diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller_utils.go b/pkg/controller/controller_utils.go
index ab94ee16696..394407b28b5 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller_utils.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 	apps "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
@@ -595,7 +596,7 @@ func (r RealPodControl) DeletePod(namespace string, podID string, object runtime
 		return fmt.Errorf("object does not have ObjectMeta, %v", err)
 	}
 	glog.V(2).Infof("Controller %v deleting pod %v/%v", accessor.GetName(), namespace, podID)
-	if err := r.KubeClient.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).Delete(podID, nil); err != nil {
+	if err := r.KubeClient.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).Delete(podID, nil); err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		r.Recorder.Eventf(object, v1.EventTypeWarning, FailedDeletePodReason, "Error deleting: %v", err)
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to delete pods: %v", err)
 	} else {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller_utils_test.go b/pkg/controller/controller_utils_test.go
index 857b8b46fef..999efadb68b 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller_utils_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller_utils_test.go
@@ -314,6 +314,19 @@ func TestCreatePods(t *testing.T) {
 		"Body: %s", fakeHandler.RequestBody)
 }
 
+func TestDeletePodsAllowsMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	fakeClient := fake.NewSimpleClientset()
+	podControl := RealPodControl{
+		KubeClient: fakeClient,
+		Recorder:   &record.FakeRecorder{},
+	}
+
+	controllerSpec := newReplicationController(1)
+
+	err := podControl.DeletePod("namespace-name", "podName", controllerSpec)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "unexpected error: %v", err)
+}
+
 func TestActivePodFiltering(t *testing.T) {
 	// This rc is not needed by the test, only the newPodList to give the pods labels/a namespace.
 	rc := newReplicationController(0)