diff --git a/pkg/volume/host_path/BUILD b/pkg/volume/host_path/BUILD
index 7fc20f5d5a7..f4ec83fad93 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/host_path/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/volume/host_path/BUILD
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ go_library(
     tags = ["automanaged"],
     deps = [
         "//pkg/api:go_default_library",
+        "//pkg/conversion:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/types:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/util/uuid:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/volume:go_default_library",
diff --git a/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go b/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go
index cc14bcb3c6f..cc2c5e1c0f8 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/host_path/host_path.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/conversion"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/uuid"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/volume"
@@ -244,7 +245,11 @@ func (r *hostPathRecycler) GetPath() string {
 // Recycle blocks until the pod has completed or any error occurs.
 // HostPath recycling only works in single node clusters and is meant for testing purposes only.
 func (r *hostPathRecycler) Recycle() error {
-	pod := r.config.RecyclerPodTemplate
+	templateClone, err := conversion.NewCloner().DeepCopy(r.config.RecyclerPodTemplate)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	pod := templateClone.(*api.Pod)
 	// overrides
 	pod.Spec.ActiveDeadlineSeconds = &r.timeout
 	pod.Spec.Volumes[0].VolumeSource = api.VolumeSource{
diff --git a/pkg/volume/nfs/BUILD b/pkg/volume/nfs/BUILD
index a1b2b1d9671..67e1e5c4525 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/nfs/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/volume/nfs/BUILD
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ go_library(
     tags = ["automanaged"],
     deps = [
         "//pkg/api:go_default_library",
+        "//pkg/conversion:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/types:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/util/exec:go_default_library",
         "//pkg/util/mount:go_default_library",
diff --git a/pkg/volume/nfs/nfs.go b/pkg/volume/nfs/nfs.go
index abacb8cb46d..25d3cb58d76 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/nfs/nfs.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/nfs/nfs.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/conversion"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/exec"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/mount"
@@ -332,7 +333,11 @@ func (r *nfsRecycler) GetPath() string {
 // Recycle recycles/scrubs clean an NFS volume.
 // Recycle blocks until the pod has completed or any error occurs.
 func (r *nfsRecycler) Recycle() error {
-	pod := r.config.RecyclerPodTemplate
+	templateClone, err := conversion.NewCloner().DeepCopy(r.config.RecyclerPodTemplate)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	pod := templateClone.(*api.Pod)
 	// overrides
 	pod.Spec.ActiveDeadlineSeconds = &r.timeout
 	pod.GenerateName = "pv-recycler-nfs-"
diff --git a/pkg/volume/util.go b/pkg/volume/util.go
index a5ff196114d..9b53518f2cb 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/util.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/util.go
@@ -83,7 +83,13 @@ func internalRecycleVolumeByWatchingPodUntilCompletion(pvName string, pod *api.P
 			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected error creating recycler pod:  %+v\n", err)
 		}
 	}
-	defer recyclerClient.DeletePod(pod.Name, pod.Namespace)
+	defer func(pod *api.Pod) {
+		if err := recyclerClient.DeletePod(pod.Name, pod.Namespace); err != nil {
+			glog.Errorf("failed to delete recycler pod %s/%s: %v", pod.Namespace, pod.Name, err)
+		} else {
+			glog.V(4).Infof("deleted recycler pod %s/%s", pod.Namespace, pod.Name)
+		}
+	}(pod)
 
 	// Now only the old pod or the new pod run. Watch it until it finishes
 	// and send all events on the pod to the PV