diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
index 7df9c02b479..30cf5e43c79 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
@@ -399,7 +399,6 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) processDeletingDependentsItem(item *node) error {
 
 // dependents are copies of pointers to the owner's dependents, they don't need to be locked.
 func (gc *GarbageCollector) orphanDependents(owner objectReference, dependents []*node) error {
-	var failedDependents []objectReference
 	var errorsSlice []error
 	for _, dependent := range dependents {
 		// the dependent.identity.UID is used as precondition
@@ -408,10 +407,10 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) orphanDependents(owner objectReference, dependents [
 		// note that if the target ownerReference doesn't exist in the
 		// dependent, strategic merge patch will NOT return an error.
 		if err != nil && !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-			errorsSlice = append(errorsSlice, fmt.Errorf("orphaning %s failed with %v", dependent.identity, err))
+			errorsSlice = append(errorsSlice, fmt.Errorf("orphaning %s failed, %v", dependent.identity, err))
 		}
 	}
-	if len(failedDependents) != 0 {
+	if len(errorsSlice) != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to orphan dependents of owner %s, got errors: %s", owner, utilerrors.NewAggregate(errorsSlice).Error())
 	}
 	glog.V(5).Infof("successfully updated all dependents of owner %s", owner)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go
index 9f1058f0c85..ec968cdc02c 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector_test.go
@@ -586,3 +586,37 @@ func TestUnblockOwnerReference(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestOrphanDependentsFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	testHandler := &fakeActionHandler{
+		response: map[string]FakeResponse{
+			"PATCH" + "/api/v1/namespaces/ns1/pods/pod": {
+				409,
+				[]byte{},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	srv, clientConfig := testServerAndClientConfig(testHandler.ServeHTTP)
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	gc := setupGC(t, clientConfig)
+	defer close(gc.stop)
+
+	dependents := []*node{
+		{
+			identity: objectReference{
+				OwnerReference: metav1.OwnerReference{
+					Kind:       "Pod",
+					APIVersion: "v1",
+					Name:       "pod",
+				},
+				Namespace: "ns1",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	err := gc.orphanDependents(objectReference{}, dependents)
+	expected := `the server reported a conflict (patch pods pod)`
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expected) {
+		t.Errorf("expected error contains text %s, got %v", expected, err)
+	}
+}