diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go
index f1020047483..525e357c201 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/graph_builder.go
@@ -427,15 +427,14 @@ func referencesDiffs(old []metav1.OwnerReference, new []metav1.OwnerReference) (
 	return added, removed, changed
 }
 
-// returns if the object in the event just transitions to "being deleted".
-func deletionStarts(oldObj interface{}, newAccessor metav1.Object) bool {
-	// The delta_fifo may combine the creation and update of the object into one
-	// event, so if there is no oldObj, we just return if the newObj (via
-	// newAccessor) is being deleted.
+func deletionStartsWithFinalizer(oldObj interface{}, newAccessor metav1.Object, matchingFinalizer string) bool {
+	// if the new object isn't being deleted, or doesn't have the finalizer we're interested in, return false
+	if !beingDeleted(newAccessor) || !hasFinalizer(newAccessor, matchingFinalizer) {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// if the old object is nil, or wasn't being deleted, or didn't have the finalizer, return true
 	if oldObj == nil {
-		if newAccessor.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil {
-			return false
-		}
 		return true
 	}
 	oldAccessor, err := meta.Accessor(oldObj)
@@ -443,7 +442,7 @@ func deletionStarts(oldObj interface{}, newAccessor metav1.Object) bool {
 		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("cannot access oldObj: %v", err))
 		return false
 	}
-	return beingDeleted(newAccessor) && !beingDeleted(oldAccessor)
+	return !beingDeleted(oldAccessor) || !hasFinalizer(oldAccessor, matchingFinalizer)
 }
 
 func beingDeleted(accessor metav1.Object) bool {
@@ -471,13 +470,13 @@ func hasFinalizer(accessor metav1.Object, matchingFinalizer string) bool {
 // this function takes newAccessor directly because the caller already
 // instantiates an accessor for the newObj.
 func startsWaitingForDependentsDeleted(oldObj interface{}, newAccessor metav1.Object) bool {
-	return deletionStarts(oldObj, newAccessor) && hasDeleteDependentsFinalizer(newAccessor)
+	return deletionStartsWithFinalizer(oldObj, newAccessor, metav1.FinalizerDeleteDependents)
 }
 
 // this function takes newAccessor directly because the caller already
 // instantiates an accessor for the newObj.
 func startsWaitingForDependentsOrphaned(oldObj interface{}, newAccessor metav1.Object) bool {
-	return deletionStarts(oldObj, newAccessor) && hasOrphanFinalizer(newAccessor)
+	return deletionStartsWithFinalizer(oldObj, newAccessor, metav1.FinalizerOrphanDependents)
 }
 
 // if an blocking ownerReference points to an object gets removed, or gets set to