diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/populator/desired_state_of_world_populator.go b/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/populator/desired_state_of_world_populator.go
index 5031be77c04..3cdcdc6dd5d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/populator/desired_state_of_world_populator.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/populator/desired_state_of_world_populator.go
@@ -260,6 +260,8 @@ func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) processPodVolumes(pod *v1.Pod) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	allVolumesAdded := true
+
 	// Process volume spec for each volume defined in pod
 	for _, podVolume := range pod.Spec.Volumes {
 		volumeSpec, volumeGidValue, err :=
@@ -270,6 +272,7 @@ func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) processPodVolumes(pod *v1.Pod) {
 				podVolume.Name,
 				format.Pod(pod),
 				err)
+			allVolumesAdded = false
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -283,6 +286,7 @@ func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) processPodVolumes(pod *v1.Pod) {
 				volumeSpec.Name(),
 				uniquePodName,
 				err)
+			allVolumesAdded = false
 		}
 
 		glog.V(10).Infof(
@@ -292,7 +296,11 @@ func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) processPodVolumes(pod *v1.Pod) {
 			uniquePodName)
 	}
 
-	dswp.markPodProcessed(uniquePodName)
+	// some of the volume additions may have failed, should not mark this pod as fully processed
+	if allVolumesAdded {
+		dswp.markPodProcessed(uniquePodName)
+	}
+
 }
 
 // podPreviouslyProcessed returns true if the volumes for this pod have already
@@ -327,6 +335,7 @@ func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) deleteProcessedPod(
 
 // createVolumeSpec creates and returns a mutatable volume.Spec object for the
 // specified volume. It dereference any PVC to get PV objects, if needed.
+// Returns an error if unable to obtain the volume at this time.
 func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) createVolumeSpec(
 	podVolume v1.Volume, podNamespace string) (*volume.Spec, string, error) {
 	if pvcSource :=
@@ -409,6 +418,7 @@ func (dswp *desiredStateOfWorldPopulator) getPVCExtractPV(
 	}
 
 	if pvc.Status.Phase != v1.ClaimBound || pvc.Spec.VolumeName == "" {
+
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf(
 			"PVC %s/%s has non-bound phase (%q) or empty pvc.Spec.VolumeName (%q)",
 			namespace,
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/volume_manager_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/volume_manager_test.go
index 773f6eb4d52..590b580cda8 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/volume_manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/volumemanager/volume_manager_test.go
@@ -92,6 +92,44 @@ func TestGetMountedVolumesForPodAndGetVolumesInUse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInitialPendingVolumesForPodAndGetVolumesInUse(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpDir, err := utiltesting.MkTmpdir("volumeManagerTest")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("can't make a temp dir: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+	podManager := kubepod.NewBasicPodManager(podtest.NewFakeMirrorClient(), secret.NewFakeManager(), configmap.NewFakeManager())
+
+	node, pod, pv, claim := createObjects()
+	claim.Status = v1.PersistentVolumeClaimStatus{
+		Phase: v1.ClaimPending,
+	}
+
+	kubeClient := fake.NewSimpleClientset(node, pod, pv, claim)
+
+	manager := newTestVolumeManager(tmpDir, podManager, kubeClient)
+
+	stopCh := runVolumeManager(manager)
+	defer close(stopCh)
+
+	podManager.SetPods([]*v1.Pod{pod})
+
+	// Fake node status update
+	go simulateVolumeInUseUpdate(
+		v1.UniqueVolumeName(node.Status.VolumesAttached[0].Name),
+		stopCh,
+		manager)
+
+	// delayed claim binding
+	go delayClaimBecomesBound(kubeClient, claim.GetNamespace(), claim.ObjectMeta.Name)
+
+	err = manager.WaitForAttachAndMount(pod)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected success: %v", err)
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestGetExtraSupplementalGroupsForPod(t *testing.T) {
 	tmpDir, err := utiltesting.MkTmpdir("volumeManagerTest")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -279,6 +317,20 @@ func simulateVolumeInUseUpdate(volumeName v1.UniqueVolumeName, stopCh <-chan str
 	}
 }
 
+func delayClaimBecomesBound(
+	kubeClient clientset.Interface,
+	namespace, claimName string,
+) {
+	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+	volumeClaim, _ :=
+		kubeClient.Core().PersistentVolumeClaims(namespace).Get(claimName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+	volumeClaim.Status = v1.PersistentVolumeClaimStatus{
+		Phase: v1.ClaimBound,
+	}
+	kubeClient.Core().PersistentVolumeClaims(namespace).Update(volumeClaim)
+	return
+}
+
 func runVolumeManager(manager VolumeManager) chan struct{} {
 	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
 	//readyCh := make(chan bool, 1)