diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager.go
index a9321919c95..c291cfe91d9 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/utils/clock"
 )
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ type GetObjectFunc func(string, string, metav1.GetOptions) (runtime.Object, erro
 type objectKey struct {
 	namespace string
 	name      string
+	uid       types.UID
 }
 
 // objectStoreItems is a single item stored in objectStore.
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ func (c *cacheBasedManager) RegisterPod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 		c.objectStore.AddReference(pod.Namespace, name)
 	}
 	var prev *v1.Pod
-	key := objectKey{namespace: pod.Namespace, name: pod.Name}
+	key := objectKey{namespace: pod.Namespace, name: pod.Name, uid: pod.UID}
 	prev = c.registeredPods[key]
 	c.registeredPods[key] = pod
 	if prev != nil {
@@ -243,7 +245,7 @@ func (c *cacheBasedManager) RegisterPod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 
 func (c *cacheBasedManager) UnregisterPod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 	var prev *v1.Pod
-	key := objectKey{namespace: pod.Namespace, name: pod.Name}
+	key := objectKey{namespace: pod.Namespace, name: pod.Name, uid: pod.UID}
 	c.lock.Lock()
 	defer c.lock.Unlock()
 	prev = c.registeredPods[key]
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager_test.go
index e56059680e7..1be96922885 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/util/manager/cache_based_manager_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 
 	clientset "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
@@ -335,10 +336,15 @@ type secretsToAttach struct {
 }
 
 func podWithSecrets(ns, podName string, toAttach secretsToAttach) *v1.Pod {
+	return podWithSecretsAndUID(ns, podName, "", toAttach)
+}
+
+func podWithSecretsAndUID(ns, podName, podUID string, toAttach secretsToAttach) *v1.Pod {
 	pod := &v1.Pod{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Namespace: ns,
 			Name:      podName,
+			UID:       types.UID(podUID),
 		},
 		Spec: v1.PodSpec{},
 	}
@@ -444,7 +450,7 @@ func TestRegisterIdempotence(t *testing.T) {
 	refs := func(ns, name string) int {
 		store.lock.Lock()
 		defer store.lock.Unlock()
-		item, ok := store.items[objectKey{ns, name}]
+		item, ok := store.items[objectKey{namespace: ns, name: name}]
 		if !ok {
 			return 0
 		}
@@ -531,7 +537,7 @@ func TestCacheRefcounts(t *testing.T) {
 	refs := func(ns, name string) int {
 		store.lock.Lock()
 		defer store.lock.Unlock()
-		item, ok := store.items[objectKey{ns, name}]
+		item, ok := store.items[objectKey{namespace: ns, name: name}]
 		if !ok {
 			return 0
 		}
@@ -549,6 +555,42 @@ func TestCacheRefcounts(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("ns1", "s60"))
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, refs("ns1", "s7"))
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, refs("ns1", "s70"))
+
+	// Check the interleaved registerpod/unregisterpod with identical names and different uids scenario
+	secret1 := secretsToAttach{
+		containerEnvSecrets: []envSecrets{
+			{envVarNames: []string{"secret1"}},
+		},
+	}
+	secret2 := secretsToAttach{
+		containerEnvSecrets: []envSecrets{
+			{envVarNames: []string{"secret2"}},
+		},
+	}
+
+	// precondition: no references
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret1"))
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret2"))
+
+	// add first pod that references secret1 only
+	manager.RegisterPod(podWithSecretsAndUID("nsinterleaved", "pod", "poduid1", secret1))
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret1"))
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret2"))
+
+	// add second pod that references secret2 only, retain references to secret1
+	manager.RegisterPod(podWithSecretsAndUID("nsinterleaved", "pod", "poduid2", secret2))
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret1"))
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret2"))
+
+	// remove first pod that references secret1, retain references to secret2
+	manager.UnregisterPod(podWithSecretsAndUID("nsinterleaved", "pod", "poduid1", secretsToAttach{}))
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret1"))
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret2"))
+
+	// remove second pod that references secret2
+	manager.UnregisterPod(podWithSecretsAndUID("nsinterleaved", "pod", "poduid2", secretsToAttach{}))
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret1"))
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, refs("nsinterleaved", "secret2"))
 }
 
 func TestCacheBasedSecretManager(t *testing.T) {