diff --git a/pkg/controller/replicaset/replica_set.go b/pkg/controller/replicaset/replica_set.go
index b61330afd57..9c848fd35a5 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/replicaset/replica_set.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/replicaset/replica_set.go
@@ -139,12 +139,9 @@ func NewBaseController(rsInformer appsinformers.ReplicaSetInformer, podInformer
 	}
 
 	rsInformer.Informer().AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
-		AddFunc:    rsc.enqueueReplicaSet,
+		AddFunc:    rsc.addRS,
 		UpdateFunc: rsc.updateRS,
-		// This will enter the sync loop and no-op, because the replica set has been deleted from the store.
-		// Note that deleting a replica set immediately after scaling it to 0 will not work. The recommended
-		// way of achieving this is by performing a `stop` operation on the replica set.
-		DeleteFunc: rsc.enqueueReplicaSet,
+		DeleteFunc: rsc.deleteRS,
 	})
 	rsc.rsLister = rsInformer.Lister()
 	rsc.rsListerSynced = rsInformer.Informer().HasSynced
@@ -228,11 +225,50 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) resolveControllerRef(namespace string, controll
 	return rs
 }
 
+func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) enqueueRS(rs *apps.ReplicaSet) {
+	key, err := controller.KeyFunc(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %#v: %v", rs, err))
+		return
+	}
+
+	rsc.queue.Add(key)
+}
+
+func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) enqueueRSAfter(rs *apps.ReplicaSet, duration time.Duration) {
+	key, err := controller.KeyFunc(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %#v: %v", rs, err))
+		return
+	}
+
+	rsc.queue.AddAfter(key, duration)
+}
+
+func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) addRS(obj interface{}) {
+	rs := obj.(*apps.ReplicaSet)
+	klog.V(4).Infof("Adding %s %s/%s", rsc.Kind, rs.Namespace, rs.Name)
+	rsc.enqueueRS(rs)
+}
+
 // callback when RS is updated
 func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) updateRS(old, cur interface{}) {
 	oldRS := old.(*apps.ReplicaSet)
 	curRS := cur.(*apps.ReplicaSet)
 
+	// TODO: make a KEP and fix informers to always call the delete event handler on re-create
+	if curRS.UID != oldRS.UID {
+		key, err := controller.KeyFunc(oldRS)
+		if err != nil {
+			utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %#v: %v", oldRS, err))
+			return
+		}
+		rsc.deleteRS(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown{
+			Key: key,
+			Obj: oldRS,
+		})
+	}
+
 	// You might imagine that we only really need to enqueue the
 	// replica set when Spec changes, but it is safer to sync any
 	// time this function is triggered. That way a full informer
@@ -248,7 +284,36 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) updateRS(old, cur interface{}) {
 	if *(oldRS.Spec.Replicas) != *(curRS.Spec.Replicas) {
 		klog.V(4).Infof("%v %v updated. Desired pod count change: %d->%d", rsc.Kind, curRS.Name, *(oldRS.Spec.Replicas), *(curRS.Spec.Replicas))
 	}
-	rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(cur)
+	rsc.enqueueRS(curRS)
+}
+
+func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) deleteRS(obj interface{}) {
+	rs, ok := obj.(*apps.ReplicaSet)
+	if !ok {
+		tombstone, ok := obj.(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown)
+		if !ok {
+			utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get object from tombstone %#v", obj))
+			return
+		}
+		rs, ok = tombstone.Obj.(*apps.ReplicaSet)
+		if !ok {
+			utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("tombstone contained object that is not a ReplicaSet %#v", obj))
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	key, err := controller.KeyFunc(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %#v: %v", rs, err))
+		return
+	}
+
+	klog.V(4).Infof("Deleting %s %q", rsc.Kind, key)
+
+	// Delete expectations for the ReplicaSet so if we create a new one with the same name it starts clean
+	rsc.expectations.DeleteExpectations(key)
+
+	rsc.queue.Add(key)
 }
 
