diff --git a/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller.go b/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller.go
index 08da69dfc96..13fddefa8bb 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller.go
@@ -281,13 +281,19 @@ func syncVolume(volumeIndex *persistentVolumeOrderedIndex, binderClient binderCl
 		if volume.Spec.ClaimRef == nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("PersistentVolume[%s] expected to be bound but found nil claimRef: %+v", volume.Name, volume)
 		} else {
-			_, err := binderClient.GetPersistentVolumeClaim(volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Namespace, volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Name)
+			claim, err := binderClient.GetPersistentVolumeClaim(volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Namespace, volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Name)
+
+			// A volume is Released when its bound claim cannot be found in the API server.
+			// A claim by the same name can be found if deleted and recreated before this controller can release
+			// the volume from the original claim, so a UID check is necessary.
 			if err != nil {
 				if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
 					nextPhase = api.VolumeReleased
 				} else {
 					return err
 				}
+			} else if claim != nil && claim.UID != volume.Spec.ClaimRef.UID {
+				nextPhase = api.VolumeReleased
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller_test.go
index 32a0bc70936..6f1f348eb18 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/persistentvolume_claim_binder_controller_test.go
@@ -143,6 +143,68 @@ func TestClaimRace(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNewClaimWithSameNameAsOldClaim(t *testing.T) {
+	c1 := &api.PersistentVolumeClaim{
+		ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "c1",
+			Namespace: "foo",
+			UID:       "12345",
+		},
+		Spec: api.PersistentVolumeClaimSpec{
+			AccessModes: []api.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{api.ReadWriteOnce},
+			Resources: api.ResourceRequirements{
+				Requests: api.ResourceList{
+					api.ResourceName(api.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("3Gi"),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		Status: api.PersistentVolumeClaimStatus{
+			Phase: api.ClaimBound,
+		},
+	}
+	c1.ObjectMeta.SelfLink = testapi.Default.SelfLink("pvc", "")
+
+	v := &api.PersistentVolume{
+		ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{
+			Name: "foo",
+		},
+		Spec: api.PersistentVolumeSpec{
+			ClaimRef: &api.ObjectReference{
+				Name:      c1.Name,
+				Namespace: c1.Namespace,
+				UID:       "45678",
+			},
+			AccessModes: []api.PersistentVolumeAccessMode{api.ReadWriteOnce},
+			Capacity: api.ResourceList{
+				api.ResourceName(api.ResourceStorage): resource.MustParse("10Gi"),
+			},
+			PersistentVolumeSource: api.PersistentVolumeSource{
+				HostPath: &api.HostPathVolumeSource{
+					Path: "/tmp/data01",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		Status: api.PersistentVolumeStatus{
+			Phase: api.VolumeBound,
+		},
+	}
+
+	volumeIndex := NewPersistentVolumeOrderedIndex()
+	mockClient := &mockBinderClient{
+		claim:  c1,
+		volume: v,
+	}
+
+	plugMgr := volume.VolumePluginMgr{}
+	plugMgr.InitPlugins(host_path.ProbeRecyclableVolumePlugins(newMockRecycler, volume.VolumeConfig{}), volume.NewFakeVolumeHost("/tmp/fake", nil, nil))
+
+	syncVolume(volumeIndex, mockClient, v)
+	if mockClient.volume.Status.Phase != api.VolumeReleased {
+		t.Errorf("Expected phase %s but got %s", api.VolumeReleased, mockClient.volume.Status.Phase)
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestClaimSyncAfterVolumeProvisioning(t *testing.T) {
 	// Tests that binder.syncVolume will also syncClaim if the PV has completed
 	// provisioning but the claim is still Pending.  We want to advance to Bound
diff --git a/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/types.go b/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/types.go
index df9a0bb011f..42ca3680180 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/types.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/persistentvolume/types.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (pvIndex *persistentVolumeOrderedIndex) findByClaim(claim *api.PersistentVo
 				continue
 			}
 
-			if claim.Name == volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Name && claim.Namespace == volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Namespace {
+			if claim.Name == volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Name && claim.Namespace == volume.Spec.ClaimRef.Namespace && claim.UID == volume.Spec.ClaimRef.UID {
 				// exact match! No search required.
 				return volume, nil
 			}