh
+++ b/hack/lib/test.sh
@@ -42,30 +42,60 @@ kube::test::get_caller() {
 
 # Force exact match of a returned result for a object query.  Wrap this with || to support multiple
 # valid return types.
+# This runs `kubectl get` once and asserts that the result is as expected.
+## $1: Object on which get should be run
+# $2: The go-template to run on the result
+# $3: The expected output
+# $4: Additional args to be passed to kubectl
 kube::test::get_object_assert() {
-  local object=$1
-  local request=$2
-  local expected=$3
-  local args=${4:-}
+  kube::test::object_assert 1 "$@"
+}
 
-  res=$(eval kubectl get "${kube_flags[@]}" ${args} $object -o go-template=\"$request\")
+# Asserts that the output of a given get query is as expected.
+# Runs the query multiple times before failing it.
+# $1: Object on which get should be run
+# $2: The go-template to run on the result
+# $3: The expected output
+# $4: Additional args to be passed to kubectl
+kube::test::wait_object_assert() {
+  kube::test::object_assert 10 "$@"
+}
 
-  if [[ "$res" =~ ^$expected$ ]]; then
-      echo -n ${green}
-      echo "$(kube::test::get_caller): Successful get $object $request: $res"
-      echo -n ${reset}
-      return 0
-  else
-      echo ${bold}${red}
-      echo "$(kube::test::get_caller): FAIL!"
-      echo "Get $object $request"
-      echo "  Expected: $expected"
-      echo "  Got:      $res"
-      echo ${reset}${red}
-      caller
-      echo ${reset}
-      return 1
-  fi
+# Asserts that the output of a given get query is as expected.
+# Can run the query multiple times before failing it.
+# $1: Number of times the query should be run before failing it.
+# $2: Object on which get should be run
+# $3: The go-template to run on the result
+# $4: The expected output
+# $5: Additional args to be passed to kubectl
+kube::test::object_assert() {
+  local tries=$1
+  local object=$2
+  local request=$3
+  local expected=$4
+  local args=${5:-}
+
+  for j in $(seq 1 ${tries}); do
+    res=$(eval kubectl get "${kube_flags[@]}" ${args} $object -o go-template=\"$request\")
+    if [[ "$res" =~ ^$expected$ ]]; then
+        echo -n ${green}
+        echo "$(kube::test::get_caller 3): Successful get $object $request: $res"
+        echo -n ${reset}
+        return 0
+    fi
+    echo "Waiting for Get $object $request $args: expected: $expected, got: $res"
+    sleep $((${j}-1))
+  done
+
+  echo ${bold}${red}
+  echo "$(kube::test::get_caller 3): FAIL!"
+  echo "Get $object $request"
+  echo "  Expected: $expected"
+  echo "  Got:      $res"
+  echo ${reset}${red}
+  caller
+  echo ${reset}
+  return 1
 }
 
 kube::test::get_object_jsonpath_assert() {
diff --git a/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh b/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh
index 76a1d63f0d9..5dbf12a8dbe 100644
--- a/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh
+++ b/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh
@@ -947,8 +947,8 @@ run_kubectl_apply_deployments_tests() {
   # need to explicitly remove replicasets and pods because we changed the deployment selector and orphaned things
   kubectl delete deployments,rs,pods --all --cascade=false --grace-period=0
   # Post-Condition: no Deployments, ReplicaSets, Pods exist
-  kube::test::get_object_assert deployments "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
-  kube::test::get_object_assert replicasets "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert deployments "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert replicasets "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
   kube::test::get_object_assert pods "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
 }
 
@@ -2273,6 +2273,37 @@ run_deployment_tests() {
   # Clean up
   kubectl delete deployment test-nginx "${kube_flags[@]}"
 
+  ### Test cascading deletion
+  ## Test that rs is deleted when deployment is deleted.
+  # Pre-condition: no deployment exists
+  kube::test::get_object_assert deployment "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  # Create deployment
+  kubectl create -f test/fixtures/doc-yaml/user-guide/deployment.yaml "${kube_flags[@]}"
+  # Wait for rs to come up.
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$rs_replicas_field}}{{end}}" '3'
+  # Deleting the deployment should delete the rs.
+  kubectl delete deployment nginx-deployment "${kube_flags[@]}"
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+
+  ## Test that rs is not deleted when deployment is deleted with cascade set to false.
+  # Pre-condition: no deployment and rs exist
+  kube::test::get_object_assert deployment "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  kube::test::get_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  # Create deployment
+  kubectl create deployment nginx-deployment --image=gcr.io/google-containers/nginx:test-cmd
+  # Wait for rs to come up.
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$rs_replicas_field}}{{end}}" '1'
+  # Delete the deployment with cascade set to false.
+  kubectl delete deployment nginx-deployment "${kube_flags[@]}" --cascade=false
+  # Wait for the deployment to be deleted and then verify that rs is not
+  # deleted.
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert deployment "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  kube::test::get_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$rs_replicas_field}}{{end}}" '1'
+  # Cleanup
+  # Find the name of the rs to be deleted.
+  output_message=$(kubectl get rs "${kube_flags[@]}" -o template --template={{range.items}}{{$id_field}}{{end}})
+  kubectl delete rs ${output_message} "${kube_flags[@]}"
+
   ### Auto scale deployment
   # Pre-condition: no deployment exists
   kube::test::get_object_assert deployment "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
@@ -2385,6 +2416,21 @@ run_rs_tests() {
   # Post-condition: no pods from frontend replica set
   kube::test::get_object_assert 'pods -l "tier=frontend"' "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
 
