diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 010a1308624..4e1387c909b 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1089,9 +1089,8 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(pod *api.BoundPod, dockerContainers dockertools.Docke
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.Errorf("Couldn't make a ref to pod %v, container %v: '%v'", pod.Name, container.Name, err)
 		}
-		if !api.IsPullNever(container.ImagePullPolicy) {
+		if container.ImagePullPolicy != api.PullNever {
 			present, err := kl.dockerPuller.IsImagePresent(container.Image)
-			latest := dockertools.RequireLatestImage(container.Image)
 			if err != nil {
 				if ref != nil {
 					record.Eventf(ref, "failed", "Failed to inspect image %q", container.Image)
@@ -1099,8 +1098,8 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(pod *api.BoundPod, dockerContainers dockertools.Docke
 				glog.Errorf("Failed to inspect image %q: %v; skipping pod %q container %q", container.Image, err, podFullName, container.Name)
 				continue
 			}
-			if api.IsPullAlways(container.ImagePullPolicy) ||
-				(api.IsPullIfNotPresent(container.ImagePullPolicy) && (!present || latest)) {
+			if container.ImagePullPolicy == api.PullAlways ||
+				(container.ImagePullPolicy == api.PullIfNotPresent && (!present)) {
 				if err := kl.pullImage(container.Image, ref); err != nil {
 					continue
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index df8427141a6..20f464c23e0 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsCreatesNetAndContainerPullsImage(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			Spec: api.PodSpec{
 				Containers: []api.Container{
-					{Name: "bar"},
+					{Name: "bar", Image: "something", ImagePullPolicy: "PullIfNotPresent"},
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsCreatesNetAndContainerPullsImage(t *testing.T) {
 
 	fakeDocker.Lock()
 
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(puller.ImagesPulled, []string{"custom_image_name", ""}) {
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(puller.ImagesPulled, []string{"custom_image_name", "something"}) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected pulled containers: %v", puller.ImagesPulled)
 	}
 
@@ -1836,7 +1836,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsWithPullPolicy(t *testing.T) {
 
 	fakeDocker.Lock()
 
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(puller.ImagesPulled, []string{"custom_image_name", "pull_always_image", "pull_if_not_present_image", "want:latest"}) {
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(puller.ImagesPulled, []string{"custom_image_name", "pull_always_image", "pull_if_not_present_image"}) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected pulled containers: %v", puller.ImagesPulled)
 	}