diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go
index 70381df836a..9c93a746b58 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager.go
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ func (m *manager) TerminatePod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 	}
 	status := *oldStatus.DeepCopy()
 	for i := range status.ContainerStatuses {
-		if status.ContainerStatuses[i].State.Terminated != nil || status.ContainerStatuses[i].State.Waiting != nil {
+		if status.ContainerStatuses[i].State.Terminated != nil {
 			continue
 		}
 		status.ContainerStatuses[i].State = v1.ContainerState{
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ func (m *manager) TerminatePod(pod *v1.Pod) {
 		}
 	}
 	for i := range status.InitContainerStatuses {
-		if status.InitContainerStatuses[i].State.Terminated != nil || status.InitContainerStatuses[i].State.Waiting != nil {
+		if status.InitContainerStatuses[i].State.Terminated != nil {
 			continue
 		}
 		status.InitContainerStatuses[i].State = v1.ContainerState{
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager_test.go
index 26e8db86717..855fac52ecd 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status/status_manager_test.go
@@ -622,6 +622,64 @@ func TestTerminatePod(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, newStatus.Message, firstStatus.Message)
 }
 
+func TestTerminatePodWaiting(t *testing.T) {
+	syncer := newTestManager(&fake.Clientset{})
+	testPod := getTestPod()
+	t.Logf("update the pod's status to Failed.  TerminatePod should preserve this status update.")
+	firstStatus := getRandomPodStatus()
+	firstStatus.Phase = v1.PodFailed
+	firstStatus.InitContainerStatuses = []v1.ContainerStatus{
+		{Name: "init-test-1"},
+		{Name: "init-test-2", State: v1.ContainerState{Terminated: &v1.ContainerStateTerminated{Reason: "InitTest", ExitCode: 0}}},
+		{Name: "init-test-3", State: v1.ContainerState{Waiting: &v1.ContainerStateWaiting{Reason: "InitTest"}}},
+	}
+	firstStatus.ContainerStatuses = []v1.ContainerStatus{
+		{Name: "test-1"},
+		{Name: "test-2", State: v1.ContainerState{Terminated: &v1.ContainerStateTerminated{Reason: "Test", ExitCode: 2}}},
+		{Name: "test-3", State: v1.ContainerState{Waiting: &v1.ContainerStateWaiting{Reason: "Test"}}},
+	}
+	syncer.SetPodStatus(testPod, firstStatus)
+
+	t.Logf("set the testPod to a pod with Phase running, to simulate a stale pod")
+	testPod.Status = getRandomPodStatus()
+	testPod.Status.Phase = v1.PodRunning
+
+	syncer.TerminatePod(testPod)
+
+	t.Logf("we expect the container statuses to have changed to terminated")
+	newStatus := expectPodStatus(t, syncer, testPod)
+	for i := range newStatus.ContainerStatuses {
+		assert.False(t, newStatus.ContainerStatuses[i].State.Terminated == nil, "expected containers to be terminated")
+	}
+	for i := range newStatus.InitContainerStatuses {
+		assert.False(t, newStatus.InitContainerStatuses[i].State.Terminated == nil, "expected init containers to be terminated")
+	}
+
+	expectUnknownState := v1.ContainerState{Terminated: &v1.ContainerStateTerminated{Reason: "ContainerStatusUnknown", Message: "The container could not be located when the pod was terminated", ExitCode: 137}}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(newStatus.InitContainerStatuses[0].State, expectUnknownState) {
+		t.Errorf("terminated container state not defaulted: %s", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newStatus.InitContainerStatuses[0].State, expectUnknownState))
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(newStatus.InitContainerStatuses[1].State, firstStatus.InitContainerStatuses[1].State) {
+		t.Errorf("existing terminated container state not preserved: %#v", newStatus.ContainerStatuses)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(newStatus.InitContainerStatuses[2].State, expectUnknownState) {
+		t.Errorf("waiting container state not defaulted: %s", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newStatus.InitContainerStatuses[2].State, expectUnknownState))
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(newStatus.ContainerStatuses[0].State, expectUnknownState) {
+		t.Errorf("terminated container state not defaulted: %s", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newStatus.ContainerStatuses[0].State, expectUnknownState))
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(newStatus.ContainerStatuses[1].State, firstStatus.ContainerStatuses[1].State) {
+		t.Errorf("existing terminated container state not preserved: %#v", newStatus.ContainerStatuses)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(newStatus.ContainerStatuses[2].State, expectUnknownState) {
+		t.Errorf("waiting container state not defaulted: %s", diff.ObjectReflectDiff(newStatus.ContainerStatuses[2].State, expectUnknownState))
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("we expect the previous status update to be preserved.")
+	assert.Equal(t, newStatus.Phase, firstStatus.Phase)
+	assert.Equal(t, newStatus.Message, firstStatus.Message)
+}
+
 func TestSetContainerReadiness(t *testing.T) {
 	cID1 := kubecontainer.ContainerID{Type: "test", ID: "1"}
 	cID2 := kubecontainer.ContainerID{Type: "test", ID: "2"}