diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/volumes.go b/pkg/kubelet/volumes.go
index b8e48efd7be..8386e1a6f38 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/volumes.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/volumes.go
@@ -154,12 +154,19 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) getPodVolumes(podUID types.UID) ([]*volumeTuple, error) {
 	for _, volumeKindDir := range volumeKindDirs {
 		volumeKind := volumeKindDir.Name()
 		volumeKindPath := path.Join(podVolDir, volumeKind)
-		volumeNameDirs, err := ioutil.ReadDir(volumeKindPath)
+		// ioutil.ReadDir exits without returning any healthy dir when encountering the first lstat error
+		// but skipping dirs means no cleanup for healthy volumes. switching to a no-exit api solves this problem
+		volumeNameDirs, volumeNameDirsStat, err := util.ReadDirNoExit(volumeKindPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return []*volumeTuple{}, fmt.Errorf("could not read directory %s: %v", volumeKindPath, err)
 		}
-		for _, volumeNameDir := range volumeNameDirs {
-			volumes = append(volumes, &volumeTuple{Kind: volumeKind, Name: volumeNameDir.Name()})
+		for i, volumeNameDir := range volumeNameDirs {
+			if volumeNameDir != nil {
+				volumes = append(volumes, &volumeTuple{Kind: volumeKind, Name: volumeNameDir.Name()})
+			} else {
+				lerr := volumeNameDirsStat[i]
+				glog.Errorf("Could not read directory %s: %v", podVolDir, lerr)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return volumes, nil
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 2f84a9b2d68..7954ffe2466 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -519,3 +519,35 @@ func FileExists(filename string) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	return true, nil
 }
+
+// borrowed from ioutil.ReadDir
+// ReadDir reads the directory named by dirname and returns
+// a list of directory entries, minus those with lstat errors
+func ReadDirNoExit(dirname string) ([]os.FileInfo, []error, error) {
+	if dirname == "" {
+		dirname = "."
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.Open(dirname)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	names, err := f.Readdirnames(-1)
+	list := make([]os.FileInfo, 0, len(names))
+	errs := make([]error, 0, len(names))
+	for _, filename := range names {
+		fip, lerr := os.Lstat(dirname + "/" + filename)
+		if os.IsNotExist(lerr) {
+			// File disappeared between readdir + stat.
+			// Just treat it as if it didn't exist.
+			continue
+		}
+
+		list = append(list, fip)
+		errs = append(errs, lerr)
+	}
+
+	return list, errs, nil
+}