diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/warnings.go b/pkg/api/pod/warnings.go
index 41e93153487..d86a754363b 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/warnings.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/warnings.go
@@ -249,7 +249,25 @@ func warningsForPodSpecAndMeta(fieldPath *field.Path, podSpec *api.PodSpec, meta
 			items := sets.NewString()
 			for i, item := range c.Env {
 				if items.Has(item.Name) {
-					warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("%s: duplicate name %q", p.Child("env").Index(i).Child("name"), item.Name))
+					// a previous value exists, but it might be OK
+					bad := false
+					ref := fmt.Sprintf("$(%s)", item.Name) // what does a ref to this name look like
+					// if we are replacing it with a valueFrom, warn
+					if item.ValueFrom != nil {
+						bad = true
+					}
+					// if this is X="$(X)", warn
+					if item.Value == ref {
+						bad = true
+					}
+					// if the new value does not contain a reference to the old
+					// value (e.g. X="abc"; X="$(X)123"), warn
+					if !strings.Contains(item.Value, ref) {
+						bad = true
+					}
+					if bad {
+						warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("%s: hides previous definition of %q", p.Child("env").Index(i), item.Name))
+					}
 				} else {
 					items.Insert(item.Name)
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/api/pod/warnings_test.go b/pkg/api/pod/warnings_test.go
index 98a88419f04..b2ca9a2ada9 100644
--- a/pkg/api/pod/warnings_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/pod/warnings_test.go
@@ -281,21 +281,35 @@ func TestWarnings(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "duplicate env",
 			template: &api.PodTemplateSpec{Spec: api.PodSpec{
 				InitContainers: []api.Container{{Env: []api.EnvVar{
-					{Name: "a"},
-					{Name: "a"},
-					{Name: "a"},
+					{Name: "a", Value: "a"},
+					{Name: "a", Value: "a"},
+					{Name: "a", Value: "other"},
+					{Name: "a", Value: ""},
+					{Name: "a", Value: "$(a)"},
+					{Name: "a", ValueFrom: &api.EnvVarSource{}},
+					{Name: "a", Value: "$(a) $(a)"}, // no warning
 				}}},
 				Containers: []api.Container{{Env: []api.EnvVar{
-					{Name: "b"},
-					{Name: "b"},
-					{Name: "b"},
+					{Name: "b", Value: "b"},
+					{Name: "b", Value: "b"},
+					{Name: "b", Value: "other"},
+					{Name: "b", Value: ""},
+					{Name: "b", Value: "$(b)"},
+					{Name: "b", ValueFrom: &api.EnvVarSource{}},
+					{Name: "b", Value: "$(b) $(b)"}, // no warning
 				}}},
 			}},
 			expected: []string{
-				`spec.initContainers[0].env[1].name: duplicate name "a"`,
-				`spec.initContainers[0].env[2].name: duplicate name "a"`,
-				`spec.containers[0].env[1].name: duplicate name "b"`,
-				`spec.containers[0].env[2].name: duplicate name "b"`,
+				`spec.initContainers[0].env[1]: hides previous definition of "a"`,
+				`spec.initContainers[0].env[2]: hides previous definition of "a"`,
+				`spec.initContainers[0].env[3]: hides previous definition of "a"`,
+				`spec.initContainers[0].env[4]: hides previous definition of "a"`,
+				`spec.initContainers[0].env[5]: hides previous definition of "a"`,
+				`spec.containers[0].env[1]: hides previous definition of "b"`,
+				`spec.containers[0].env[2]: hides previous definition of "b"`,
+				`spec.containers[0].env[3]: hides previous definition of "b"`,
+				`spec.containers[0].env[4]: hides previous definition of "b"`,
+				`spec.containers[0].env[5]: hides previous definition of "b"`,
 			},
 		},
 		{