diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go
index d991f6f619e..9ad3ad84bc5 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go
@@ -347,6 +347,11 @@ func (m *manager) syncBatch() {
 
 // syncPod syncs the given status with the API server. The caller must not hold the lock.
 func (m *manager) syncPod(uid types.UID, status versionedPodStatus) {
+	if !m.needsUpdate(uid, status) {
+		glog.V(1).Infof("Status for pod %q is up-to-date; skipping", uid)
+		return
+	}
+
 	// TODO: make me easier to express from client code
 	pod, err := m.kubeClient.Core().Pods(status.podNamespace).Get(status.podName)
 	if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
@@ -362,10 +367,6 @@ func (m *manager) syncPod(uid types.UID, status versionedPodStatus) {
 			m.deletePodStatus(uid)
 			return
 		}
-		if !m.needsUpdate(pod.UID, status) {
-			glog.V(1).Infof("Status for pod %q is up-to-date; skipping", format.Pod(pod))
-			return
-		}
 		pod.Status = status.status
 		// TODO: handle conflict as a retry, make that easier too.
 		pod, err = m.kubeClient.Core().Pods(pod.Namespace).UpdateStatus(pod)