diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 49884621646..6df28c56522 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1789,14 +1789,13 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(o syncPodOptions) error {
 	kl.statusManager.SetPodStatus(pod, apiPodStatus)
 
 	// Kill pod if it should not be running
-	if err := canRunPod(pod); err != nil || pod.DeletionTimestamp != nil || apiPodStatus.Phase == api.PodFailed {
-		if err := kl.killPod(pod, nil, podStatus, nil); err != nil {
-			// there was an error killing the pod, so we return that error directly
-			utilruntime.HandleError(err)
-			return err
+	if errOuter := canRunPod(pod); errOuter != nil || pod.DeletionTimestamp != nil || apiPodStatus.Phase == api.PodFailed {
+		if errInner := kl.killPod(pod, nil, podStatus, nil); errInner != nil {
+			errOuter = fmt.Errorf("error killing pod: %v", errInner)
+			utilruntime.HandleError(errOuter)
 		}
 		// there was no error killing the pod, but the pod cannot be run, so we return that err (if any)
-		return err
+		return errOuter
 	}
 
 	// Create Mirror Pod for Static Pod if it doesn't already exist