diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go
index 076d5b676c5..d81ee8f377e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/prober.go
@@ -46,10 +46,14 @@ const maxProbeRetries = 3
 
 // Prober helps to check the liveness/readiness of a container.
 type prober struct {
-	exec   execprobe.ExecProber
-	http   httprobe.HTTPProber
-	tcp    tcprobe.TCPProber
-	runner kubecontainer.ContainerCommandRunner
+	exec execprobe.ExecProber
+	// probe types needs different httprobe instances so they don't
+	// share a connection pool which can cause collsions to the
+	// same host:port and transient failures. See #49740.
+	readinessHttp httprobe.HTTPProber
+	livenessHttp  httprobe.HTTPProber
+	tcp           tcprobe.TCPProber
+	runner        kubecontainer.ContainerCommandRunner
 
 	refManager *kubecontainer.RefManager
 	recorder   record.EventRecorder
@@ -63,12 +67,13 @@ func newProber(
 	recorder record.EventRecorder) *prober {
 
 	return &prober{
-		exec:       execprobe.New(),
-		http:       httprobe.New(),
-		tcp:        tcprobe.New(),
-		runner:     runner,
-		refManager: refManager,
-		recorder:   recorder,
+		exec:          execprobe.New(),
+		readinessHttp: httprobe.New(),
+		livenessHttp:  httprobe.New(),
+		tcp:           tcprobe.New(),
+		runner:        runner,
+		refManager:    refManager,
+		recorder:      recorder,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -90,7 +95,7 @@ func (pb *prober) probe(probeType probeType, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, c
 		return results.Success, nil
 	}
 
-	result, output, err := pb.runProbeWithRetries(probeSpec, pod, status, container, containerID, maxProbeRetries)
+	result, output, err := pb.runProbeWithRetries(probeType, probeSpec, pod, status, container, containerID, maxProbeRetries)
 	if err != nil || result != probe.Success {
 		// Probe failed in one way or another.
 		ref, hasRef := pb.refManager.GetRef(containerID)
@@ -116,12 +121,12 @@ func (pb *prober) probe(probeType probeType, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, c
 
 // runProbeWithRetries tries to probe the container in a finite loop, it returns the last result
 // if it never succeeds.
-func (pb *prober) runProbeWithRetries(p *v1.Probe, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, container v1.Container, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID, retries int) (probe.Result, string, error) {
+func (pb *prober) runProbeWithRetries(probeType probeType, p *v1.Probe, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, container v1.Container, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID, retries int) (probe.Result, string, error) {
 	var err error
 	var result probe.Result
 	var output string
 	for i := 0; i < retries; i++ {
-		result, output, err = pb.runProbe(p, pod, status, container, containerID)
+		result, output, err = pb.runProbe(probeType, p, pod, status, container, containerID)
 		if err == nil {
 			return result, output, nil
 		}
@@ -139,7 +144,7 @@ func buildHeader(headerList []v1.HTTPHeader) http.Header {
 	return headers
 }
 
-func (pb *prober) runProbe(p *v1.Probe, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, container v1.Container, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID) (probe.Result, string, error) {
+func (pb *prober) runProbe(probeType probeType, p *v1.Probe, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, container v1.Container, containerID kubecontainer.ContainerID) (probe.Result, string, error) {
 	timeout := time.Duration(p.TimeoutSeconds) * time.Second
 	if p.Exec != nil {
 		glog.V(4).Infof("Exec-Probe Pod: %v, Container: %v, Command: %v", pod, container, p.Exec.Command)
@@ -161,7 +166,11 @@ func (pb *prober) runProbe(p *v1.Probe, pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus, contai
 		url := formatURL(scheme, host, port, path)
 		headers := buildHeader(p.HTTPGet.HTTPHeaders)
 		glog.V(4).Infof("HTTP-Probe Headers: %v", headers)
-		return pb.http.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
+		if probeType == liveness {
+			return pb.livenessHttp.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
+		} else { // readiness
+			return pb.readinessHttp.Probe(url, headers, timeout)
+		}
 	}
 	if p.TCPSocket != nil {
 		port, err := extractPort(p.TCPSocket.Port, container)