diff --git a/pkg/controller/daemon/daemon_controller.go b/pkg/controller/daemon/daemon_controller.go
index bac4ddc4c20..2d42a2020a3 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/daemon/daemon_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/daemon/daemon_controller.go
@@ -1053,15 +1053,22 @@ func (dsc *DaemonSetsController) syncNodes(ds *apps.DaemonSet, podsToDelete, nod
 						ds, metav1.NewControllerRef(ds, controllerKind))
 				}
 
-				if err != nil && errors.IsTimeout(err) {
-					// Pod is created but its initialization has timed out.
-					// If the initialization is successful eventually, the
-					// controller will observe the creation via the informer.
-					// If the initialization fails, or if the pod keeps
-					// uninitialized for a long time, the informer will not
-					// receive any update, and the controller will create a new
-					// pod when the expectation expires.
-					return
+				if err != nil {
+					if errors.HasStatusCause(err, v1.NamespaceTerminatingCause) {
+						// If the namespace is being torn down, we can safely ignore
+						// this error since all subsequent creations will fail.
+						return
+					}
+					if errors.IsTimeout(err) {
+						// Pod is created but its initialization has timed out.
+						// If the initialization is successful eventually, the
+						// controller will observe the creation via the informer.
+						// If the initialization fails, or if the pod keeps
+						// uninitialized for a long time, the informer will not
+						// receive any update, and the controller will create a new
+						// pod when the expectation expires.
+						return
+					}
 				}
 				if err != nil {
 					klog.V(2).Infof("Failed creation, decrementing expectations for set %q/%q", ds.Namespace, ds.Name)