diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/defaults.go b/pkg/api/v1/defaults.go
index a29563c232c..da67af2b1b5 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/defaults.go
@@ -93,6 +93,24 @@ func addDefaultingFuncs() {
 				}
 			}
 		},
+		func(obj *Pod) {
+			// If limits are specified, but requests are not, default requests to limits
+			// This is done here rather than a more specific defaulting pass on ResourceRequirements
+			// because we only want this defaulting semantic to take place on a Pod and not a PodTemplate
+			for i := range obj.Spec.Containers {
+				// set requests to limits if requests are not specified, but limits are
+				if obj.Spec.Containers[i].Resources.Limits != nil {
+					if obj.Spec.Containers[i].Resources.Requests == nil {
+						obj.Spec.Containers[i].Resources.Requests = make(ResourceList)
+					}
+					for key, value := range obj.Spec.Containers[i].Resources.Limits {
+						if _, exists := obj.Spec.Containers[i].Resources.Requests[key]; !exists {
+							obj.Spec.Containers[i].Resources.Requests[key] = *(value.Copy())
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		},
 		func(obj *PodSpec) {
 			if obj.DNSPolicy == "" {
 				obj.DNSPolicy = DNSClusterFirst
@@ -165,19 +183,6 @@ func addDefaultingFuncs() {
 				obj.APIVersion = "v1"
 			}
 		},
-		func(obj *ResourceRequirements) {
-			// Set requests to limits if requests are not specified (but limits are).
-			if obj.Limits != nil {
-				if obj.Requests == nil {
-					obj.Requests = make(ResourceList)
-				}
-				for key, value := range obj.Limits {
-					if _, exists := obj.Requests[key]; !exists {
-						obj.Requests[key] = *(value.Copy())
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		},
 		func(obj *LimitRangeItem) {
 			// for container limits, we apply default values
 			if obj.Type == LimitTypeContainer {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/defaults_test.go b/pkg/api/v1/defaults_test.go
index 7a60866fb34..7ce9c8efa57 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/defaults_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/defaults_test.go
@@ -433,6 +433,77 @@ func TestSetDefaultObjectFieldSelectorAPIVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSetDefaultRequestsPod(t *testing.T) {
+	// verify we default if limits are specified
+	s := versioned.PodSpec{}
+	s.Containers = []versioned.Container{
+		{
+			Resources: versioned.ResourceRequirements{
+				Limits: versioned.ResourceList{
+					versioned.ResourceCPU: resource.MustParse("100m"),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	pod := &versioned.Pod{
+		Spec: s,
+	}
+	output := roundTrip(t, runtime.Object(pod))
+	pod2 := output.(*versioned.Pod)
+	defaultRequest := pod2.Spec.Containers[0].Resources.Requests
+	requestValue := defaultRequest[versioned.ResourceCPU]
+	if requestValue.String() != "100m" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected request cpu: %s, got: %s", "100m", requestValue.String())
+	}
+
+	// verify we do nothing if no limits are specified
+	s = versioned.PodSpec{}
+	s.Containers = []versioned.Container{{}}
+	pod = &versioned.Pod{
+		Spec: s,
+	}
+	output = roundTrip(t, runtime.Object(pod))
+	pod2 = output.(*versioned.Pod)
+	defaultRequest = pod2.Spec.Containers[0].Resources.Requests
+	requestValue = defaultRequest[versioned.ResourceCPU]
+	if requestValue.String() != "0" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected 0 request value, got: %s", requestValue.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDefaultRequestIsNotSetForReplicationController(t *testing.T) {
+	s := versioned.PodSpec{}
+	s.Containers = []versioned.Container{
+		{
+			Resources: versioned.ResourceRequirements{
+				Limits: versioned.ResourceList{
+					versioned.ResourceCPU: resource.MustParse("100m"),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	rc := &versioned.ReplicationController{
+		Spec: versioned.ReplicationControllerSpec{
+			Replicas: newInt(3),
+			Template: &versioned.PodTemplateSpec{
+				ObjectMeta: versioned.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels: map[string]string{
+						"foo": "bar",
+					},
+				},
+				Spec: s,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	output := roundTrip(t, runtime.Object(rc))
+	rc2 := output.(*versioned.ReplicationController)
+	defaultRequest := rc2.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Resources.Requests
+	requestValue := defaultRequest[versioned.ResourceCPU]
+	if requestValue.String() != "0" {
+		t.Errorf("Expected 0 request value, got: %s", requestValue.String())
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSetDefaultLimitRangeItem(t *testing.T) {
 	limitRange := &versioned.LimitRange{
 		ObjectMeta: versioned.ObjectMeta{