diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go
index 91ee6076efb..173a23e77f2 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe"
 	execprobe "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe/exec"
 	httpprobe "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe/http"
-	tcprobe "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe/tcp"
+	tcpprobe "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe/tcp"
 	"k8s.io/utils/exec"
 
 	"k8s.io/klog"
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ import (
 
 const maxProbeRetries = 3
 
-// Prober helps to check the liveness/readiness of a container.
+// Prober helps to check the liveness/readiness/startup of a container.
 type prober struct {
 	exec execprobe.Prober
 	// probe types needs different httprobe instances so they don't
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ type prober struct {
 	// same host:port and transient failures. See #49740.
 	readinessHTTP httpprobe.Prober
 	livenessHTTP  httpprobe.Prober
-	tcp           tcprobe.Prober
+	startupHTTP   httpprobe.Prober
+	tcp           tcpprobe.Prober
 	runner        kubecontainer.ContainerCommandRunner
 
 	refManager *kubecontainer.RefManager
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ func newProber(
 		exec:          execprobe.New(),
 		readinessHTTP: httpprobe.New(followNonLocalRedirects),
 		livenessHTTP:  httpprobe.New(followNonLocalRedirects),
-		tcp:           tcprobe.New(),
+		startupHTTP:   httpprobe.New(followNonLocalRedirects),
+		tcp:           tcpprobe.New(),
 		runner:        runner,
 		refManager:    refManager,
 		recorder:      recorder,
@@ -86,6 +88,8 @@ func (pb *prober) probe(probeType probeType, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, c
 		probeSpec = container.ReadinessProbe
 	case liveness:
 		probeSpec = container.LivenessProbe
+	case startup:
+		probeSpec = container.StartupProbe
 	default:
 		return results.Failure, fmt.Errorf("unknown probe type: %q", probeType)
 	}
@@ -174,11 +178,14 @@ func (pb *prober) runProbe(probeType probeType, p *v1.Probe, pod *v1.Pod, status
 		url := formatURL(scheme, host, port, path)
 		headers := buildHeader(p.HTTPGet.HTTPHeaders)
 		klog.V(4).Infof("HTTP-Probe Headers: %v", headers)
-		if probeType == liveness {
+		switch probeType {
+		case liveness:
 			return pb.livenessHTTP.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
+		case startup:
+			return pb.startupHTTP.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
+		default:
+			return pb.readinessHTTP.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
 		}
-		// readiness
-		return pb.readinessHTTP.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
 	}
 	if p.TCPSocket != nil {
 		port, err := extractPort(p.TCPSocket.Port, container)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober_manager.go
index 69a7ca36a96..d3eccadfe9e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober_manager.go
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
+	utilfeature "k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/util/feature"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/metrics"
 	"k8s.io/klog"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/features"
 	kubecontainer "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/container"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/prober/results"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/status"
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ var ProberResults = metrics.NewCounterVec(
 	&metrics.CounterOpts{
 		Subsystem:      "prober",
 		Name:           "probe_total",
-		Help:           "Cumulative number of a liveness or readiness probe for a container by result.",
+		Help:           "Cumulative number of a liveness, readiness or startup probe for a container by result.",
 		StabilityLevel: metrics.ALPHA,
 	},
 	[]string{"probe_type",
@@ -89,6 +91,9 @@ type manager struct {
 	// livenessManager manages the results of liveness probes
 	livenessManager results.Manager
 
+	// startupManager manages the results of startup probes
+	startupManager results.Manager
+
 	// prober executes the probe actions.
 	prober *prober
 }
@@ -103,11 +108,13 @@ func NewManager(
 
 	prober := newProber(runner, refManager, recorder)
 	readinessManager := results.NewManager()
+	startupManager := results.NewManager()
 	return &manager{
 		statusManager:    statusManager,
 		prober:           prober,
 		readinessManager: readinessManager,
 		livenessManager:  livenessManager,
+		startupManager:   startupManager,
 		workers:          make(map[probeKey]*worker),
 	}
 }
@@ -116,6 +123,8 @@ func NewManager(
 func (m *manager) Start() {
 	// Start syncing readiness.
 	go wait.Forever(m.updateReadiness, 0)
+	// Start syncing startup.
+	go wait.Forever(m.updateStartup, 0)
 }
 
 // Key uniquely identifying container probes
@@ -125,12 +134,13 @@ type probeKey struct {
 	probeType     probeType
 }
 
-// Type of probe (readiness or liveness)
+// Type of probe (liveness, readiness or startup)
 type probeType int
 
 const (
 	liveness probeType = iota
 	readiness
+	startup
 
 	probeResultSuccessful string = "successful"
 	probeResultFailed     string = "failed"
@@ -144,6 +154,8 @@ func (t probeType) String() string {
 		return "Readiness"
 	case liveness:
 		return "Liveness"
+	case startup:
+		return "Startup"
 	default:
 		return "UNKNOWN"
 	}
@@ -157,6 +169,18 @@ func (m *manager) AddPod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 	for _, c := range pod.Spec.Containers {
 		key.containerName = c.Name
 
