diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
index 1d78950e77a..9a8b8cc8a30 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) listPodsFromDisk() ([]types.UID, error) {
 // GetActivePods returns pods that may have a running container (a
 // terminated pod is one that is known to have no running containers and
 // will not get any more).
+//
+// TODO: This method must include pods that have been force deleted from
+// the config source (and thus removed from the pod manager) but are still
+// terminating.
 func (kl *Kubelet) GetActivePods() []*v1.Pod {
 	allPods := kl.podManager.GetPods()
 	activePods := kl.filterOutTerminatedPods(allPods)
@@ -964,12 +968,17 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) podResourcesAreReclaimed(pod *v1.Pod) bool {
 	return kl.PodResourcesAreReclaimed(pod, status)
 }
 
-// filterOutTerminatedPods returns the pods that could still have running
-// containers
+// filterOutTerminatedPods returns pods that are not in a terminal phase
+// or are known to be fully terminated. This method should only be used
+// when the set of pods being filtered is upstream of the pod worker, i.e.
+// the pods the pod manager is aware of.
 func (kl *Kubelet) filterOutTerminatedPods(pods []*v1.Pod) []*v1.Pod {
-	var filteredPods []*v1.Pod
+	filteredPods := make([]*v1.Pod, 0, len(pods))
 	for _, p := range pods {
-		if !kl.podWorkers.CouldHaveRunningContainers(p.UID) {
+		if kl.podWorkers.IsPodKnownTerminated(p.UID) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if p.Status.Phase == v1.PodSucceeded || p.Status.Phase == v1.PodFailed {
 			continue
 		}
 		filteredPods = append(filteredPods, p)
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go
index 297900cca1c..9c855fef8d5 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers.go
@@ -130,6 +130,14 @@ type PodWorkers interface {
 	// true.
 	SyncKnownPods(desiredPods []*v1.Pod) map[types.UID]PodWorkType
 
+	// IsPodKnownTerminated returns true if the provided pod UID is known by the pod
+	// worker to be terminated. If the pod has been force deleted and the pod worker
+	// has completed termination this method will return false, so this method should
+	// only be used to filter out pods from the desired set such as in admission.
+	//
+	// Intended for use by the kubelet config loops, but not subsystems, which should
+	// use ShouldPod*().
+	IsPodKnownTerminated(uid types.UID) bool
 	// CouldHaveRunningContainers returns true before the pod workers have synced,
 	// once the pod workers see the pod (syncPod could be called), and returns false
 	// after the pod has been terminated (running containers guaranteed stopped).
@@ -394,6 +402,16 @@ func newPodWorkers(
 	}
 }
 
+func (p *podWorkers) IsPodKnownTerminated(uid types.UID) bool {
+	p.podLock.Lock()
+	defer p.podLock.Unlock()
+	if status, ok := p.podSyncStatuses[uid]; ok {
+		return status.IsTerminated()
+	}
+	// if the pod is not known, we return false (pod worker is not aware of it)
+	return false
+}
+
 func (p *podWorkers) CouldHaveRunningContainers(uid types.UID) bool {
 	p.podLock.Lock()
 	defer p.podLock.Unlock()
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go
index 50705275ecd..bc08aae88da 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pod_workers_test.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type fakePodWorkers struct {
 	statusLock            sync.Mutex
 	running               map[types.UID]bool
 	terminating           map[types.UID]bool
+	terminated            map[types.UID]bool
 	terminationRequested  map[types.UID]bool
 	removeRuntime         map[types.UID]bool
 	removeContent         map[types.UID]bool
@@ -85,6 +86,11 @@ func (f *fakePodWorkers) SyncKnownPods(desiredPods []*v1.Pod) map[types.UID]PodW
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (f *fakePodWorkers) IsPodKnownTerminated(uid types.UID) bool {
+	f.statusLock.Lock()
+	defer f.statusLock.Unlock()
+	return f.terminated[uid]
+}
 func (f *fakePodWorkers) CouldHaveRunningContainers(uid types.UID) bool {
 	f.statusLock.Lock()
 	defer f.statusLock.Unlock()