diff --git a/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller.go b/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller.go
index 14b279b5662..850908e78a9 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller.go
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ func SyncOne(sj batch.CronJob, js []batch.Job, now time.Time, jc jobControlInter
 	}
 	times, err := getRecentUnmetScheduleTimes(sj, now)
 	if err != nil {
+		recorder.Eventf(&sj, v1.EventTypeWarning, "FailedNeedsStart", "Cannot determine if job needs to be started: %v", err)
 		glog.Errorf("Cannot determine if %s needs to be started: %v", nameForLog, err)
 	}
 	// TODO: handle multiple unmet start times, from oldest to newest, updating status as needed.
diff --git a/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller_test.go
index 3ebf8a9fc24..25f60efd057 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/cronjob/cronjob_controller_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package cronjob
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -177,57 +178,58 @@ func TestSyncOne_RunOrNot(t *testing.T) {
 		now time.Time
 
 		// expectations
-		expectCreate bool
-		expectDelete bool
-		expectActive int
+		expectCreate     bool
+		expectDelete     bool
+		expectActive     int
+		expectedWarnings int
 	}{
-		"never ran, not time, A":                {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"never ran, not time, F":                {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"never ran, not time, R":                {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"never ran, is time, A":                 {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"never ran, is time, F":                 {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"never ran, is time, R":                 {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"never ran, is time, suspended":         {A, T, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"never ran, is time, past deadline":     {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"never ran, is time, not past deadline": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
+		"never ran, not time, A":                {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"never ran, not time, F":                {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"never ran, not time, R":                {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"never ran, is time, A":                 {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"never ran, is time, F":                 {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"never ran, is time, R":                 {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"never ran, is time, suspended":         {A, T, onTheHour, noDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"never ran, is time, past deadline":     {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"never ran, is time, not past deadline": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, F, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
 
-		"prev ran but done, not time, A":                {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, not time, F":                {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, not time, R":                {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, is time, A":                 {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"prev ran but done, is time, F":                 {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"prev ran but done, is time, R":                 {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"prev ran but done, is time, suspended":         {A, T, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, is time, past deadline":     {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, is time, not past deadline": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, not time, A":                {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, not time, F":                {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, not time, R":                {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, is time, A":                 {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, is time, F":                 {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, is time, R":                 {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, is time, suspended":         {A, T, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, is time, past deadline":     {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, is time, not past deadline": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
 
-		"still active, not time, A":                {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 1},
-		"still active, not time, F":                {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 1},
-		"still active, not time, R":                {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 1},
-		"still active, is time, A":                 {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 2},
-		"still active, is time, F":                 {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 1},
-		"still active, is time, R":                 {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), T, T, 1},
-		"still active, is time, suspended":         {A, T, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 1},
-		"still active, is time, past deadline":     {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 1},
-		"still active, is time, not past deadline": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 2},
+		"still active, not time, A":                {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 1, 0},
+		"still active, not time, F":                {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 1, 0},
+		"still active, not time, R":                {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justBeforeTheHour(), F, F, 1, 0},
+		"still active, is time, A":                 {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 2, 0},
+		"still active, is time, F":                 {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 1, 0},
+		"still active, is time, R":                 {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), T, T, 1, 0},
+		"still active, is time, suspended":         {A, T, onTheHour, noDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 1, 0},
+		"still active, is time, past deadline":     {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), F, F, 1, 0},
+		"still active, is time, not past deadline": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, T, justAfterTheHour(), T, F, 2, 0},
 
 		// Controller should fail to schedule these, as there are too many missed starting times
 		// and either no deadline or a too long deadline.
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, not past deadline, A": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, not past deadline, R": {R, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, not past deadline, F": {f, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, no deadline, A":       {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, no deadline, R":       {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, no deadline, F":       {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, not past deadline, A": {A, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, not past deadline, R": {R, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, not past deadline, F": {f, F, onTheHour, longDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, no deadline, A":       {A, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, no deadline, R":       {R, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, no deadline, F":       {f, F, onTheHour, noDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), F, F, 0, 1},
 
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past medium deadline, A": {A, F, onTheHour, mediumDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past short deadline, A":  {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past medium deadline, A": {A, F, onTheHour, mediumDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past short deadline, A":  {A, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
 
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past medium deadline, R": {R, F, onTheHour, mediumDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past short deadline, R":  {R, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past medium deadline, R": {R, F, onTheHour, mediumDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past short deadline, R":  {R, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
 
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past medium deadline, F": {f, F, onTheHour, mediumDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
-		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past short deadline, F":  {f, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past medium deadline, F": {f, F, onTheHour, mediumDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
+		"prev ran but done, long overdue, past short deadline, F":  {f, F, onTheHour, shortDead, T, F, weekAfterTheHour(), T, F, 1, 0},
 	}
 	for name, tc := range testCases {
 		sj := cronJob()
@@ -295,10 +297,23 @@ func TestSyncOne_RunOrNot(t *testing.T) {
 		if tc.expectDelete {
 			expectedEvents++
 		}
+		expectedEvents += tc.expectedWarnings
+
 		if len(recorder.Events) != expectedEvents {
 			t.Errorf("%s: expected %d event, actually %v", name, expectedEvents, len(recorder.Events))
 		}
 
+		numWarnings := 0
+		for i := 1; i <= len(recorder.Events); i++ {
+			e := <-recorder.Events
+			if strings.HasPrefix(e, v1.EventTypeWarning) {
+				numWarnings += 1
+			}
+		}
+		if numWarnings != tc.expectedWarnings {
+			t.Errorf("%s: expected %d warnings, actually %v", name, tc.expectedWarnings, numWarnings)
+		}
+
 		if tc.expectActive != len(sjc.Updates[expectUpdates-1].Status.Active) {
 			t.Errorf("%s: expected Active size %d, got %d", name, tc.expectActive, len(sjc.Updates[expectUpdates-1].Status.Active))
 		}