diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 0945c769b02..2dc2997ca95 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1812,9 +1812,12 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncLoop(updates <-chan kubetypes.PodUpdate, handler SyncHand
 			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 			continue
 		}
+
+		kl.syncLoopMonitor.Store(kl.clock.Now())
 		if !kl.syncLoopIteration(updates, handler, syncTicker.C, housekeepingTicker.C, plegCh) {
 			break
 		}
+		kl.syncLoopMonitor.Store(kl.clock.Now())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1852,7 +1855,6 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncLoop(updates <-chan kubetypes.PodUpdate, handler SyncHand
 //                     containers have failed liveness checks
 func (kl *Kubelet) syncLoopIteration(configCh <-chan kubetypes.PodUpdate, handler SyncHandler,
 	syncCh <-chan time.Time, housekeepingCh <-chan time.Time, plegCh <-chan *pleg.PodLifecycleEvent) bool {
-	kl.syncLoopMonitor.Store(kl.clock.Now())
 	select {
 	case u, open := <-configCh:
 		// Update from a config source; dispatch it to the right handler
@@ -1946,7 +1948,6 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncLoopIteration(configCh <-chan kubetypes.PodUpdate, handle
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	kl.syncLoopMonitor.Store(kl.clock.Now())
 	return true
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 943243c1c49..59000904a34 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -326,32 +326,6 @@ func newTestPods(count int) []*v1.Pod {
 
 var emptyPodUIDs map[types.UID]kubetypes.SyncPodType
 
-func TestSyncLoopTimeUpdate(t *testing.T) {
-	testKubelet := newTestKubelet(t, false /* controllerAttachDetachEnabled */)
-	defer testKubelet.Cleanup()
-	testKubelet.fakeCadvisor.On("MachineInfo").Return(&cadvisorapi.MachineInfo{}, nil)
-	kubelet := testKubelet.kubelet
-
-	loopTime1 := kubelet.LatestLoopEntryTime()
-	require.True(t, loopTime1.IsZero(), "Expect sync loop time to be zero")
-
-	// Start sync ticker.
-	syncCh := make(chan time.Time, 1)
-	housekeepingCh := make(chan time.Time, 1)
-	plegCh := make(chan *pleg.PodLifecycleEvent)
-	syncCh <- time.Now()
-	kubelet.syncLoopIteration(make(chan kubetypes.PodUpdate), kubelet, syncCh, housekeepingCh, plegCh)
-	loopTime2 := kubelet.LatestLoopEntryTime()
-	require.False(t, loopTime2.IsZero(), "Expect sync loop time to be non-zero")
-
-	syncCh <- time.Now()
-	kubelet.syncLoopIteration(make(chan kubetypes.PodUpdate), kubelet, syncCh, housekeepingCh, plegCh)
-	loopTime3 := kubelet.LatestLoopEntryTime()
-	require.True(t, loopTime3.After(loopTime1),
-		"Sync Loop Time was not updated correctly. Second update timestamp %v should be greater than first update timestamp %v",
-		loopTime3, loopTime1)
-}
-
 func TestSyncLoopAbort(t *testing.T) {
 	testKubelet := newTestKubelet(t, false /* controllerAttachDetachEnabled */)
 	defer testKubelet.Cleanup()