diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/container/runtime.go b/pkg/kubelet/container/runtime.go
index 98d58b3aac4..8a3a412157a 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/container/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/container/runtime.go
@@ -465,6 +465,15 @@ func (p *Pod) FindContainerByID(id ContainerID) *Container {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (p *Pod) FindSandboxByID(id ContainerID) *Container {
+	for _, c := range p.Sandboxes {
+		if c.ID == id {
+			return c
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ToAPIPod converts Pod to api.Pod. Note that if a field in api.Pod has no
 // corresponding field in Pod, the field would not be populated.
 func (p *Pod) ToAPIPod() *api.Pod {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go
index ca5d322cb3f..afa8283f139 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go
@@ -229,7 +229,12 @@ func (m *kubeGenericRuntimeManager) GetPods(all bool) ([]*kubecontainer.Pod, err
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	for _, s := range sandboxes {
+	for i := range sandboxes {
+		s := sandboxes[i]
+		if s.Metadata == nil {
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Sandbox does not have metadata: %+v", s)
+			continue
+		}
 		podUID := kubetypes.UID(s.Metadata.GetUid())
 		if _, ok := pods[podUID]; !ok {
 			pods[podUID] = &kubecontainer.Pod{
@@ -241,7 +246,7 @@ func (m *kubeGenericRuntimeManager) GetPods(all bool) ([]*kubecontainer.Pod, err
 		p := pods[podUID]
 		converted, err := m.sandboxToKubeContainer(s)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Warningf("Convert %q sandbox %v of pod %q failed: %v", m.runtimeName, s, podUID, err)
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Convert %q sandbox %v of pod %q failed: %v", m.runtimeName, s, podUID, err)
 			continue
 		}
 		p.Sandboxes = append(p.Sandboxes, converted)
@@ -251,7 +256,13 @@ func (m *kubeGenericRuntimeManager) GetPods(all bool) ([]*kubecontainer.Pod, err
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	for _, c := range containers {
+	for i := range containers {
+		c := containers[i]
+		if c.Metadata == nil {
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Container does not have metadata: %+v", c)
+			continue
+		}
+
 		labelledInfo := getContainerInfoFromLabels(c.Labels)
 		pod, found := pods[labelledInfo.PodUID]
 		if !found {
@@ -265,7 +276,7 @@ func (m *kubeGenericRuntimeManager) GetPods(all bool) ([]*kubecontainer.Pod, err
 
 		converted, err := m.toKubeContainer(c)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Warningf("Convert %s container %v of pod %q failed: %v", m.runtimeName, c, labelledInfo.PodUID, err)
+			glog.V(4).Infof("Convert %s container %v of pod %q failed: %v", m.runtimeName, c, labelledInfo.PodUID, err)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go
index 375de16cf1b..64ebade8bb3 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic.go
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ func generateEvents(podID types.UID, cid string, oldState, newState plegContaine
 	if newState == oldState {
 		return nil
 	}
+
 	glog.V(4).Infof("GenericPLEG: %v/%v: %v -> %v", podID, cid, oldState, newState)
 	switch newState {
 	case plegContainerRunning:
@@ -291,6 +292,17 @@ func getContainersFromPods(pods ...*kubecontainer.Pod) []*kubecontainer.Containe
 			cidSet.Insert(cid)
 			containers = append(containers, c)
 		}
+		// Update sandboxes as containers
+		// TODO: keep track of sandboxes explicitly.
+		for _, c := range p.Sandboxes {
+			cid := string(c.ID.ID)
+			if cidSet.Has(cid) {
+				continue
+			}
+			cidSet.Insert(cid)
+			containers = append(containers, c)
+		}
+
 	}
 	return containers
 }
@@ -342,11 +354,17 @@ func getContainerState(pod *kubecontainer.Pod, cid *kubecontainer.ContainerID) p
 	if pod == nil {
 		return state
 	}
-	container := pod.FindContainerByID(*cid)
-	if container == nil {
-		return state
+	c := pod.FindContainerByID(*cid)
+	if c != nil {
+		return convertState(c.State)
 	}
-	return convertState(container.State)
+	// Search through sandboxes too.
+	c = pod.FindSandboxByID(*cid)
+	if c != nil {
+		return convertState(c.State)
+	}
+
+	return state
 }
 
