diff --git a/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller.go b/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller.go
index 60f1669afc9..da740d86f04 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func NewNamespaceController(kubeClient client.Interface, experimentalMode bool,
 		framework.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 			AddFunc: func(obj interface{}) {
 				namespace := obj.(*api.Namespace)
-				if err := syncNamespace(kubeClient, experimentalMode, *namespace); err != nil {
+				if err := syncNamespace(kubeClient, experimentalMode, namespace); err != nil {
 					if estimate, ok := err.(*contentRemainingError); ok {
 						go func() {
 							// Estimate is the aggregate total of TerminationGracePeriodSeconds, which defaults to 30s
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func NewNamespaceController(kubeClient client.Interface, experimentalMode bool,
 			},
 			UpdateFunc: func(oldObj, newObj interface{}) {
 				namespace := newObj.(*api.Namespace)
-				if err := syncNamespace(kubeClient, experimentalMode, *namespace); err != nil {
+				if err := syncNamespace(kubeClient, experimentalMode, namespace); err != nil {
 					if estimate, ok := err.(*contentRemainingError); ok {
 						go func() {
 							t := estimate.Estimate/2 + 1
@@ -121,12 +121,12 @@ func (nm *NamespaceController) Stop() {
 }
 
 // finalized returns true if the spec.finalizers is empty list
-func finalized(namespace api.Namespace) bool {
+func finalized(namespace *api.Namespace) bool {
 	return len(namespace.Spec.Finalizers) == 0
 }
 
 // finalize will finalize the namespace for kubernetes
-func finalize(kubeClient client.Interface, namespace api.Namespace) (*api.Namespace, error) {
+func finalizeNamespaceFunc(kubeClient client.Interface, namespace *api.Namespace) (*api.Namespace, error) {
 	namespaceFinalize := api.Namespace{}
 	namespaceFinalize.ObjectMeta = namespace.ObjectMeta
 	namespaceFinalize.Spec = namespace.Spec
@@ -209,25 +209,56 @@ func deleteAllContent(kubeClient client.Interface, experimentalMode bool, namesp
 	return estimate, nil
 }
 
-// syncNamespace makes namespace life-cycle decisions
-func syncNamespace(kubeClient client.Interface, experimentalMode bool, namespace api.Namespace) (err error) {
+// updateNamespaceFunc is a function that makes an update to a namespace
+type updateNamespaceFunc func(kubeClient client.Interface, namespace *api.Namespace) (*api.Namespace, error)
+
+// retryOnConflictError retries the specified fn if there was a conflict error
+// TODO RetryOnConflict should be a generic concept in client code
+func retryOnConflictError(kubeClient client.Interface, namespace *api.Namespace, fn updateNamespaceFunc) (result *api.Namespace, err error) {
+	latestNamespace := namespace
+	for {
+		result, err = fn(kubeClient, latestNamespace)
+		if err == nil {
+			return result, nil
+		}
+		if !errors.IsConflict(err) {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		latestNamespace, err = kubeClient.Namespaces().Get(latestNamespace.Name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+// updateNamespaceStatusFunc will verify that the status of the namespace is correct
+func updateNamespaceStatusFunc(kubeClient client.Interface, namespace *api.Namespace) (*api.Namespace, error) {
+	if namespace.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() || namespace.Status.Phase == api.NamespaceTerminating {
+		return namespace, nil
+	}
+	newNamespace := api.Namespace{}
+	newNamespace.ObjectMeta = namespace.ObjectMeta
+	newNamespace.Status = namespace.Status
+	newNamespace.Status.Phase = api.NamespaceTerminating
+	return kubeClient.Namespaces().Status(&newNamespace)
+}
+
+// syncNamespace orchestrates deletion of a Namespace and its associated content.
+func syncNamespace(kubeClient client.Interface, experimentalMode bool, namespace *api.Namespace) (err error) {
 	if namespace.DeletionTimestamp == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 	glog.V(4).Infof("Syncing namespace %s", namespace.Name)
 
