diff --git a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal.go b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal.go
index 6c7d5cc42ee..6b13951bcf8 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal.go
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ func (a *HorizontalController) reconcileAutoscaler(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodA
 		if hpa.Spec.CPUUtilization != nil {
 			cpuDesiredReplicas, cpuCurrentUtilization, cpuTimestamp, err = a.computeReplicasForCPUUtilization(hpa, scale)
 			if err != nil {
+				a.updateCurrentReplicasInStatus(hpa, currentReplicas)
 				a.eventRecorder.Event(&hpa, api.EventTypeWarning, "FailedComputeReplicas", err.Error())
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to compute desired number of replicas based on CPU utilization for %s: %v", reference, err)
 			}
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ func (a *HorizontalController) reconcileAutoscaler(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodA
 		if cmAnnotation, cmAnnotationFound := hpa.Annotations[HpaCustomMetricsTargetAnnotationName]; cmAnnotationFound {
 			cmDesiredReplicas, cmStatus, cmTimestamp, err = a.computeReplicasForCustomMetrics(hpa, scale, cmAnnotation)
 			if err != nil {
+				a.updateCurrentReplicasInStatus(hpa, currentReplicas)
 				a.eventRecorder.Event(&hpa, api.EventTypeWarning, "FailedComputeCMReplicas", err.Error())
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to compute desired number of replicas based on Custom Metrics for %s: %v", reference, err)
 			}
@@ -231,26 +233,8 @@ func (a *HorizontalController) reconcileAutoscaler(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodA
 			desiredReplicas = hpa.Spec.MaxReplicas
 		}
 	}
-	rescale := false
-
-	if desiredReplicas != currentReplicas {
-		// Going down only if the usageRatio dropped significantly below the target
-		// and there was no rescaling in the last downscaleForbiddenWindow.
-		if desiredReplicas < currentReplicas &&
-			(hpa.Status.LastScaleTime == nil ||
-				hpa.Status.LastScaleTime.Add(downscaleForbiddenWindow).Before(timestamp)) {
-			rescale = true
-		}
-
-		// Going up only if the usage ratio increased significantly above the target
-		// and there was no rescaling in the last upscaleForbiddenWindow.
-		if desiredReplicas > currentReplicas &&
-			(hpa.Status.LastScaleTime == nil ||
-				hpa.Status.LastScaleTime.Add(upscaleForbiddenWindow).Before(timestamp)) {
-			rescale = true
-		}
-	}
 
+	rescale := shouldScale(hpa, currentReplicas, desiredReplicas, timestamp)
 	if rescale {
 		scale.Spec.Replicas = desiredReplicas
 		_, err = a.scaleNamespacer.Scales(hpa.Namespace).Update(hpa.Spec.ScaleRef.Kind, scale)
@@ -265,6 +249,38 @@ func (a *HorizontalController) reconcileAutoscaler(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodA
 		desiredReplicas = currentReplicas
 	}
 
+	return a.updateStatus(hpa, currentReplicas, desiredReplicas, cpuCurrentUtilization, cmStatus, rescale)
+}
+
+func shouldScale(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodAutoscaler, currentReplicas, desiredReplicas int, timestamp time.Time) bool {
+	if desiredReplicas != currentReplicas {
+		// Going down only if the usageRatio dropped significantly below the target
+		// and there was no rescaling in the last downscaleForbiddenWindow.
+		if desiredReplicas < currentReplicas &&
+			(hpa.Status.LastScaleTime == nil ||
+				hpa.Status.LastScaleTime.Add(downscaleForbiddenWindow).Before(timestamp)) {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		// Going up only if the usage ratio increased significantly above the target
+		// and there was no rescaling in the last upscaleForbiddenWindow.
+		if desiredReplicas > currentReplicas &&
+			(hpa.Status.LastScaleTime == nil ||
+				hpa.Status.LastScaleTime.Add(upscaleForbiddenWindow).Before(timestamp)) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func (a *HorizontalController) updateCurrentReplicasInStatus(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodAutoscaler, currentReplicas int) {
+	err := a.updateStatus(hpa, currentReplicas, hpa.Status.DesiredReplicas, hpa.Status.CurrentCPUUtilizationPercentage, hpa.Annotations[HpaCustomMetricsStatusAnnotationName], false)
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Errorf("%v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func (a *HorizontalController) updateStatus(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodAutoscaler, currentReplicas, desiredReplicas int, cpuCurrentUtilization *int, cmStatus string, rescale bool) error {
 	hpa.Status = extensions.HorizontalPodAutoscalerStatus{
 		CurrentReplicas:                 currentReplicas,
 		DesiredReplicas:                 desiredReplicas,
@@ -280,7 +296,7 @@ func (a *HorizontalController) reconcileAutoscaler(hpa extensions.HorizontalPodA
 		hpa.Status.LastScaleTime = &now
 	}
 
-	_, err = a.hpaNamespacer.HorizontalPodAutoscalers(hpa.Namespace).UpdateStatus(&hpa)
+	_, err := a.hpaNamespacer.HorizontalPodAutoscalers(hpa.Namespace).UpdateStatus(&hpa)
 	if err != nil {
 		a.eventRecorder.Event(&hpa, api.EventTypeWarning, "FailedUpdateStatus", err.Error())
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to update status for %s: %v", hpa.Name, err)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go
index 551c6c64d20..ecbc0a85582 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ type testCase struct {
 	reportedCPURequests []resource.Quantity
 	cmTarget            *extensions.CustomMetricTargetList
 	scaleUpdated        bool
+	statusUpdated       bool
 	eventCreated        bool
 	verifyEvents        bool
 }
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ func (tc *testCase) prepareTestClient(t *testing.T) *fake.Clientset {
 	podNamePrefix := "test-pod"
 
 	tc.scaleUpdated = false
+	tc.statusUpdated = false
 	tc.eventCreated = false
 
 	fakeClient := &fake.Clientset{}
@@ -98,6 +100,10 @@ func (tc *testCase) prepareTestClient(t *testing.T) *fake.Clientset {
 						MinReplicas: &tc.minReplicas,
 						MaxReplicas: tc.maxReplicas,
 					},
+					Status: extensions.HorizontalPodAutoscalerStatus{
+						CurrentReplicas: tc.initialReplicas,
+						DesiredReplicas: tc.initialReplicas,
+					},
 				},
 			},
 		}
@@ -191,6 +197,7 @@ func (tc *testCase) prepareTestClient(t *testing.T) *fake.Clientset {
 		assert.Equal(t, namespace, obj.Namespace)
 		assert.Equal(t, hpaName, obj.Name)
 		assert.Equal(t, tc.desiredReplicas, obj.Status.DesiredReplicas)
+		tc.statusUpdated = true
 		return true, obj, nil
 	})
 
@@ -209,6 +216,7 @@ func (tc *testCase) prepareTestClient(t *testing.T) *fake.Clientset {
 
 func (tc *testCase) verifyResults(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, tc.initialReplicas != tc.desiredReplicas, tc.scaleUpdated)
+	assert.True(t, tc.statusUpdated)
 	if tc.verifyEvents {
 		assert.Equal(t, tc.initialReplicas != tc.desiredReplicas, tc.eventCreated)
 	}