diff --git a/pkg/controller/framework/processor_listener_test.go b/pkg/controller/framework/processor_listener_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ffd72d8fae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/controller/framework/processor_listener_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2016 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package framework
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/wait"
+)
+
+// TestPopReleaseLock tests that when processor listener blocks on chan,
+// it should release the lock for pendingNotifications.
+func TestPopReleaseLock(t *testing.T) {
+	pl := newProcessListener(nil)
+	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(stopCh)
+	// make pop() block on nextCh: waiting for receiver to get notification.
+	pl.add(1)
+	go pl.pop(stopCh)
+
+	resultCh := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		pl.lock.Lock()
+		close(resultCh)
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-resultCh:
+	case <-time.After(wait.ForeverTestTimeout):
+		t.Errorf("Timeout after %v", wait.ForeverTestTimeout)
+	}
+	pl.lock.Unlock()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/framework/shared_informer.go b/pkg/controller/framework/shared_informer.go
index ce9ddf2c714..c557bf97548 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/framework/shared_informer.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/framework/shared_informer.go
@@ -279,21 +279,30 @@ func (p *processorListener) add(notification interface{}) {
 func (p *processorListener) pop(stopCh <-chan struct{}) {
 	defer utilruntime.HandleCrash()
 
-	p.lock.Lock()
-	defer p.lock.Unlock()
 	for {
-		for len(p.pendingNotifications) == 0 {
-			// check if we're shutdown
-			select {
-			case <-stopCh:
-				return
-			default:
+		blockingGet := func() (interface{}, bool) {
+			p.lock.Lock()
+			defer p.lock.Unlock()
+
+			for len(p.pendingNotifications) == 0 {
+				// check if we're shutdown
+				select {
+				case <-stopCh:
+					return nil, true
+				default:
+				}
+				p.cond.Wait()
 			}
 
-			p.cond.Wait()
+			nt := p.pendingNotifications[0]
+			p.pendingNotifications = p.pendingNotifications[1:]
+			return nt, false
+		}
+
+		notification, stopped := blockingGet()
+		if stopped {
+			return
 		}
-		notification := p.pendingNotifications[0]
-		p.pendingNotifications = p.pendingNotifications[1:]
 
 		select {
 		case <-stopCh: