diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 66bc2dc4b11..10e934824e8 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1771,6 +1771,9 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) deletePod(pod *v1.Pod) error {
 	}
 	podPair := kubecontainer.PodPair{APIPod: pod, RunningPod: &runningPod}
 
+	if _, ok := kl.podManager.GetMirrorPodByPod(pod); ok {
+		kl.podKiller.MarkMirrorPodPendingTermination(pod)
+	}
 	kl.podKiller.KillPod(&podPair)
 
 	// We leave the volume/directory cleanup to the periodic cleanup routine.
@@ -2109,9 +2112,6 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) HandlePodRemoves(pods []*v1.Pod) {
 			kl.handleMirrorPod(pod, start)
 			continue
 		}
-		if _, ok := kl.podManager.GetMirrorPodByPod(pod); ok {
-			kl.podKiller.MarkMirrorPodPendingTermination(pod)
-		}
 		// Deletion is allowed to fail because the periodic cleanup routine
 		// will trigger deletion again.
 		if err := kl.deletePod(pod); err != nil {