+		if c.StartupProbe != nil && utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.StartupProbe) {
+			key.probeType = startup
+			if _, ok := m.workers[key]; ok {
+				klog.Errorf("Startup probe already exists! %v - %v",
+					format.Pod(pod), c.Name)
+				return
+			}
+			w := newWorker(m, startup, pod, c)
+			m.workers[key] = w
+			go w.run()
+		}
+
 		if c.ReadinessProbe != nil {
 			key.probeType = readiness
 			if _, ok := m.workers[key]; ok {
@@ -190,7 +214,7 @@ func (m *manager) RemovePod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 	key := probeKey{podUID: pod.UID}
 	for _, c := range pod.Spec.Containers {
 		key.containerName = c.Name
-		for _, probeType := range [...]probeType{readiness, liveness} {
+		for _, probeType := range [...]probeType{readiness, liveness, startup} {
 			key.probeType = probeType
 			if worker, ok := m.workers[key]; ok {
 				worker.stop()
@@ -223,6 +247,21 @@ func (m *manager) UpdatePodStatus(podUID types.UID, podStatus *v1.PodStatus) {
 			ready = !exists
 		}
 		podStatus.ContainerStatuses[i].Ready = ready
+
+		var started bool
+		if c.State.Running == nil {
+			started = false
+		} else if !utilfeature.DefaultFeatureGate.Enabled(features.StartupProbe) {
+			// the container is running, assume it is started if the StartupProbe feature is disabled
+			started = true
+		} else if result, ok := m.startupManager.Get(kubecontainer.ParseContainerID(c.ContainerID)); ok {
+			started = result == results.Success
+		} else {
+			// The check whether there is a probe which hasn't run yet.
+			_, exists := m.getWorker(podUID, c.Name, startup)
+			started = !exists
+		}
+		podStatus.ContainerStatuses[i].Started = &started
 	}
 	// init containers are ready if they have exited with success or if a readiness probe has
 	// succeeded.
@@ -262,3 +301,10 @@ func (m *manager) updateReadiness() {
 	ready := update.Result == results.Success
 	m.statusManager.SetContainerReadiness(update.PodUID, update.ContainerID, ready)
 }
+
+func (m *manager) updateStartup() {
+	update := <-m.startupManager.Updates()
+
+	started := update.Result == results.Success
+	m.statusManager.SetContainerStartup(update.PodUID, update.ContainerID, started)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go
index c502e0245c2..e43041855e3 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ func newWorker(
 		w.spec = container.LivenessProbe
 		w.resultsManager = m.livenessManager
 		w.initialValue = results.Success
+	case startup:
+		w.spec = container.StartupProbe
+		w.resultsManager = m.startupManager
+		w.initialValue = results.Failure
 	}
 
 	basicMetricLabels := prometheus.Labels{
@@ -218,10 +222,23 @@ func (w *worker) doProbe() (keepGoing bool) {
 			w.pod.Spec.RestartPolicy != v1.RestartPolicyNever
 	}
 
+	// Probe disabled for InitialDelaySeconds.
 	if int32(time.Since(c.State.Running.StartedAt.Time).Seconds()) < w.spec.InitialDelaySeconds {
 		return true
 	}
 
+	if c.Started != nil && *c.Started {
+		// Stop probing for startup once container has started.
+		if w.probeType == startup {
+			return true
+		}
+	} else {
+		// Disable other probes until container has started.
+		if w.probeType != startup {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
 	// TODO: in order for exec probes to correctly handle downward API env, we must be able to reconstruct
 	// the full container environment here, OR we must make a call to the CRI in order to get those environment
 	// values from the running container.
@@ -255,8 +272,8 @@ func (w *worker) doProbe() (keepGoing bool) {
 
 	w.resultsManager.Set(w.containerID, result, w.pod)
 
-	if w.probeType == liveness && result == results.Failure {
-		// The container fails a liveness check, it will need to be restarted.
+	if (w.probeType == liveness || w.probeType == startup) && result == results.Failure {
+		// The container fails a liveness/startup check, it will need to be restarted.
 		// Stop probing until we see a new container ID. This is to reduce the
 		// chance of hitting #21751, where running `docker exec` when a
 		// container is being stopped may lead to corrupted container state.
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go
index 380c7827b20..5e668a57eb5 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ type Manager interface {
 	// triggers a status update.
 	SetContainerReadiness(podUID types.UID, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID, ready bool)
 
+	// SetContainerStartup updates the cached container status with the given startup, and
+	// triggers a status update.
+	SetContainerStartup(podUID types.UID, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID, started bool)
+
 	// TerminatePod resets the container status for the provided pod to terminated and triggers
 	// a status update.
 	TerminatePod(pod *v1.Pod)
@@ -248,6 +252,45 @@ func (m *manager) SetContainerReadiness(podUID types.UID, containerID kubecontai
 	m.updateStatusInternal(pod, status, false)
 }
 
+func (m *manager) SetContainerStartup(podUID types.UID, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID, started bool) {
+	m.podStatusesLock.Lock()
+	defer m.podStatusesLock.Unlock()
+
+	pod, ok := m.podManager.GetPodByUID(podUID)
+	if !ok {
+		klog.V(4).Infof("Pod %q has been deleted, no need to update startup", string(podUID))
+		return
+	}
+
+	oldStatus, found := m.podStatuses[pod.UID]
+	if !found {
+		klog.Warningf("Container startup changed before pod has synced: %q - %q",
+			format.Pod(pod), containerID.String())
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Find the container to update.
+	containerStatus, _, ok := findContainerStatus(&oldStatus.status, containerID.String())
+	if !ok {
+		klog.Warningf("Container startup changed for unknown container: %q - %q",
+			format.Pod(pod), containerID.String())
+		return
+	}
+
+	if containerStatus.Started != nil && *containerStatus.Started == started {
+		klog.V(4).Infof("Container startup unchanged (%v): %q - %q", started,
+			format.Pod(pod), containerID.String())
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Make sure we're not updating the cached version.
+	status := *oldStatus.status.DeepCopy()
+	containerStatus, _, _ = findContainerStatus(&status, containerID.String())
+	containerStatus.Started = &started
+
+	m.updateStatusInternal(pod, status, false)
+}
+
 func findContainerStatus(status *v1.PodStatus, containerID string) (containerStatus *v1.ContainerStatus, init bool, ok bool) {
 	// Find the container to update.
 	for i, c := range status.ContainerStatuses {