diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
index 88e66c9eec4..cfe1c44d487 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
@@ -180,7 +180,9 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) addHashKeyToRSAndPods(rs *extensions.ReplicaSet)
 	}
 	// Make sure rs pod template is updated so that it won't create pods without the new label (orphaned pods).
 	if updatedRS.Generation > updatedRS.Status.ObservedGeneration {
-		if err = deploymentutil.WaitForReplicaSetUpdated(dc.client, updatedRS.Generation, updatedRS.Namespace, updatedRS.Name); err != nil {
+		// TODO: Revisit if we really need to wait here as opposed to returning and
+		// potentially unblocking this worker (can wait up to 1min before timing out).
+		if err = deploymentutil.WaitForReplicaSetUpdated(dc.rsLister, updatedRS.Generation, updatedRS.Namespace, updatedRS.Name); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error waiting for replica set %s/%s to be observed by controller: %v", updatedRS.Namespace, updatedRS.Name, err)
 		}
 		glog.V(4).Infof("Observed the update of replica set %s/%s's pod template with hash %s.", rs.Namespace, rs.Name, hash)
@@ -213,7 +215,9 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) addHashKeyToRSAndPods(rs *extensions.ReplicaSet)
 	// WaitForReplicaSetUpdated, the replicaset controller should have dropped
 	// FullyLabeledReplicas to 0 already, we only need to wait it to increase
 	// back to the number of replicas in the spec.
-	if err := deploymentutil.WaitForPodsHashPopulated(dc.client, updatedRS.Generation, updatedRS.Namespace, updatedRS.Name); err != nil {
+	// TODO: Revisit if we really need to wait here as opposed to returning and
+	// potentially unblocking this worker (can wait up to 1min before timing out).
+	if err := deploymentutil.WaitForPodsHashPopulated(dc.rsLister, updatedRS.Generation, updatedRS.Namespace, updatedRS.Name); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Replica set %s/%s: error waiting for replicaset controller to observe pods being labeled with template hash: %v", updatedRS.Namespace, updatedRS.Name, err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/util/deployment_util.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/util/deployment_util.go
index 677fb578f53..d2d9eb04c60 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/util/deployment_util.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/util/deployment_util.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	extensions "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis/extensions/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientset_generated/clientset"
 	corelisters "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/listers/core/v1"
+	extensionslisters "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/listers/extensions/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/controller"
 	labelsutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/labels"
 )
@@ -661,9 +662,9 @@ func FindOldReplicaSets(deployment *extensions.Deployment, rsList []*extensions.
 }
 
 // WaitForReplicaSetUpdated polls the replica set until it is updated.
-func WaitForReplicaSetUpdated(c clientset.Interface, desiredGeneration int64, namespace, name string) error {
-	return wait.Poll(10*time.Millisecond, 1*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
-		rs, err := c.Extensions().ReplicaSets(namespace).Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+func WaitForReplicaSetUpdated(c extensionslisters.ReplicaSetLister, desiredGeneration int64, namespace, name string) error {
+	return wait.PollImmediate(1*time.Second, 1*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
+		rs, err := c.ReplicaSets(namespace).Get(name)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, err
 		}
@@ -672,9 +673,9 @@ func WaitForReplicaSetUpdated(c clientset.Interface, desiredGeneration int64, na
 }
 
 // WaitForPodsHashPopulated polls the replica set until updated and fully labeled.
-func WaitForPodsHashPopulated(c clientset.Interface, desiredGeneration int64, namespace, name string) error {
-	return wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 1*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
-		rs, err := c.Extensions().ReplicaSets(namespace).Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+func WaitForPodsHashPopulated(c extensionslisters.ReplicaSetLister, desiredGeneration int64, namespace, name string) error {
+	return wait.PollImmediate(1*time.Second, 1*time.Minute, func() (bool, error) {
+		rs, err := c.ReplicaSets(namespace).Get(name)
 		if err != nil {
 			return false, err
 		}