diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod.go b/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod.go
index 6fc278b164c..e05296e01e4 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod.go
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ type podHandler func(*v1.Pod) string
 // Pod returns a string representing a pod in a consistent human readable format,
 // with pod UID as part of the string.
 func Pod(pod *v1.Pod) string {
+	if pod == nil {
+		return "<nil>"
+	}
 	return PodDesc(pod.Name, pod.Namespace, pod.UID)
 }
 
@@ -44,6 +47,9 @@ func PodDesc(podName, podNamespace string, podUID types.UID) string {
 // PodWithDeletionTimestamp is the same as Pod. In addition, it prints the
 // deletion timestamp of the pod if it's not nil.
 func PodWithDeletionTimestamp(pod *v1.Pod) string {
+	if pod == nil {
+		return "<nil>"
+	}
 	var deletionTimestamp string
 	if pod.DeletionTimestamp != nil {
 		deletionTimestamp = ":DeletionTimestamp=" + pod.DeletionTimestamp.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod_test.go
index d2f30a4ca04..24b7c5a3af6 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/util/format/pod_test.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ func TestPod(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"field_empty_case", fakeCreatePod("", "", ""), "_()"},
 		{"field_normal_case", fakeCreatePod("test-pod", metav1.NamespaceDefault, "551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75"), "test-pod_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75)"},
+		{"nil_pod_case", nil, "<nil>"},
 	}
 
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {
@@ -87,12 +88,14 @@ func TestPodWithDeletionTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 
 	testCases := []struct {
 		caseName               string
+		isPodNil               bool
 		isdeletionTimestampNil bool
 		deletionTimestamp      metav1.Time
 		expectedValue          string
 	}{
-		{"timestamp_is_nil_case", true, normalDeletionTime, "test-pod_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75)"},
-		{"timestamp_is_normal_case", false, normalDeletionTime, "test-pod_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75):DeletionTimestamp=2017-09-26T14:37:50Z"},
+		{"timestamp_is_nil_case", false, true, normalDeletionTime, "test-pod_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75)"},
+		{"timestamp_is_normal_case", false, false, normalDeletionTime, "test-pod_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75):DeletionTimestamp=2017-09-26T14:37:50Z"},
+		{"pod_is_nil_case", true, false, normalDeletionTime, "<nil>"},
 	}
 
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {
@@ -101,6 +104,9 @@ func TestPodWithDeletionTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 		if testCase.isdeletionTimestampNil {
 			fakePod.SetDeletionTimestamp(nil)
 		}
+		if testCase.isPodNil {
+			fakePod = nil
+		}
 
 		realPodWithDeletionTimestamp := PodWithDeletionTimestamp(fakePod)
 		assert.Equalf(t, testCase.expectedValue, realPodWithDeletionTimestamp, "Failed to test: %s", testCase.caseName)
@@ -120,6 +126,7 @@ func TestPods(t *testing.T) {
 		{"input_empty_case", []*v1.Pod{}, ""},
 		{"input_length_one_case", []*v1.Pod{pod1}, "pod1_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75)"},
 		{"input_length_more_than_one_case", []*v1.Pod{pod1, pod2}, "pod1_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75), pod2_default(e84a99bf-d1f9-43c2-9fa5-044ac85f794b)"},
+		{"input_include_nil_case", []*v1.Pod{pod1, nil}, "pod1_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75), <nil>"},
 	}
 
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {
@@ -142,6 +149,7 @@ func TestPodsWithDeletionTimestamps(t *testing.T) {
 		{"input_empty_case", []*v1.Pod{}, ""},
 		{"input_length_one_case", []*v1.Pod{pod1}, "pod1_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75):DeletionTimestamp=2017-09-26T14:37:50Z"},
 		{"input_length_more_than_one_case", []*v1.Pod{pod1, pod2}, "pod1_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75):DeletionTimestamp=2017-09-26T14:37:50Z, pod2_default(e84a99bf-d1f9-43c2-9fa5-044ac85f794b):DeletionTimestamp=2017-09-26T14:37:50Z"},
+		{"input_include_nil_case", []*v1.Pod{pod1, nil}, "pod1_default(551f5a43-9f2f-11e7-a589-fa163e148d75):DeletionTimestamp=2017-09-26T14:37:50Z, <nil>"},
 	}
 
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {