diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go
index a142a855d6a..6da2704a466 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package deployment
 
 import (
 	"context"
-
 	apps "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) scaleDownOldReplicaSetsForRecreate(ctx context.C
 		if *(rs.Spec.Replicas) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		scaledRS, updatedRS, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, rs, 0, deployment)
+		scaledRS, updatedRS, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, rs, 0, deployment)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, err
 		}
@@ -128,6 +127,6 @@ func oldPodsRunning(newRS *apps.ReplicaSet, oldRSs []*apps.ReplicaSet, podMap ma
 
 // scaleUpNewReplicaSetForRecreate scales up new replica set when deployment strategy is "Recreate".
 func (dc *DeploymentController) scaleUpNewReplicaSetForRecreate(ctx context.Context, newRS *apps.ReplicaSet, deployment *apps.Deployment) (bool, error) {
-	scaled, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, newRS, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), deployment)
+	scaled, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, newRS, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), deployment)
 	return scaled, err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/rolling.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/rolling.go
index dbb8249c736..8da48469a23 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/rolling.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/rolling.go
@@ -72,14 +72,14 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) reconcileNewReplicaSet(ctx context.Context, allR
 	}
 	if *(newRS.Spec.Replicas) > *(deployment.Spec.Replicas) {
 		// Scale down.
-		scaled, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, newRS, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), deployment)
+		scaled, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, newRS, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), deployment)
 		return scaled, err
 	}
 	newReplicasCount, err := deploymentutil.NewRSNewReplicas(deployment, allRSs, newRS)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
-	scaled, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, newRS, newReplicasCount, deployment)
+	scaled, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, newRS, newReplicasCount, deployment)
 	return scaled, err
 }
 
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) cleanupUnhealthyReplicas(ctx context.Context, ol
 		if newReplicasCount > *(targetRS.Spec.Replicas) {
 			return nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("when cleaning up unhealthy replicas, got invalid request to scale down %s/%s %d -> %d", targetRS.Namespace, targetRS.Name, *(targetRS.Spec.Replicas), newReplicasCount)
 		}
-		_, updatedOldRS, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, targetRS, newReplicasCount, deployment)
+		_, updatedOldRS, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, targetRS, newReplicasCount, deployment)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, totalScaledDown, err
 		}
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) scaleDownOldReplicaSetsForRollingUpdate(ctx cont
 		if newReplicasCount > *(targetRS.Spec.Replicas) {
 			return 0, fmt.Errorf("when scaling down old RS, got invalid request to scale down %s/%s %d -> %d", targetRS.Namespace, targetRS.Name, *(targetRS.Spec.Replicas), newReplicasCount)
 		}
-		_, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, targetRS, newReplicasCount, deployment)
+		_, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, targetRS, newReplicasCount, deployment)
 		if err != nil {
 			return totalScaledDown, err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
index e12c424e375..9f631dd02a7 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) scale(ctx context.Context, deployment *apps.Depl
 		if *(activeOrLatest.Spec.Replicas) == *(deployment.Spec.Replicas) {
 			return nil
 		}
-		_, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, activeOrLatest, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), deployment)
+		_, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, activeOrLatest, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), deployment)
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) scale(ctx context.Context, deployment *apps.Depl
 	// This case handles replica set adoption during a saturated new replica set.
 	if deploymentutil.IsSaturated(deployment, newRS) {
 		for _, old := range controller.FilterActiveReplicaSets(oldRSs) {
-			if _, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, old, 0, deployment); err != nil {
+			if _, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx, old, 0, deployment); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) scale(ctx context.Context, deployment *apps.Depl
 				}
 			}
 
+			// TODO: Use transactions when we have them.
 			if _, _, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, rs, nameToSize[rs.Name], deployment); err != nil {
 				// Return as soon as we fail, the deployment is requeued
 				return err
@@ -399,14 +400,23 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) scale(ctx context.Context, deployment *apps.Depl
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (dc *DeploymentController) scaleReplicaSet(ctx context.Context, rs *apps.ReplicaSet, newScale int32, deployment *apps.Deployment) (scaled bool, newRS *apps.ReplicaSet, err error) {
+func (dc *DeploymentController) scaleReplicaSetAndRecordEvent(ctx context.Context, rs *apps.ReplicaSet, newScale int32, deployment *apps.Deployment) (bool, *apps.ReplicaSet, error) {
+	// No need to scale
 	if *(rs.Spec.Replicas) == newScale {
 		return false, rs, nil
 	}
+	scaled, newRS, err := dc.scaleReplicaSet(ctx, rs, newScale, deployment)
+	return scaled, newRS, err
+}
+
+func (dc *DeploymentController) scaleReplicaSet(ctx context.Context, rs *apps.ReplicaSet, newScale int32, deployment *apps.Deployment) (bool, *apps.ReplicaSet, error) {
+
 	sizeNeedsUpdate := *(rs.Spec.Replicas) != newScale
 
 	annotationsNeedUpdate := deploymentutil.ReplicasAnnotationsNeedUpdate(rs, *(deployment.Spec.Replicas), *(deployment.Spec.Replicas)+deploymentutil.MaxSurge(*deployment))
 
+	scaled := false
+	var err error
 	if sizeNeedsUpdate || annotationsNeedUpdate {
 		oldScale := *(rs.Spec.Replicas)
 		rsCopy := rs.DeepCopy()