diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/fake_pod_workers.go b/pkg/kubelet/fake_pod_workers.go
index 7f036e60fd0..14fb671f215 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/fake_pod_workers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/fake_pod_workers.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ type fakePodWorkers struct {
 	t            TestingInterface
 }
 
-func (f *fakePodWorkers) UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateComplete func()) {
+func (f *fakePodWorkers) UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateType SyncPodType, updateComplete func()) {
 	pods, err := f.runtimeCache.GetPods()
 	if err != nil {
 		f.t.Errorf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index c9c31e5cb80..48f5cc26104 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1304,9 +1304,6 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, runningPod kubecont
 	// status. Any race conditions here effectively boils down to -- the pod worker didn't sync
 	// state of a newly started container with the apiserver before the kubelet restarted, so
 	// it's OK to pretend like the kubelet started them after it restarted.
-	//
-	// Also note that deletes currently have an updateType of `create` set in UpdatePods.
-	// This, again, does not matter because deletes are not processed by this method.
 
 	var podStatus api.PodStatus
 	if updateType == SyncPodCreate {
@@ -1952,7 +1949,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) dispatchWork(pod *api.Pod, syncType SyncPodType, mirrorPod *a
 		return
 	}
 	// Run the sync in an async worker.
-	kl.podWorkers.UpdatePod(pod, mirrorPod, func() {
+	kl.podWorkers.UpdatePod(pod, mirrorPod, syncType, func() {
 		metrics.PodWorkerLatency.WithLabelValues(syncType.String()).Observe(metrics.SinceInMicroseconds(start))
 	})
 	// Note the number of containers for new pods.
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pod_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/pod_manager.go
index 1ea358accd1..5fb6e6b63ad 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pod_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pod_manager.go
@@ -63,28 +63,6 @@ type podManager interface {
 	mirrorClient
 }
 
-// SyncPodType classifies pod updates, eg: create, update.
-type SyncPodType int
-
-const (
-	SyncPodSync SyncPodType = iota
-	SyncPodUpdate
-	SyncPodCreate
-)
-
-func (sp SyncPodType) String() string {
-	switch sp {
-	case SyncPodCreate:
-		return "create"
-	case SyncPodUpdate:
-		return "update"
-	case SyncPodSync:
-		return "sync"
-	default:
-		return "unknown"
-	}
-}
-
 // All maps in basicPodManager should be set by calling UpdatePods();
 // individual arrays/maps are not immutable and no other methods should attempt
 // to modify them.
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go
index 85cd333e263..01a28a25e10 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 
 // PodWorkers is an abstract interface for testability.
 type PodWorkers interface {
-	UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateComplete func())
+	UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateType SyncPodType, updateComplete func())
 	ForgetNonExistingPodWorkers(desiredPods map[types.UID]empty)
 	ForgetWorker(uid types.UID)
 }
@@ -121,19 +121,11 @@ func (p *podWorkers) managePodLoop(podUpdates <-chan workUpdate) {
 }
 
 // Apply the new setting to the specified pod. updateComplete is called when the update is completed.
-func (p *podWorkers) UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateComplete func()) {
+func (p *podWorkers) UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateType SyncPodType, updateComplete func()) {
 	uid := pod.UID
 	var podUpdates chan workUpdate
 	var exists bool
 
-	// TODO: Pipe this through from the kubelet. Currently kubelets operating with
-	// snapshot updates (PodConfigNotificationSnapshot) will send updates, creates
-	// and deletes as SET operations, which makes updates indistinguishable from
-	// creates. The intent here is to communicate to the pod worker that it can take
-	// certain liberties, like skipping status generation, when it receives a create
-	// event for a pod.
-	updateType := SyncPodUpdate
-
 	p.podLock.Lock()
 	defer p.podLock.Unlock()
 	if podUpdates, exists = p.podUpdates[uid]; !exists {
@@ -148,7 +140,6 @@ func (p *podWorkers) UpdatePod(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, updateComplete
 		// kubelet just restarted. In either case the kubelet is willing to believe
 		// the status of the pod for the first pod worker sync. See corresponding
 		// comment in syncPod.
-		updateType = SyncPodCreate
 		go func() {
 			defer util.HandleCrash()
 			p.managePodLoop(podUpdates)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go
index 8ffa19588c0..8b2a3e5e091 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/dockertools"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/network"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/types"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util"
 )
 
