diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 878fe3b9fcf..0c64c111213 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -662,12 +662,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) SyncPods(pods []api.BoundPod) error {
 	}
 
 	// Kill any containers we don't need.
-	existingContainers, err := dockertools.GetKubeletDockerContainers(kl.dockerClient, false)
-	if err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("Error listing containers: %s", err)
-		return err
-	}
-	for _, container := range existingContainers {
+	for _, container := range dockerContainers {
 		// Don't kill containers that are in the desired pods.
 		podFullName, uuid, containerName, _ := dockertools.ParseDockerName(container.Names[0])
 		pc := podContainer{podFullName, uuid, containerName}
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
index 044a467d611..3f1eea6061b 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_test.go
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsDoesNothing(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{"list", "list"})
+	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{"list"})
 }
 
 // drainWorkers waits until all workers are done.  Should only used for testing.
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsCreatesNetAndContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	kubelet.drainWorkers()
 
 	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{
-		"list", "list", "create", "start", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
+		"list", "create", "start", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
 
 	fakeDocker.Lock()
 
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsCreatesNetAndContainerPullsImage(t *testing.T) {
 	kubelet.drainWorkers()
 
 	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{
-		"list", "list", "create", "start", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
+		"list", "create", "start", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
 
 	fakeDocker.Lock()
 
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsWithNetCreatesContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	kubelet.drainWorkers()
 
 	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{
-		"list", "list", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
+		"list", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
 
 	fakeDocker.Lock()
 	if len(fakeDocker.Created) != 1 ||
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsWithNetCreatesContainerCallsHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	kubelet.drainWorkers()
 
 	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{
-		"list", "list", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
+		"list", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
 
 	fakeDocker.Lock()
 	if len(fakeDocker.Created) != 1 ||
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsDeletesWithNoNetContainer(t *testing.T) {
 	kubelet.drainWorkers()
 
 	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{
-		"list", "list", "stop", "create", "start", "list", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
+		"list", "stop", "create", "start", "list", "list", "inspect_container", "list", "create", "start"})
 
 	// A map iteration is used to delete containers, so must not depend on
 	// order here.
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ func TestSyncPodsDeletes(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{"list", "list", "stop", "stop"})
+	verifyCalls(t, fakeDocker, []string{"list", "stop", "stop"})
 
 	// A map iteration is used to delete containers, so must not depend on
 	// order here.