diff --git a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/cluster_client.go b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/cluster_client.go
index d177c7709ce..7f5aa57e217 100644
--- a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/cluster_client.go
+++ b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/cluster_client.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ var KubeconfigGetterForCluster = func(c *federation_v1alpha1.Cluster) clientcmd.
 
 type ClusterClient struct {
 	discoveryClient *discovery.DiscoveryClient
+	kubeClient      *clientset.Clientset
 }
 
 func NewClusterClientSet(c *federation_v1alpha1.Cluster) (*ClusterClient, error) {
@@ -105,6 +106,10 @@ func NewClusterClientSet(c *federation_v1alpha1.Cluster) (*ClusterClient, error)
 		if clusterClientSet.discoveryClient == nil {
 			return nil, nil
 		}
+		clusterClientSet.kubeClient = clientset.NewForConfigOrDie((restclient.AddUserAgent(clusterConfig, UserAgentName)))
+		if clusterClientSet.kubeClient == nil {
+			return nil, nil
+		}
 	}
 	return &clusterClientSet, err
 }
@@ -159,8 +164,8 @@ func (self *ClusterClient) GetClusterHealthStatus() *federation_v1alpha1.Cluster
 }
 
 // GetClusterZones gets the kubernetes cluster zones and region by inspecting labels on nodes in the cluster.
-func GetClusterZones(client *clientset.Clientset) (zones []string, region string, err error) {
-	return getZoneNames(client)
+func (self *ClusterClient) GetClusterZones() (zones []string, region string, err error) {
+	return getZoneNames(self.kubeClient)
 }
 
 // Find the name of the zone in which a Node is running
@@ -194,6 +199,11 @@ func getZoneNames(client *clientset.Clientset) (zones []string, region string, e
 		return nil, "", err
 	}
 	for i, node := range nodes.Items {
+		// TODO: quinton-hoole make this more efficient.
+		//       For non-multi-zone clusters the zone will
+		//       be identical for all nodes, so we only need to look at one node
+		//       For multi-zone clusters we know at build time
+		//       which zones are included.  Rather get this info from there, because it's cheaper.
 		zoneName, err := getZoneNameForNode(node)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, "", err
diff --git a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/clustercontroller.go b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/clustercontroller.go
index f3a10982a96..1d3d2d5b88b 100644
--- a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/clustercontroller.go
+++ b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/cluster/clustercontroller.go
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ import (
 	federationclientset "k8s.io/kubernetes/federation/client/clientset_generated/federation_release_1_3"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/cache"
-	clientset "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientset_generated/internalclientset"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/restclient"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned/clientcmd"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/controller"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/controller/framework"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
@@ -187,10 +184,16 @@ func (cc *ClusterController) UpdateClusterStatus() error {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		clusterClientSet, _ := NewClusterClientset(&cluster)
-		zones, region, err := GetClusterZones(clusterClientSet)
+		clusterClient, found := cc.clusterKubeClientMap[cluster.Name]
+		if !found {
+			glog.Warningf("Failed to client for cluster %s", cluster.Name)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		zones, region, err := clusterClient.GetClusterZones()
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Errorf("Failed to get zones and region for cluster %s: %v", cluster.Name, err)
+			glog.Warningf("Failed to get zones and region for cluster %s: %v", cluster.Name, err)
+			// Don't return err here, as we want the rest of the status update to proceed.
 		} else {
 			clusterStatusNew.Zones = zones
 			clusterStatusNew.Region = region
@@ -199,20 +202,10 @@ func (cc *ClusterController) UpdateClusterStatus() error {
 		cluster.Status = *clusterStatusNew
 		cluster, err := cc.federationClient.Federation().Clusters().UpdateStatus(&cluster)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Infof("Failed to update the status of cluster: %v ,error is : %v", cluster.Name, err)
+			glog.Warningf("Failed to update the status of cluster: %v ,error is : %v", cluster.Name, err)
+			// Don't return err here, as we want to continue processing remaining clusters.
 			continue
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
-
-func NewClusterClientset(c *federation_v1alpha1.Cluster) (*clientset.Clientset, error) { // TODO: Stolen from federation/pkg/federation-controller/service/cluster_helper.go - factor it out of there.
-	clusterConfig, err := clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags(c.Spec.ServerAddressByClientCIDRs[0].ServerAddress, "")
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	clusterConfig.QPS = KubeAPIQPS
-	clusterConfig.Burst = KubeAPIBurst
-	clientset := clientset.NewForConfigOrDie(restclient.AddUserAgent(clusterConfig, UserAgentName))
-	return clientset, nil
-}