+  ### Create and then delete a replica set with cascade=false, make sure it doesn't delete pods.
+  # Pre-condition: no replica set exists
+  kube::test::get_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  # Command
+  kubectl create -f hack/testdata/frontend-replicaset.yaml "${kube_flags[@]}"
+  kube::log::status "Deleting rs"
+  kubectl delete rs frontend "${kube_flags[@]}" --cascade=false
+  # Wait for the rs to be deleted.
+  kube::test::wait_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+  # Post-condition: All 3 pods still remain from frontend replica set
+  kube::test::get_object_assert 'pods -l "tier=frontend"' "{{range.items}}{{$pod_container_name_field}}:{{end}}" 'php-redis:php-redis:php-redis:'
+  # Cleanup
+  kubectl delete pods -l "tier=frontend" "${kube_flags[@]}"
+  kube::test::get_object_assert pods "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
+
   ### Create replica set frontend from YAML
   # Pre-condition: no replica set exists
   kube::test::get_object_assert rs "{{range.items}}{{$id_field}}:{{end}}" ''
@@ -2662,7 +2708,7 @@ runTests() {
   i=0
   create_and_use_new_namespace() {
     i=$(($i+1))
-    kube::log::status "Creating namespace"
+    kube::log::status "Creating namespace namespace${i}"
     kubectl create namespace "namespace${i}"
     kubectl config set-context "${CONTEXT}" --namespace="namespace${i}"
   }
@@ -2690,6 +2736,7 @@ runTests() {
   second_port_field="(index .spec.ports 1).port"
   second_port_name="(index .spec.ports 1).name"
   image_field="(index .spec.containers 0).image"
+  pod_container_name_field="(index .spec.containers 0).name"
   container_name_field="(index .spec.template.spec.containers 0).name"
   hpa_min_field=".spec.minReplicas"
   hpa_max_field=".spec.maxReplicas"
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go
index 1eada79b4b4..908a1304378 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete.go
@@ -253,7 +253,8 @@ func ReapResult(r *resource.Result, f cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, isDefaultD
 		if err != nil {
 			// If there is no reaper for this resources and the user didn't explicitly ask for stop.
 			if kubectl.IsNoSuchReaperError(err) && isDefaultDelete {
-				return deleteResource(info, out, shortOutput, mapper)
+				// No client side reaper found. Let the server do cascading deletion.
+				return cascadingDeleteResource(info, out, shortOutput, mapper)
 			}
 			return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr("reaping", info.Source, err)
 		}
@@ -293,7 +294,7 @@ func DeleteResult(r *resource.Result, out io.Writer, ignoreNotFound bool, shortO
 			return err
 		}
 		found++
-		return deleteResource(info, out, shortOutput, mapper)
+		return deleteResource(info, out, shortOutput, mapper, nil)
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -304,8 +305,14 @@ func DeleteResult(r *resource.Result, out io.Writer, ignoreNotFound bool, shortO
 	return nil
 }
 
