diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go
index 2c7a8af44f4..7808a331fd9 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager.go
@@ -534,10 +534,11 @@ func shouldRestartOnFailure(pod *v1.Pod) bool {
 
 func containerSucceeded(c *v1.Container, podStatus *kubecontainer.PodStatus) bool {
 	cStatus := podStatus.FindContainerStatusByName(c.Name)
-	if cStatus == nil || cStatus.State == kubecontainer.ContainerStateRunning {
+	if cStatus == nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	return cStatus.ExitCode == 0
+	// Container has exited, with an exit code of 0.
+	return cStatus.State == kubecontainer.ContainerStateExited && cStatus.ExitCode == 0
 }
 
 func isInPlacePodVerticalScalingAllowed(pod *v1.Pod) bool {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager_test.go
index 732a6f7f1c8..e39f04da9c6 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kuberuntime/kuberuntime_manager_test.go
@@ -994,6 +994,22 @@ func TestComputePodActions(t *testing.T) {
 				ContainersToKill:  getKillMap(basePod, baseStatus, []int{}),
 			},
 		},
+		"restart created but not started containers if RestartPolicy == OnFailure": {
+			mutatePodFn: func(pod *v1.Pod) { pod.Spec.RestartPolicy = v1.RestartPolicyOnFailure },
+			mutateStatusFn: func(status *kubecontainer.PodStatus) {
+				// The first container completed, don't restart it.
+				status.ContainerStatuses[0].State = kubecontainer.ContainerStateExited
+				status.ContainerStatuses[0].ExitCode = 0
+
+				// The second container was created, but never started.
+				status.ContainerStatuses[1].State = kubecontainer.ContainerStateCreated
+			},
+			actions: podActions{
+				SandboxID:         baseStatus.SandboxStatuses[0].Id,
+				ContainersToStart: []int{1},
+				ContainersToKill:  getKillMap(basePod, baseStatus, []int{}),
+			},
+		},
 		"don't restart containers if RestartPolicy == Never": {
 			mutatePodFn: func(pod *v1.Pod) { pod.Spec.RestartPolicy = v1.RestartPolicyNever },
 			mutateStatusFn: func(status *kubecontainer.PodStatus) {