 // When a pod is created, enqueue the replica set that manages it and update its expectations.
@@ -274,7 +339,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) addPod(obj interface{}) {
 		}
 		klog.V(4).Infof("Pod %s created: %#v.", pod.Name, pod)
 		rsc.expectations.CreationObserved(rsKey)
-		rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(rs)
+		rsc.queue.Add(rsKey)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -288,7 +353,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) addPod(obj interface{}) {
 	}
 	klog.V(4).Infof("Orphan Pod %s created: %#v.", pod.Name, pod)
 	for _, rs := range rss {
-		rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(rs)
+		rsc.enqueueRS(rs)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -325,7 +390,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) updatePod(old, cur interface{}) {
 	if controllerRefChanged && oldControllerRef != nil {
 		// The ControllerRef was changed. Sync the old controller, if any.
 		if rs := rsc.resolveControllerRef(oldPod.Namespace, oldControllerRef); rs != nil {
-			rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(rs)
+			rsc.enqueueRS(rs)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -336,7 +401,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) updatePod(old, cur interface{}) {
 			return
 		}
 		klog.V(4).Infof("Pod %s updated, objectMeta %+v -> %+v.", curPod.Name, oldPod.ObjectMeta, curPod.ObjectMeta)
-		rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(rs)
+		rsc.enqueueRS(rs)
 		// TODO: MinReadySeconds in the Pod will generate an Available condition to be added in
 		// the Pod status which in turn will trigger a requeue of the owning replica set thus
 		// having its status updated with the newly available replica. For now, we can fake the
@@ -348,7 +413,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) updatePod(old, cur interface{}) {
 			klog.V(2).Infof("%v %q will be enqueued after %ds for availability check", rsc.Kind, rs.Name, rs.Spec.MinReadySeconds)
 			// Add a second to avoid milliseconds skew in AddAfter.
 			// See https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/39785#issuecomment-279959133 for more info.
-			rsc.enqueueReplicaSetAfter(rs, (time.Duration(rs.Spec.MinReadySeconds)*time.Second)+time.Second)
+			rsc.enqueueRSAfter(rs, (time.Duration(rs.Spec.MinReadySeconds)*time.Second)+time.Second)
 		}
 		return
 	}
@@ -362,7 +427,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) updatePod(old, cur interface{}) {
 		}
 		klog.V(4).Infof("Orphan Pod %s updated, objectMeta %+v -> %+v.", curPod.Name, oldPod.ObjectMeta, curPod.ObjectMeta)
 		for _, rs := range rss {
-			rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(rs)
+			rsc.enqueueRS(rs)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -400,31 +465,12 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) deletePod(obj interface{}) {
 	}
 	rsKey, err := controller.KeyFunc(rs)
 	if err != nil {
+		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %#v: %v", rs, err))
 		return
 	}
 	klog.V(4).Infof("Pod %s/%s deleted through %v, timestamp %+v: %#v.", pod.Namespace, pod.Name, utilruntime.GetCaller(), pod.DeletionTimestamp, pod)
 	rsc.expectations.DeletionObserved(rsKey, controller.PodKey(pod))
-	rsc.enqueueReplicaSet(rs)
-}
-
-// obj could be an *apps.ReplicaSet, or a DeletionFinalStateUnknown marker item.
-func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) enqueueReplicaSet(obj interface{}) {
-	key, err := controller.KeyFunc(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %+v: %v", obj, err))
-		return
-	}
-	rsc.queue.Add(key)
-}
-
-// obj could be an *apps.ReplicaSet, or a DeletionFinalStateUnknown marker item.
-func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) enqueueReplicaSetAfter(obj interface{}, after time.Duration) {
-	key, err := controller.KeyFunc(obj)
-	if err != nil {
-		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for object %+v: %v", obj, err))
-		return
-	}
-	rsc.queue.AddAfter(key, after)
+	rsc.queue.Add(rsKey)
 }
 
 // worker runs a worker thread that just dequeues items, processes them, and marks them done.
@@ -447,7 +493,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) processNextWorkItem() bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("Sync %q failed with %v", key, err))
+	utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("sync %q failed with %v", key, err))
 	rsc.queue.AddRateLimited(key)
 
 	return true
@@ -460,7 +506,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) manageReplicas(filteredPods []*v1.Pod, rs *apps
 	diff := len(filteredPods) - int(*(rs.Spec.Replicas))
 	rsKey, err := controller.KeyFunc(rs)
 	if err != nil {
-		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("Couldn't get key for %v %#v: %v", rsc.Kind, rs, err))
+		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("couldn't get key for %v %#v: %v", rsc.Kind, rs, err))
 		return nil
 	}
 	if diff < 0 {
@@ -560,7 +606,6 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) manageReplicas(filteredPods []*v1.Pod, rs *apps
 // meaning it did not expect to see any more of its pods created or deleted. This function is not meant to be
 // invoked concurrently with the same key.
 func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) syncReplicaSet(key string) error {
-
 	startTime := time.Now()
 	defer func() {
 		klog.V(4).Infof("Finished syncing %v %q (%v)", rsc.Kind, key, time.Since(startTime))
@@ -583,7 +628,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) syncReplicaSet(key string) error {
 	rsNeedsSync := rsc.expectations.SatisfiedExpectations(key)
 	selector, err := metav1.LabelSelectorAsSelector(rs.Spec.Selector)
 	if err != nil {
-		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("Error converting pod selector to selector: %v", err))
+		utilruntime.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("error converting pod selector to selector: %v", err))
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -622,7 +667,7 @@ func (rsc *ReplicaSetController) syncReplicaSet(key string) error {
 	if manageReplicasErr == nil && updatedRS.Spec.MinReadySeconds > 0 &&
 		updatedRS.Status.ReadyReplicas == *(updatedRS.Spec.Replicas) &&
 		updatedRS.Status.AvailableReplicas != *(updatedRS.Spec.Replicas) {
-		rsc.enqueueReplicaSetAfter(updatedRS, time.Duration(updatedRS.Spec.MinReadySeconds)*time.Second)
+		rsc.queue.AddAfter(key, time.Duration(updatedRS.Spec.MinReadySeconds)*time.Second)
 	}
 	return manageReplicasErr
 }