 func newPod(uid, name string) *api.Pod {
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ func TestUpdatePod(t *testing.T) {
 	numPods := 20
 	for i := 0; i < numPods; i++ {
 		for j := i; j < numPods; j++ {
-			podWorkers.UpdatePod(newPod(string(j), string(i)), nil, func() {})
+			podWorkers.UpdatePod(newPod(string(j), string(i)), nil, SyncPodCreate, func() {})
 		}
 	}
 	drainWorkers(podWorkers, numPods)
@@ -122,44 +121,12 @@ func TestUpdatePod(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestUpdateType(t *testing.T) {
-	syncType := make(chan SyncPodType)
-	fakeRecorder := &record.FakeRecorder{}
-	podWorkers := newPodWorkers(
-		createFakeRuntimeCache(fakeRecorder),
-		func(pod *api.Pod, mirrorPod *api.Pod, runningPod kubecontainer.Pod, updateType SyncPodType) error {
-			func() {
-				syncType <- updateType
-			}()
-			return nil
-		},
-		fakeRecorder,
-	)
-	cases := map[*api.Pod][]SyncPodType{
-		newPod("u1", "n1"): {SyncPodCreate, SyncPodUpdate},
-		newPod("u2", "n1"): {SyncPodCreate},
-	}
-	for p, expectedTypes := range cases {
-		for i := range expectedTypes {
-			podWorkers.UpdatePod(p, nil, func() {})
-			select {
-			case gotType := <-syncType:
-				if gotType != expectedTypes[i] {
-					t.Fatalf("Expected sync type %v got %v for pod with uid %v", expectedTypes[i], gotType, p.UID)
-				}
-			case <-time.After(util.ForeverTestTimeout):
-				t.Errorf("Unexpected delay is running pod worker")
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestForgetNonExistingPodWorkers(t *testing.T) {
 	podWorkers, _ := createPodWorkers()
 
 	numPods := 20
 	for i := 0; i < numPods; i++ {
-		podWorkers.UpdatePod(newPod(string(i), "name"), nil, func() {})
+		podWorkers.UpdatePod(newPod(string(i), "name"), nil, SyncPodUpdate, func() {})
 	}
 	drainWorkers(podWorkers, numPods)
 
@@ -386,8 +353,8 @@ func TestFakePodWorkers(t *testing.T) {
 		kubeletForRealWorkers.wg.Add(1)
 
 		fakeDocker.ContainerList = tt.containerList
-		realPodWorkers.UpdatePod(tt.pod, tt.mirrorPod, func() {})
-		fakePodWorkers.UpdatePod(tt.pod, tt.mirrorPod, func() {})
+		realPodWorkers.UpdatePod(tt.pod, tt.mirrorPod, SyncPodUpdate, func() {})
+		fakePodWorkers.UpdatePod(tt.pod, tt.mirrorPod, SyncPodUpdate, func() {})
 
 		kubeletForRealWorkers.wg.Wait()
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/types.go b/pkg/kubelet/types.go
index 63db74864d8..7d0359cf528 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/types.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/types.go
@@ -88,3 +88,25 @@ func GetValidatedSources(sources []string) ([]string, error) {
 	}
 	return validated, nil
 }
+
+// SyncPodType classifies pod updates, eg: create, update.
+type SyncPodType int
+
+const (
+	SyncPodSync SyncPodType = iota
+	SyncPodUpdate
+	SyncPodCreate
+)
+
+func (sp SyncPodType) String() string {
+	switch sp {
+	case SyncPodCreate:
+		return "create"
+	case SyncPodUpdate:
+		return "update"
+	case SyncPodSync:
+		return "sync"
+	default:
+		return "unknown"
+	}
+}