-	// if there is a deletion timestamp, and the status is not terminating, then update status
-	if !namespace.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() && namespace.Status.Phase != api.NamespaceTerminating {
-		newNamespace := api.Namespace{}
-		newNamespace.ObjectMeta = namespace.ObjectMeta
-		newNamespace.Status = namespace.Status
-		newNamespace.Status.Phase = api.NamespaceTerminating
-		result, err := kubeClient.Namespaces().Status(&newNamespace)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+	// ensure that the status is up to date on the namespace
+	// if we get a not found error, we assume the namespace is truly gone
+	namespace, err = retryOnConflictError(kubeClient, namespace, updateNamespaceStatusFunc)
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return nil
 		}
-		// work with the latest copy so we can proceed to clean up right away without another interval
-		namespace = *result
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// if the namespace is already finalized, delete it
@@ -249,13 +280,13 @@ func syncNamespace(kubeClient client.Interface, experimentalMode bool, namespace
 	}
 
 	// we have removed content, so mark it finalized by us
-	result, err := finalize(kubeClient, namespace)
+	result, err := retryOnConflictError(kubeClient, namespace, finalizeNamespaceFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// now check if all finalizers have reported that we delete now
-	if finalized(*result) {
+	if finalized(result) {
 		err = kubeClient.Namespaces().Delete(namespace.Name)
 		if err != nil && !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller_test.go
index cd2a6a07b45..5f935a669b3 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/namespace/namespace_controller_test.go
@@ -17,18 +17,21 @@ limitations under the License.
 package namespacecontroller
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/unversioned"
+	client "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned/testclient"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/sets"
 )
 
 func TestFinalized(t *testing.T) {
-	testNamespace := api.Namespace{
+	testNamespace := &api.Namespace{
 		Spec: api.NamespaceSpec{
 			Finalizers: []api.FinalizerName{"a", "b"},
 		},
@@ -42,9 +45,9 @@ func TestFinalized(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestFinalize(t *testing.T) {
+func TestFinalizeNamespaceFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	mockClient := &testclient.Fake{}
-	testNamespace := api.Namespace{
+	testNamespace := &api.Namespace{
 		ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:            "test",
 			ResourceVersion: "1",
@@ -53,7 +56,7 @@ func TestFinalize(t *testing.T) {
 			Finalizers: []api.FinalizerName{"kubernetes", "other"},
 		},
 	}
-	finalize(mockClient, testNamespace)
+	finalizeNamespaceFunc(mockClient, testNamespace)
 	actions := mockClient.Actions()
 	if len(actions) != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("Expected 1 mock client action, but got %v", len(actions))
@@ -73,7 +76,7 @@ func TestFinalize(t *testing.T) {
 func testSyncNamespaceThatIsTerminating(t *testing.T, experimentalMode bool) {
 	mockClient := &testclient.Fake{}
 	now := unversioned.Now()
-	testNamespace := api.Namespace{
+	testNamespace := &api.Namespace{
 		ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:              "test",
 			ResourceVersion:   "1",
@@ -125,6 +128,26 @@ func testSyncNamespaceThatIsTerminating(t *testing.T, experimentalMode bool) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRetryOnConflictError(t *testing.T) {
+	mockClient := &testclient.Fake{}
+	numTries := 0
+	retryOnce := func(kubeClient client.Interface, namespace *api.Namespace) (*api.Namespace, error) {
+		numTries++
+		if numTries <= 1 {
+			return namespace, errors.NewConflict(namespace.Kind, namespace.Name, fmt.Errorf("ERROR!"))
+		}
+		return namespace, nil
+	}
+	namespace := &api.Namespace{}
+	_, err := retryOnConflictError(mockClient, namespace, retryOnce)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error %v", err)
+	}
+	if numTries != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %v, but got %v", 2, numTries)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSyncNamespaceThatIsTerminatingNonExperimental(t *testing.T) {
 	testSyncNamespaceThatIsTerminating(t, false)
 }
@@ -135,7 +158,7 @@ func TestSyncNamespaceThatIsTerminatingExperimental(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSyncNamespaceThatIsActive(t *testing.T) {
 	mockClient := &testclient.Fake{}
-	testNamespace := api.Namespace{
+	testNamespace := &api.Namespace{
 		ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:            "test",
 			ResourceVersion: "1",