diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go
index bf0d44d37a6..3685be30dfb 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ type GenericPLEG struct {
 	cache kubecontainer.Cache
 	// For testability.
 	clock util.Clock
+	// Pods that failed to have their status retrieved during a relist. These pods will be
+	// retried during the next relisting.
+	podsToReinspect map[types.UID]*kubecontainer.Pod
 }
 
 // plegContainerState has a one-to-one mapping to the
@@ -210,6 +213,11 @@ func (g *GenericPLEG) relist() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	var needsReinspection map[types.UID]*kubecontainer.Pod
+	if g.cacheEnabled() {
+		needsReinspection = make(map[types.UID]*kubecontainer.Pod)
+	}
+
 	// If there are events associated with a pod, we should update the
 	// podCache.
 	for pid, events := range eventsByPodID {
@@ -226,7 +234,16 @@ func (g *GenericPLEG) relist() {
 			// parallelize if needed.
 			if err := g.updateCache(pod, pid); err != nil {
 				glog.Errorf("PLEG: Ignoring events for pod %s/%s: %v", pod.Name, pod.Namespace, err)
+
+				// make sure we try to reinspect the pod during the next relisting
+				needsReinspection[pid] = pod
+
 				continue
+			} else if _, found := g.podsToReinspect[pid]; found {
+				// this pod was in the list to reinspect and we did so because it had events, so remove it
+				// from the list (we don't want the reinspection code below to inspect it a second time in
+				// this relist execution)
+				delete(g.podsToReinspect, pid)
 			}
 		}
 		// Update the internal storage and send out the events.
@@ -241,10 +258,24 @@ func (g *GenericPLEG) relist() {
 	}
 
 	if g.cacheEnabled() {
+		// reinspect any pods that failed inspection during the previous relist
+		if len(g.podsToReinspect) > 0 {
+			glog.V(5).Infof("GenericPLEG: Reinspecting pods that previously failed inspection")
+			for pid, pod := range g.podsToReinspect {
+				if err := g.updateCache(pod, pid); err != nil {
+					glog.Errorf("PLEG: pod %s/%s failed reinspection: %v", pod.Name, pod.Namespace, err)
+					needsReinspection[pid] = pod
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Update the cache timestamp.  This needs to happen *after*
 		// all pods have been properly updated in the cache.
 		g.cache.UpdateTime(timestamp)
 	}
+
+	// make sure we retain the list of pods that need reinspecting the next time relist is called
+	g.podsToReinspect = needsReinspection
 }
 
 func getContainersFromPods(pods ...*kubecontainer.Pod) []*kubecontainer.Container {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go
index 3e3c0f24d43..460547d85a1 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package pleg
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
@@ -356,3 +357,71 @@ func TestHealthy(t *testing.T) {
 	ok, _ = pleg.Healthy()
 	assert.True(t, ok, "pleg should be healthy")
 }
+
+func TestRelistWithReinspection(t *testing.T) {
+	pleg, runtimeMock := newTestGenericPLEGWithRuntimeMock()
+	ch := pleg.Watch()
+
+	infraContainer := createTestContainer("infra", kubecontainer.ContainerStateRunning)
+
+	podID := types.UID("test-pod")
+	pods := []*kubecontainer.Pod{{
+		ID:         podID,
+		Containers: []*kubecontainer.Container{infraContainer},
+	}}
+	runtimeMock.On("GetPods", true).Return(pods, nil).Once()
+
+	goodStatus := &kubecontainer.PodStatus{
+		ID:                podID,
+		ContainerStatuses: []*kubecontainer.ContainerStatus{{ID: infraContainer.ID, State: infraContainer.State}},
+	}
+	runtimeMock.On("GetPodStatus", podID, "", "").Return(goodStatus, nil).Once()
+
+	goodEvent := &PodLifecycleEvent{ID: podID, Type: ContainerStarted, Data: infraContainer.ID.ID}
+
+	// listing 1 - everything ok, infra container set up for pod
+	pleg.relist()
+	actualEvents := getEventsFromChannel(ch)
+	actualStatus, actualErr := pleg.cache.Get(podID)
+	assert.Equal(t, goodStatus, actualStatus)
+	assert.Equal(t, nil, actualErr)
+	assert.Exactly(t, []*PodLifecycleEvent{goodEvent}, actualEvents)
+
+	// listing 2 - pretend runtime was in the middle of creating the non-infra container for the pod
+	// and return an error during inspection
+	transientContainer := createTestContainer("transient", kubecontainer.ContainerStateUnknown)
+	podsWithTransientContainer := []*kubecontainer.Pod{{
+		ID:         podID,
+		Containers: []*kubecontainer.Container{infraContainer, transientContainer},
+	}}
+	runtimeMock.On("GetPods", true).Return(podsWithTransientContainer, nil).Once()
+
+	badStatus := &kubecontainer.PodStatus{
+		ID:                podID,
+		ContainerStatuses: []*kubecontainer.ContainerStatus{},
+	}
+	runtimeMock.On("GetPodStatus", podID, "", "").Return(badStatus, errors.New("inspection error")).Once()
+
+	pleg.relist()
+	actualEvents = getEventsFromChannel(ch)
+	actualStatus, actualErr = pleg.cache.Get(podID)
+	assert.Equal(t, badStatus, actualStatus)
+	assert.Equal(t, errors.New("inspection error"), actualErr)
+	assert.Exactly(t, []*PodLifecycleEvent{}, actualEvents)
+
+	// listing 3 - pretend the transient container has now disappeared, leaving just the infra
+	// container. Make sure the pod is reinspected for its status and the cache is updated.
+	runtimeMock.On("GetPods", true).Return(pods, nil).Once()
+	runtimeMock.On("GetPodStatus", podID, "", "").Return(goodStatus, nil).Once()
+
+	pleg.relist()
+	actualEvents = getEventsFromChannel(ch)
+	actualStatus, actualErr = pleg.cache.Get(podID)
+	assert.Equal(t, goodStatus, actualStatus)
+	assert.Equal(t, nil, actualErr)
+	// no events are expected because relist #1 set the old pod record which has the infra container
+	// running. relist #2 had the inspection error and therefore didn't modify either old or new.
+	// relist #3 forced the reinspection of the pod to retrieve its status, but because the list of
+	// containers was the same as relist #1, nothing "changed", so there are no new events.
+	assert.Exactly(t, []*PodLifecycleEvent{}, actualEvents)
+}