diff --git a/pkg/api/types.go b/pkg/api/types.go
index 385f1b2b22f..63adaf38c43 100644
--- a/pkg/api/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/types.go
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ func (*ReplicationControllerList) IsAnAPIObject() {}
 type ReplicationController struct {
 	JSONBase     `json:",inline" yaml:",inline"`
 	DesiredState ReplicationControllerState `json:"desiredState,omitempty" yaml:"desiredState,omitempty"`
+	CurrentState ReplicationControllerState `json:"currentState,omitempty" yaml:"currentState,omitempty"`
 	Labels       map[string]string          `json:"labels,omitempty" yaml:"labels,omitempty"`
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
index f3f02480dda..d07128f3481 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ func (*ReplicationControllerList) IsAnAPIObject() {}
 type ReplicationController struct {
 	JSONBase     `json:",inline" yaml:",inline"`
 	DesiredState ReplicationControllerState `json:"desiredState,omitempty" yaml:"desiredState,omitempty"`
+	CurrentState ReplicationControllerState `json:"currentState,omitempty" yaml:"currentState,omitempty"`
 	Labels       map[string]string          `json:"labels,omitempty" yaml:"labels,omitempty"`
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/registry/controller/rest.go b/pkg/registry/controller/rest.go
index d7e6f19f3db..d494c7791af 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/controller/rest.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/controller/rest.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ func (rs *REST) Get(id string) (runtime.Object, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	rs.fillCurrentState(controller)
 	return controller, err
 }
 
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ func (rs *REST) List(selector labels.Selector) (runtime.Object, error) {
 	filtered := []api.ReplicationController{}
 	for _, controller := range controllers.Items {
 		if selector.Matches(labels.Set(controller.Labels)) {
+			rs.fillCurrentState(&controller)
 			filtered = append(filtered, controller)
 		}
 	}
@@ -147,7 +149,11 @@ func (rs *REST) Watch(label, field labels.Selector, resourceVersion uint64) (wat
 	}
 	return watch.Filter(incoming, func(e watch.Event) (watch.Event, bool) {
 		repController := e.Object.(*api.ReplicationController)
-		return e, label.Matches(labels.Set(repController.Labels))
+		match := label.Matches(labels.Set(repController.Labels))
+		if match {
+			rs.fillCurrentState(repController)
+		}
+		return e, match
 	}), nil
 }
 
@@ -164,3 +170,15 @@ func (rs *REST) waitForController(ctrl *api.ReplicationController) (runtime.Obje
 	}
 	return ctrl, nil
 }
+
+func (rs *REST) fillCurrentState(ctrl *api.ReplicationController) error {
+	if rs.podLister == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	list, err := rs.podLister.ListPods(labels.Set(ctrl.DesiredState.ReplicaSelector).AsSelector())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	ctrl.CurrentState.Replicas = len(list.Items)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/registry/controller/rest_test.go b/pkg/registry/controller/rest_test.go
index 2332a1eecaa..d2f66810aa6 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/controller/rest_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/controller/rest_test.go
@@ -316,3 +316,44 @@ func TestControllerStorageValidatesUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+type fakePodLister struct {
+	e error
+	l api.PodList
+	s labels.Selector
+}
+
+func (f *fakePodLister) ListPods(s labels.Selector) (*api.PodList, error) {
+	f.s = s
+	return &f.l, f.e
+}
+
+func TestFillCurrentState(t *testing.T) {
+	fakeLister := fakePodLister{
+		l: api.PodList{
+			Items: []api.Pod{
+				{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}},
+				{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "bar"}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	mockRegistry := registrytest.ControllerRegistry{}
+	storage := REST{
+		registry:  &mockRegistry,
+		podLister: &fakeLister,
+	}
+	controller := api.ReplicationController{
+		DesiredState: api.ReplicationControllerState{
+			ReplicaSelector: map[string]string{
+				"foo": "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	storage.fillCurrentState(&controller)
+	if controller.CurrentState.Replicas != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 2, got: %d", controller.CurrentState.Replicas)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(fakeLister.s, labels.Set(controller.DesiredState.ReplicaSelector).AsSelector()) {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected output: %#v %#v", labels.Set(controller.DesiredState.ReplicaSelector).AsSelector(), fakeLister.s)
+	}
+}