diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go
index 4e1cc0206c0..8587334dacc 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go
@@ -484,6 +484,10 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) syncDeployment(key string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if d.DeletionTimestamp != nil {
+		return dc.syncStatusOnly(d)
+	}
+
 	if d.Spec.Paused {
 		return dc.sync(d)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go
index 9ade955fff7..16d655dd2bb 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go
@@ -252,6 +252,17 @@ func TestSyncDeploymentCreatesReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 	f.run(getKey(d, t))
 }
 
+func TestSyncDeploymentDontDoAnythingDuringDeletion(t *testing.T) {
+	f := newFixture(t)
+
+	d := newDeployment(1, nil)
+	now := unversioned.Now()
+	d.DeletionTimestamp = &now
+	f.dStore = append(f.dStore, d)
+
+	f.run(getKey(d, t))
+}
+
 // issue: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/23218
 func TestDeploymentController_dontSyncDeploymentsWithEmptyPodSelector(t *testing.T) {
 	fake := &fake.Clientset{}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
index f9b071217a5..a9f97b2757f 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
@@ -35,6 +35,17 @@ import (
 	rsutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/replicaset"
 )
 
+// syncStatusOnly only updates Deployments Status and doesn't take any mutating actions.
+func (dc *DeploymentController) syncStatusOnly(deployment *extensions.Deployment) error {
+	newRS, oldRSs, err := dc.getAllReplicaSetsAndSyncRevision(deployment, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	allRSs := append(oldRSs, newRS)
+	return dc.syncDeploymentStatus(allRSs, newRS, deployment)
+}
+
 // sync is responsible for reconciling deployments on scaling events or when they
 // are paused.
 func (dc *DeploymentController) sync(deployment *extensions.Deployment) error {