diff --git a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go
index 552fdfd8fe6..c09b135594f 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller.go
@@ -495,12 +495,14 @@ func (jm *JobController) syncJob(key string) (bool, error) {
 	var failureMessage string
 
 	jobHaveNewFailure := failed > job.Status.Failed
+	exceedsBackoffLimit := jobHaveNewFailure && (int32(previousRetry)+1 > *job.Spec.BackoffLimit)
 
-	// check if the number of failed jobs increased since the last syncJob
-	if jobHaveNewFailure && (int32(previousRetry)+1 > *job.Spec.BackoffLimit) {
+	if exceedsBackoffLimit || pastBackoffLimitOnFailure(&job, pods) {
+		// check if the number of pod restart exceeds backoff (for restart OnFailure only)
+		// OR if the number of failed jobs increased since the last syncJob
 		jobFailed = true
 		failureReason = "BackoffLimitExceeded"
-		failureMessage = "Job has reach the specified backoff limit"
+		failureMessage = "Job has reached the specified backoff limit"
 	} else if pastActiveDeadline(&job) {
 		jobFailed = true
 		failureReason = "DeadlineExceeded"
@@ -614,6 +616,30 @@ func (jm *JobController) deleteJobPods(job *batch.Job, pods []*v1.Pod, errCh cha
 	wait.Wait()
 }
 
+// pastBackoffLimitOnFailure checks if container restartCounts sum exceeds BackoffLimit
+// this method applies only to pods with restartPolicy == OnFailure
+func pastBackoffLimitOnFailure(job *batch.Job, pods []*v1.Pod) bool {
+	if job.Spec.Template.Spec.RestartPolicy != v1.RestartPolicyOnFailure {
+		return false
+	}
+	result := int32(0)
+	for i := range pods {
+		po := pods[i]
+		if po.Status.Phase != v1.PodRunning {
+			continue
+		}
+		for j := range po.Status.InitContainerStatuses {
+			stat := po.Status.InitContainerStatuses[j]
+			result += stat.RestartCount
+		}
+		for j := range po.Status.ContainerStatuses {
+			stat := po.Status.ContainerStatuses[j]
+			result += stat.RestartCount
+		}
+	}
+	return result >= *job.Spec.BackoffLimit
+}
+
 // pastActiveDeadline checks if job has ActiveDeadlineSeconds field set and if it is exceeded.
 func pastActiveDeadline(job *batch.Job) bool {
 	if job.Spec.ActiveDeadlineSeconds == nil || job.Status.StartTime == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go
index 81edcc90a81..dbb89ccd924 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/job/job_controller_test.go
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func TestControllerSyncJob(t *testing.T) {
 			nil, true, 0, 0, 0, 0,
 			10, 0, 10, 0, 0, nil, "",
 		},
-		"to many job sync failure": {
+		"too many job failures": {
 			2, 5, 0, true, 0,
 			nil, true, 0, 0, 0, 1,
 			0, 0, 0, 0, 1, &jobConditionFailed, "BackoffLimitExceeded",
@@ -1408,3 +1408,92 @@ func TestJobBackoff(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestJobBackoffForOnFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	jobConditionFailed := batch.JobFailed
+
+	testCases := map[string]struct {
+		// job setup
+		parallelism  int32
+		completions  int32
+		backoffLimit int32
+
+		// pod setup
+		jobKeyForget  bool
+		restartCounts []int32
+
+		// expectations
+		expectedActive          int32
+		expectedSucceeded       int32
+		expectedFailed          int32
+		expectedCondition       *batch.JobConditionType
+		expectedConditionReason string
+	}{
+		"too many job failures - single pod": {
+			1, 5, 2,
+			true, []int32{2},
+			0, 0, 1, &jobConditionFailed, "BackoffLimitExceeded",
+		},
+		"too many job failures - multiple pods": {
+			2, 5, 2,
+			true, []int32{1, 1},
+			0, 0, 2, &jobConditionFailed, "BackoffLimitExceeded",
+		},
+		"not enough failures": {
+			2, 5, 3,
+			true, []int32{1, 1},
+			2, 0, 0, nil, "",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for name, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// job manager setup
+			clientset := clientset.NewForConfigOrDie(&restclient.Config{Host: "", ContentConfig: restclient.ContentConfig{GroupVersion: &legacyscheme.Registry.GroupOrDie(v1.GroupName).GroupVersion}})
+			manager, sharedInformerFactory := newJobControllerFromClient(clientset, controller.NoResyncPeriodFunc)
+			fakePodControl := controller.FakePodControl{}
+			manager.podControl = &fakePodControl
+			manager.podStoreSynced = alwaysReady
+			manager.jobStoreSynced = alwaysReady
+			var actual *batch.Job
+			manager.updateHandler = func(job *batch.Job) error {
+				actual = job
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			// job & pods setup
+			job := newJob(tc.parallelism, tc.completions, tc.backoffLimit)
+			job.Spec.Template.Spec.RestartPolicy = v1.RestartPolicyOnFailure
+			sharedInformerFactory.Batch().V1().Jobs().Informer().GetIndexer().Add(job)
+			podIndexer := sharedInformerFactory.Core().V1().Pods().Informer().GetIndexer()
+			for i, pod := range newPodList(int32(len(tc.restartCounts)), v1.PodRunning, job) {
+				pod.Status.ContainerStatuses = []v1.ContainerStatus{{RestartCount: tc.restartCounts[i]}}
+				podIndexer.Add(&pod)
+			}
+
+			// run
+			forget, err := manager.syncJob(getKey(job, t))
+
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected error syncing job.  Got %#v", err)
+			}
+			if forget != tc.jobKeyForget {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected forget value. Expected %v, saw %v\n", tc.jobKeyForget, forget)
+			}
+			// validate status
+			if actual.Status.Active != tc.expectedActive {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected number of active pods.  Expected %d, saw %d\n", tc.expectedActive, actual.Status.Active)
+			}
+			if actual.Status.Succeeded != tc.expectedSucceeded {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected number of succeeded pods.  Expected %d, saw %d\n", tc.expectedSucceeded, actual.Status.Succeeded)
+			}
+			if actual.Status.Failed != tc.expectedFailed {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected number of failed pods.  Expected %d, saw %d\n", tc.expectedFailed, actual.Status.Failed)
+			}
+			// validate conditions
+			if tc.expectedCondition != nil && !getCondition(actual, *tc.expectedCondition, tc.expectedConditionReason) {
+				t.Errorf("expected completion condition.  Got %#v", actual.Status.Conditions)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}