diff --git a/pkg/controller/replication_controller.go b/pkg/controller/replication_controller.go
index c6d6cc77f5c..0fc6c2aad46 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/replication_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/replication_controller.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package controller
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ type RealPodControl struct {
 
 // Time period of main replication controller sync loop
 const DefaultSyncPeriod = 5 * time.Second
+const CreatedByAnnotation = "kubernetes.io/created-by"
 
 func (r RealPodControl) createReplica(namespace string, controller api.ReplicationController) {
 	desiredLabels := make(labels.Set)
@@ -73,6 +75,20 @@ func (r RealPodControl) createReplica(namespace string, controller api.Replicati
 		desiredAnnotations[k] = v
 	}
 
+	createdByRef, err := api.GetReference(&controller)
+	if err != nil {
+		util.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("unable to get controller reference: %v", err))
+		return
+	}
+
+	createdByRefJson, err := json.Marshal(createdByRef)
+	if err != nil {
+		util.HandleError(fmt.Errorf("unable to serialize controller reference: %v", err))
+		return
+	}
+
+	desiredAnnotations[CreatedByAnnotation] = string(createdByRefJson)
+
 	// use the dash (if the name isn't too long) to make the pod name a bit prettier
 	prefix := fmt.Sprintf("%s-", controller.Name)
 	if ok, _ := validation.ValidatePodName(prefix, true); !ok {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/replication_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/replication_controller_test.go
index ddfcbf6c93e..f6e6cc9cbb5 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/replication_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/replication_controller_test.go
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ type FakePodControl struct {
 	lock           sync.Mutex
 }
 
+func init() {
+	api.ForTesting_ReferencesAllowBlankSelfLinks = true
+}
+
 func (f *FakePodControl) createReplica(namespace string, spec api.ReplicationController) {
 	f.lock.Lock()
 	defer f.lock.Unlock()