-func deleteResource(info *resource.Info, out io.Writer, shortOutput bool, mapper meta.RESTMapper) error {
-	if err := resource.NewHelper(info.Client, info.Mapping).Delete(info.Namespace, info.Name); err != nil {
+func cascadingDeleteResource(info *resource.Info, out io.Writer, shortOutput bool, mapper meta.RESTMapper) error {
+	falseVar := false
+	deleteOptions := &metav1.DeleteOptions{OrphanDependents: &falseVar}
+	return deleteResource(info, out, shortOutput, mapper, deleteOptions)
+}
+
+func deleteResource(info *resource.Info, out io.Writer, shortOutput bool, mapper meta.RESTMapper, deleteOptions *metav1.DeleteOptions) error {
+	if err := resource.NewHelper(info.Client, info.Mapping).DeleteWithOptions(info.Namespace, info.Name, deleteOptions); err != nil {
 		return cmdutil.AddSourceToErr("deleting", info.Source, err)
 	}
 	cmdutil.PrintSuccess(mapper, shortOutput, out, info.Mapping.Resource, info.Name, false, "deleted")
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go
index 016785afc63..203861e8e9f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/delete_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -88,6 +91,68 @@ func TestDeleteObjectByTuple(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func hasExpectedOrphanDependents(body io.ReadCloser, expectedOrphanDependents *bool) bool {
+	if body == nil || expectedOrphanDependents == nil {
+		return body == nil && expectedOrphanDependents == nil
+	}
+	var parsedBody metav1.DeleteOptions
+	rawBody, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(body)
+	json.Unmarshal(rawBody, &parsedBody)
+	if parsedBody.OrphanDependents == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return *expectedOrphanDependents == *parsedBody.OrphanDependents
+}
+
+// Tests that DeleteOptions.OrphanDependents is appropriately set while deleting objects.
+func TestOrphanDependentsInDeleteObject(t *testing.T) {
+	initTestErrorHandler(t)
+	_, _, rc := testData()
+
+	f, tf, codec, _ := cmdtesting.NewAPIFactory()
+	tf.Printer = &testPrinter{}
+	var expectedOrphanDependents *bool
+	tf.UnstructuredClient = &fake.RESTClient{
+		APIRegistry:          api.Registry,
+		NegotiatedSerializer: unstructuredSerializer,
+		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			switch p, m, b := req.URL.Path, req.Method, req.Body; {
+
+			case p == "/namespaces/test/secrets/mysecret" && m == "DELETE" && hasExpectedOrphanDependents(b, expectedOrphanDependents):
+
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Header: defaultHeader(), Body: objBody(codec, &rc.Items[0])}, nil
+			default:
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+		}),
+	}
+	tf.Namespace = "test"
+
+	// DeleteOptions.OrphanDependents should be false, when cascade is true (default).
+	falseVar := false
+	expectedOrphanDependents = &falseVar
+	buf, errBuf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{}), bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+	cmd := NewCmdDelete(f, buf, errBuf)
+	cmd.Flags().Set("namespace", "test")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("output", "name")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{"secrets/mysecret"})
+	if buf.String() != "secret/mysecret\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+
+	// Test that delete options should be nil when cascade is false.
+	expectedOrphanDependents = nil
+	buf, errBuf = bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{}), bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
+	cmd = NewCmdDelete(f, buf, errBuf)
+	cmd.Flags().Set("namespace", "test")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("cascade", "false")
+	cmd.Flags().Set("output", "name")
+	cmd.Run(cmd, []string{"secrets/mysecret"})
+	if buf.String() != "secret/mysecret\n" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDeleteNamedObject(t *testing.T) {
 	initTestErrorHandler(t)
 	initTestErrorHandler(t)
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper.go b/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper.go
index 5bb68018387..2cbdd847471 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -95,10 +96,15 @@ func (m *Helper) WatchSingle(namespace, name, resourceVersion string) (watch.Int
 }
 
 func (m *Helper) Delete(namespace, name string) error {
+	return m.DeleteWithOptions(namespace, name, nil)
+}
+
+func (m *Helper) DeleteWithOptions(namespace, name string, options *metav1.DeleteOptions) error {
 	return m.RESTClient.Delete().
 		NamespaceIfScoped(namespace, m.NamespaceScoped).
 		Resource(m.Resource).
 		Name(name).
+		Body(options).
 		Do().
 		Error()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/stop.go b/pkg/kubectl/stop.go
index 1924a4b6133..1fb7181c1f0 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/stop.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/stop.go
@@ -322,7 +322,9 @@ func (reaper *DaemonSetReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Duratio
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return reaper.client.DaemonSets(namespace).Delete(name, nil)
+	falseVar := false
+	deleteOptions := &metav1.DeleteOptions{OrphanDependents: &falseVar}
+	return reaper.client.DaemonSets(namespace).Delete(name, deleteOptions)
 }
 
 func (reaper *StatefulSetReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Duration, gracePeriod *metav1.DeleteOptions) error {
@@ -366,7 +368,9 @@ func (reaper *StatefulSetReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Durat
 
 	// TODO: Cleanup volumes? We don't want to accidentally delete volumes from
 	// stop, so just leave this up to the statefulset.
-	return statefulsets.Delete(name, nil)
+	falseVar := false
+	deleteOptions := &metav1.DeleteOptions{OrphanDependents: &falseVar}
+	return statefulsets.Delete(name, deleteOptions)
 }
 
 func (reaper *JobReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Duration, gracePeriod *metav1.DeleteOptions) error {
@@ -408,8 +412,10 @@ func (reaper *JobReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Duration, gra
 	if len(errList) > 0 {
 		return utilerrors.NewAggregate(errList)
 	}
-	// once we have all the pods removed we can safely remove the job itself
-	return jobs.Delete(name, nil)
+	// once we have all the pods removed we can safely remove the job itself.
+	falseVar := false
+	deleteOptions := &metav1.DeleteOptions{OrphanDependents: &falseVar}
+	return jobs.Delete(name, deleteOptions)
 }
 
 func (reaper *DeploymentReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Duration, gracePeriod *metav1.DeleteOptions) error {
@@ -509,5 +515,7 @@ func (reaper *ServiceReaper) Stop(namespace, name string, timeout time.Duration,
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return services.Delete(name, nil)
+	falseVar := false
+	deleteOptions := &metav1.DeleteOptions{OrphanDependents: &falseVar}
+	return services.Delete(name, deleteOptions)
 }