diff --git a/pkg/api/testing/fuzzer.go b/pkg/api/testing/fuzzer.go
index 3813a61b41e..94a54192031 100644
--- a/pkg/api/testing/fuzzer.go
+++ b/pkg/api/testing/fuzzer.go
@@ -198,6 +198,9 @@ func FuzzerFor(t *testing.T, version string, src rand.Source) *fuzz.Fuzzer {
 			c.FuzzNoCustom(s) // fuzz self without calling this function again
 			s.Type = api.SecretTypeOpaque
 		},
+		func(s *api.NamespaceStatus, c fuzz.Continue) {
+			s.Phase = api.NamespaceActive
+		},
 		func(ep *api.Endpoint, c fuzz.Continue) {
 			// TODO: If our API used a particular type for IP fields we could just catch that here.
 			ep.IP = fmt.Sprintf("%d.%d.%d.%d", c.Rand.Intn(256), c.Rand.Intn(256), c.Rand.Intn(256), c.Rand.Intn(256))
diff --git a/pkg/api/types.go b/pkg/api/types.go
index 5242f2f2024..92af31a4f21 100644
--- a/pkg/api/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/types.go
@@ -914,8 +914,20 @@ type NamespaceSpec struct {
 
 // NamespaceStatus is information about the current status of a Namespace.
 type NamespaceStatus struct {
+	// Phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace.
+	Phase NamespacePhase `json:"phase,omitempty"`
 }
 
+type NamespacePhase string
+
+// These are the valid phases of a namespace.
+const (
+	// NamespaceActive means the namespace is available for use in the system
+	NamespaceActive NamespacePhase = "Active"
+	// NamespaceTerminating means the namespace is undergoing graceful termination
+	NamespaceTerminating NamespacePhase = "Terminating"
+)
+
 // A namespace provides a scope for Names.
 // Use of multiple namespaces is optional
 type Namespace struct {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go
index e59f4f6318b..b1635dc9e5b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go
@@ -779,6 +779,9 @@ func init() {
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Spec, &out.Spec, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			if err := s.Convert(&in.Status, &out.Status, 0); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Labels, &out.ObjectMeta.Labels, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults.go
index 0300960ea33..95f63c22633 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults.go
@@ -95,5 +95,10 @@ func init() {
 				obj.Path = "/"
 			}
 		},
+		func(obj *NamespaceStatus) {
+			if obj.Phase == "" {
+				obj.Phase = NamespaceActive
+			}
+		},
 	)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults_test.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults_test.go
index 1a4cd66995c..f39a52564b1 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/defaults_test.go
@@ -112,3 +112,13 @@ func TestSetDefaulEndpointsProtocol(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected protocol %s, got %s", current.ProtocolTCP, out.Protocol)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetDefaultNamespace(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &current.Namespace{}
+	obj2 := roundTrip(t, runtime.Object(s))
+	s2 := obj2.(*current.Namespace)
+
+	if s2.Status.Phase != current.NamespaceActive {
+		t.Errorf("Expected phase %v, got %v", current.NamespaceActive, s2.Status.Phase)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
index 911b52bb8c8..924b3d768a9 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/types.go
@@ -746,8 +746,20 @@ type NamespaceSpec struct {
 
 // NamespaceStatus is information about the current status of a Namespace.
 type NamespaceStatus struct {
+	// Phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace.
+	Phase NamespacePhase `json:"phase,omitempty" description:"phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace"`
 }
 
+type NamespacePhase string
+
+// These are the valid phases of a namespace.
+const (
+	// NamespaceActive means the namespace is available for use in the system
+	NamespaceActive NamespacePhase = "Active"
+	// NamespaceTerminating means the namespace is undergoing graceful termination
+	NamespaceTerminating NamespacePhase = "Terminating"
+)
+
 // A namespace provides a scope for Names.
 // Use of multiple namespaces is optional
 type Namespace struct {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go b/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go
index a7cf98ec6c6..d6cf154f26c 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go
@@ -699,6 +699,9 @@ func init() {
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Spec, &out.Spec, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			if err := s.Convert(&in.Status, &out.Status, 0); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Labels, &out.ObjectMeta.Labels, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults.go b/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults.go
index 0f0f7628b9a..9c5cf60163a 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults.go
@@ -97,5 +97,10 @@ func init() {
 				obj.Path = "/"
 			}
 		},
+		func(obj *NamespaceStatus) {
+			if obj.Phase == "" {
+				obj.Phase = NamespaceActive
+			}
+		},
 	)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults_test.go b/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults_test.go
index 12cf2aef5b2..9ea852dfab4 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta2/defaults_test.go
@@ -112,3 +112,13 @@ func TestSetDefaulEndpointsProtocol(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected protocol %s, got %s", current.ProtocolTCP, out.Protocol)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetDefaultNamespace(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &current.Namespace{}
+	obj2 := roundTrip(t, runtime.Object(s))
+	s2 := obj2.(*current.Namespace)
+
+	if s2.Status.Phase != current.NamespaceActive {
+		t.Errorf("Expected phase %v, got %v", current.NamespaceActive, s2.Status.Phase)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta2/types.go b/pkg/api/v1beta2/types.go
index 978ba094b73..58a853b1344 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta2/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta2/types.go
@@ -762,8 +762,20 @@ type NamespaceSpec struct {
 
