diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/pod/util.go b/pkg/api/v1/pod/util.go
index 85eb5338337..3aadefdb546 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/pod/util.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/pod/util.go
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ func SetInitContainersStatusesAnnotations(pod *v1.Pod) error {
 		}
 		pod.Annotations[v1.PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey] = string(value)
 		pod.Annotations[v1.PodInitContainerStatusesBetaAnnotationKey] = string(value)
+	} else {
+		delete(pod.Annotations, v1.PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey)
+		delete(pod.Annotations, v1.PodInitContainerStatusesBetaAnnotationKey)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1/pod/util_test.go b/pkg/api/v1/pod/util_test.go
index 63f507894ea..41ab0d33c0a 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1/pod/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1/pod/util_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package pod
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -399,3 +400,52 @@ func TestIsPodAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetInitContainersStatusesAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
+	testStatuses := []v1.ContainerStatus{
+		{
+			Name: "test",
+		},
+	}
+	value, _ := json.Marshal(testStatuses)
+	testAnnotation := string(value)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		pod         *v1.Pod
+		annotations map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Populate annotations from status",
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					InitContainerStatuses: testStatuses,
+				},
+			},
+			annotations: map[string]string{
+				v1.PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey:     testAnnotation,
+				v1.PodInitContainerStatusesBetaAnnotationKey: testAnnotation,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Clear annotations if no status",
+			pod: &v1.Pod{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Annotations: map[string]string{
+						v1.PodInitContainerStatusesAnnotationKey:     testAnnotation,
+						v1.PodInitContainerStatusesBetaAnnotationKey: testAnnotation,
+					},
+				},
+				Status: v1.PodStatus{
+					InitContainerStatuses: []v1.ContainerStatus{},
+				},
+			},
+			annotations: map[string]string{},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		SetInitContainersStatusesAnnotations(test.pod)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(test.pod.Annotations, test.annotations) {
+			t.Errorf("%v, actual = %v, expected = %v", test.name, test.pod.Annotations, test.annotations)
+		}
+	}
+}