diff --git a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go
index b036d02a43a..d40b879a423 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go
@@ -1341,10 +1341,10 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) provisionClaimOperation(claimObj interfa
 			// Save succeeded.
 			glog.V(3).Infof("volume %q for claim %q saved", volume.Name, claimToClaimKey(claim))
 
-			_, err = ctrl.storeVolumeUpdate(newVol)
-			if err != nil {
+			_, updateErr := ctrl.storeVolumeUpdate(newVol)
+			if updateErr != nil {
 				// We will get an "volume added" event soon, this is not a big error
-				glog.V(4).Infof("provisionClaimOperation [%s]: cannot update internal cache: %v", volume.Name, err)
+				glog.V(4).Infof("provisionClaimOperation [%s]: cannot update internal cache: %v", volume.Name, updateErr)
 			}
 			break
 		}
@@ -1362,9 +1362,11 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) provisionClaimOperation(claimObj interfa
 		glog.V(3).Info(strerr)
 		ctrl.eventRecorder.Event(claim, v1.EventTypeWarning, "ProvisioningFailed", strerr)
 
+		var deleteErr error
+		var deleted bool
 		for i := 0; i < ctrl.createProvisionedPVRetryCount; i++ {
-			deleted, err := ctrl.doDeleteVolume(volume)
-			if err == nil && deleted {
+			deleted, deleteErr = ctrl.doDeleteVolume(volume)
+			if deleteErr == nil && deleted {
 				// Delete succeeded
 				glog.V(4).Infof("provisionClaimOperation [%s]: cleaning volume %s succeeded", claimToClaimKey(claim), volume.Name)
 				break
@@ -1377,14 +1379,14 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) provisionClaimOperation(claimObj interfa
 				break
 			}
 			// Delete failed, try again after a while.
-			glog.V(3).Infof("failed to delete volume %q: %v", volume.Name, err)
+			glog.V(3).Infof("failed to delete volume %q: %v", volume.Name, deleteErr)
 			time.Sleep(ctrl.createProvisionedPVInterval)
 		}
 
-		if err != nil {
+		if deleteErr != nil {
 			// Delete failed several times. There is an orphaned volume and there
 			// is nothing we can do about it.
-			strerr := fmt.Sprintf("Error cleaning provisioned volume for claim %s: %v. Please delete manually.", claimToClaimKey(claim), err)
+			strerr := fmt.Sprintf("Error cleaning provisioned volume for claim %s: %v. Please delete manually.", claimToClaimKey(claim), deleteErr)
 			glog.V(2).Info(strerr)
 			ctrl.eventRecorder.Event(claim, v1.EventTypeWarning, "ProvisioningCleanupFailed", strerr)
 		}