 func (pr podRecords) getOld(id types.UID) *kubecontainer.Pod {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go
index 6b5cce5110c..3536e9f48cc 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/pleg/generic_test.go
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func TestRelisting(t *testing.T) {
 	actual := getEventsFromChannel(ch)
 	verifyEvents(t, expected, actual)
 
-	// The second relist should not send out any event because no container
+	// The second relist should not send out any event because no container has
 	// changed.
 	pleg.relist()
 	verifyEvents(t, expected, actual)
@@ -430,3 +430,69 @@ func TestRelistWithReinspection(t *testing.T) {
 	// containers was the same as relist #1, nothing "changed", so there are no new events.
 	assert.Exactly(t, []*PodLifecycleEvent{}, actualEvents)
 }
+
+// Test detecting sandbox state changes.
+func TestRelistingWithSandboxes(t *testing.T) {
+	testPleg := newTestGenericPLEG()
+	pleg, runtime := testPleg.pleg, testPleg.runtime
+	ch := pleg.Watch()
+	// The first relist should send a PodSync event to each pod.
+	runtime.AllPodList = []*containertest.FakePod{
+		{Pod: &kubecontainer.Pod{
+			ID: "1234",
+			Sandboxes: []*kubecontainer.Container{
+				createTestContainer("c1", kubecontainer.ContainerStateExited),
+				createTestContainer("c2", kubecontainer.ContainerStateRunning),
+				createTestContainer("c3", kubecontainer.ContainerStateUnknown),
+			},
+		}},
+		{Pod: &kubecontainer.Pod{
+			ID: "4567",
+			Sandboxes: []*kubecontainer.Container{
+				createTestContainer("c1", kubecontainer.ContainerStateExited),
+			},
+		}},
+	}
+	pleg.relist()
+	// Report every running/exited container if we see them for the first time.
+	expected := []*PodLifecycleEvent{
+		{ID: "1234", Type: ContainerStarted, Data: "c2"},
+		{ID: "4567", Type: ContainerDied, Data: "c1"},
+		{ID: "1234", Type: ContainerDied, Data: "c1"},
+	}
+	actual := getEventsFromChannel(ch)
+	verifyEvents(t, expected, actual)
+
+	// The second relist should not send out any event because no container has
+	// changed.
+	pleg.relist()
+	verifyEvents(t, expected, actual)
+
+	runtime.AllPodList = []*containertest.FakePod{
+		{Pod: &kubecontainer.Pod{
+			ID: "1234",
+			Sandboxes: []*kubecontainer.Container{
+				createTestContainer("c2", kubecontainer.ContainerStateExited),
+				createTestContainer("c3", kubecontainer.ContainerStateRunning),
+			},
+		}},
+		{Pod: &kubecontainer.Pod{
+			ID: "4567",
+			Sandboxes: []*kubecontainer.Container{
+				createTestContainer("c4", kubecontainer.ContainerStateRunning),
+			},
+		}},
+	}
+	pleg.relist()
+	// Only report containers that transitioned to running or exited status.
+	expected = []*PodLifecycleEvent{
+		{ID: "1234", Type: ContainerRemoved, Data: "c1"},
+		{ID: "1234", Type: ContainerDied, Data: "c2"},
+		{ID: "1234", Type: ContainerStarted, Data: "c3"},
+		{ID: "4567", Type: ContainerRemoved, Data: "c1"},
+		{ID: "4567", Type: ContainerStarted, Data: "c4"},
+	}
+
+	actual = getEventsFromChannel(ch)
+	verifyEvents(t, expected, actual)
+}