diff --git a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go
index 056b7a57317..f3f9ab64e1d 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller.go
@@ -936,8 +936,7 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) reclaimVolume(volume *v1.PersistentVolum
 		glog.V(4).Infof("reclaimVolume[%s]: policy is Delete", volume.Name)
 		opName := fmt.Sprintf("delete-%s[%s]", volume.Name, string(volume.UID))
 		ctrl.scheduleOperation(opName, func() error {
-			ctrl.deleteVolumeOperation(volume)
-			return nil
+			return ctrl.deleteVolumeOperation(volume)
 		})
 
 	default:
@@ -1042,12 +1041,13 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) recycleVolumeOperation(arg interface{})
 
 // deleteVolumeOperation deletes a volume. This method is running in standalone
 // goroutine and already has all necessary locks.
-func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) deleteVolumeOperation(arg interface{}) {
+func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) deleteVolumeOperation(arg interface{}) error {
 	volume, ok := arg.(*v1.PersistentVolume)
 	if !ok {
 		glog.Errorf("Cannot convert deleteVolumeOperation argument to volume, got %#v", arg)
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
+
 	glog.V(4).Infof("deleteVolumeOperation [%s] started", volume.Name)
 
 	// This method may have been waiting for a volume lock for some time.
@@ -1056,16 +1056,16 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) deleteVolumeOperation(arg interface{}) {
 	newVolume, err := ctrl.kubeClient.Core().PersistentVolumes().Get(volume.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.V(3).Infof("error reading peristent volume %q: %v", volume.Name, err)
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 	needsReclaim, err := ctrl.isVolumeReleased(newVolume)
 	if err != nil {
 		glog.V(3).Infof("error reading claim for volume %q: %v", volume.Name, err)
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 	if !needsReclaim {
 		glog.V(3).Infof("volume %q no longer needs deletion, skipping", volume.Name)
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	deleted, err := ctrl.doDeleteVolume(volume)
@@ -1082,17 +1082,17 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) deleteVolumeOperation(arg interface{}) {
 			if _, err = ctrl.updateVolumePhaseWithEvent(volume, v1.VolumeFailed, v1.EventTypeWarning, "VolumeFailedDelete", err.Error()); err != nil {
 				glog.V(4).Infof("deleteVolumeOperation [%s]: failed to mark volume as failed: %v", volume.Name, err)
 				// Save failed, retry on the next deletion attempt
-				return
+				return err
 			}
 		}
 
 		// Despite the volume being Failed, the controller will retry deleting
 		// the volume in every syncVolume() call.
-		return
+		return err
 	}
 	if !deleted {
 		// The volume waits for deletion by an external plugin. Do nothing.
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	glog.V(4).Infof("deleteVolumeOperation [%s]: success", volume.Name)
@@ -1103,9 +1103,9 @@ func (ctrl *PersistentVolumeController) deleteVolumeOperation(arg interface{}) {
 		// cache of "recently deleted volumes" and avoid unnecessary deletion,
 		// this is left out as future optimization.
 		glog.V(3).Infof("failed to delete volume %q from database: %v", volume.Name, err)
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
-	return
+	return nil
 }
 
 // isVolumeReleased returns true if given volume is released and can be recycled
diff --git a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller_base.go b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller_base.go
index 80c31a8bb44..b1ded833133 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller_base.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/volume/persistentvolume/pv_controller_base.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func NewController(p ControllerParameters) *PersistentVolumeController {
 		claims:            cache.NewStore(cache.DeletionHandlingMetaNamespaceKeyFunc),
 		kubeClient:        p.KubeClient,
 		eventRecorder:     eventRecorder,
-		runningOperations: goroutinemap.NewGoRoutineMap(false /* exponentialBackOffOnError */),
+		runningOperations: goroutinemap.NewGoRoutineMap(true /* exponentialBackOffOnError */),
 		cloud:             p.Cloud,
 		enableDynamicProvisioning:     p.EnableDynamicProvisioning,
 		clusterName:                   p.ClusterName,