diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/nodeshutdown/nodeshutdown_manager_linux.go b/pkg/kubelet/nodeshutdown/nodeshutdown_manager_linux.go
index bfbb841a1fa..1e857528f6a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/nodeshutdown/nodeshutdown_manager_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/nodeshutdown/nodeshutdown_manager_linux.go
@@ -316,6 +316,10 @@ func (m *managerImpl) processShutdownEvent() error {
 				klog.V(1).InfoS("Shutdown manager killing pod with gracePeriod", "pod", klog.KObj(pod), "gracePeriod", gracePeriodOverride)
 
 				if err := m.killPodFunc(pod, false, &gracePeriodOverride, func(status *v1.PodStatus) {
+					// set the pod status to failed (unless it was already in a successful terminal phase)
+					if status.Phase != v1.PodSucceeded {
+						status.Phase = v1.PodFailed
+					}
 					status.Message = nodeShutdownMessage
 					status.Reason = nodeShutdownReason
 				}); err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e_node/node_shutdown_linux_test.go b/test/e2e_node/node_shutdown_linux_test.go
index eca0e681513..b7dd727cc5e 100644
--- a/test/e2e_node/node_shutdown_linux_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_node/node_shutdown_linux_test.go
@@ -510,5 +510,5 @@ func isPodShutdown(pod *v1.Pod) bool {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return pod.Status.Message == podShutdownMessage && pod.Status.Reason == podShutdownReason && hasContainersNotReadyCondition
+	return pod.Status.Message == podShutdownMessage && pod.Status.Reason == podShutdownReason && hasContainersNotReadyCondition && pod.Status.Phase == v1.PodFailed
 }