 // NamespaceStatus is information about the current status of a Namespace.
 type NamespaceStatus struct {
+	// Phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace.
+	Phase NamespacePhase `json:"phase,omitempty" description:"phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace"`
 }
 
+type NamespacePhase string
+
+// These are the valid phases of a namespace.
+const (
+	// NamespaceActive means the namespace is available for use in the system
+	NamespaceActive NamespacePhase = "Active"
+	// NamespaceTerminating means the namespace is undergoing graceful termination
+	NamespaceTerminating NamespacePhase = "Terminating"
+)
+
 // A namespace provides a scope for Names.
 // Use of multiple namespaces is optional.
 //
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults.go b/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults.go
index 6c2baf7af69..c8732185bde 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults.go
@@ -96,5 +96,10 @@ func init() {
 				obj.ContainerPort = util.NewIntOrStringFromInt(obj.Port)
 			}
 		},
+		func(obj *NamespaceStatus) {
+			if obj.Phase == "" {
+				obj.Phase = NamespaceActive
+			}
+		},
 	)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults_test.go b/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults_test.go
index fe4bd8ec703..16658f48dbe 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta3/defaults_test.go
@@ -129,3 +129,13 @@ func TestSetDefaulServiceDestinationPort(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected ContainerPort to be unchanged, got %s", out.Spec.ContainerPort)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetDefaultNamespace(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &current.Namespace{}
+	obj2 := roundTrip(t, runtime.Object(s))
+	s2 := obj2.(*current.Namespace)
+
+	if s2.Status.Phase != current.NamespaceActive {
+		t.Errorf("Expected phase %v, got %v", current.NamespaceActive, s2.Status.Phase)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta3/types.go b/pkg/api/v1beta3/types.go
index 2f6640e5a95..c347a25f4a8 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta3/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta3/types.go
@@ -935,8 +935,20 @@ type NamespaceSpec struct {
 
 // NamespaceStatus is information about the current status of a Namespace.
 type NamespaceStatus struct {
+	// Phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace.
+	Phase NamespacePhase `json:"phase,omitempty" description:"phase is the current lifecycle phase of the namespace"`
 }
 
+type NamespacePhase string
+
+// These are the valid phases of a namespace.
+const (
+	// NamespaceActive means the namespace is available for use in the system
+	NamespaceActive NamespacePhase = "Active"
+	// NamespaceTerminating means the namespace is undergoing graceful termination
+	NamespaceTerminating NamespacePhase = "Terminating"
+)
+
 // A namespace provides a scope for Names.
 // Use of multiple namespaces is optional
 type Namespace struct {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go b/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go
index 340c444ced0..87407f0842f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/resource_printer.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ var statusColumns = []string{"STATUS"}
 var eventColumns = []string{"FIRSTSEEN", "LASTSEEN", "COUNT", "NAME", "KIND", "SUBOBJECT", "REASON", "SOURCE", "MESSAGE"}
 var limitRangeColumns = []string{"NAME"}
 var resourceQuotaColumns = []string{"NAME"}
-var namespaceColumns = []string{"NAME", "LABELS"}
+var namespaceColumns = []string{"NAME", "LABELS", "STATUS"}
 var secretColumns = []string{"NAME", "DATA"}
 
 // addDefaultHandlers adds print handlers for default Kubernetes types.
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ func printEndpointsList(list *api.EndpointsList, w io.Writer) error {
 }
 
 func printNamespace(item *api.Namespace, w io.Writer) error {
-	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s\t%s\n", item.Name, formatLabels(item.Labels))
+	_, err := fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s\t%s\t%s\n", item.Name, formatLabels(item.Labels), item.Status.Phase)
 	return err
 }