diff --git a/pkg/api/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation.go
index cd54e00f7d1..b1847c99b78 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation.go
@@ -275,6 +275,11 @@ func ValidateReplicationController(controller *ReplicationController) errs.Error
 	if labels.Set(controller.DesiredState.ReplicaSelector).AsSelector().Empty() {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewInvalid("ReplicationController.ReplicaSelector", controller.DesiredState.ReplicaSelector))
 	}
+	selector := labels.Set(controller.DesiredState.ReplicaSelector).AsSelector()
+	labels := labels.Set(controller.DesiredState.PodTemplate.Labels)
+	if !selector.Matches(labels) {
+		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewInvalid("ReplicaController.DesiredState.PodTemplate.Labels", controller.DesiredState.PodTemplate))
+	}
 	if controller.DesiredState.Replicas < 0 {
 		allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewInvalid("ReplicationController.Replicas", controller.DesiredState.Replicas))
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/api/validation_test.go b/pkg/api/validation_test.go
index 093adc14bbd..2d13d246862 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation_test.go
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ func TestValidateReplicationController(t *testing.T) {
 				Version: "v1beta1",
 			},
 		},
+		Labels: validSelector,
 	}
 
 	successCases := []ReplicationController{
@@ -411,6 +412,13 @@ func TestValidateReplicationController(t *testing.T) {
 				PodTemplate: validPodTemplate,
 			},
 		},
+		"selector_doesnt_match": {
+			JSONBase: JSONBase{ID: "abc"},
+			DesiredState: ReplicationControllerState{
+				ReplicaSelector: map[string]string{"foo": "bar"},
+				PodTemplate:     validPodTemplate,
+			},
+		},
 		"invalid manifest": {
 			JSONBase: JSONBase{ID: "abc"},
 			DesiredState: ReplicationControllerState{
diff --git a/pkg/registry/controller/storage_test.go b/pkg/registry/controller/storage_test.go
index cc060177744..92c2b9eb905 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/controller/storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/controller/storage_test.go
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ var validPodTemplate = api.PodTemplate{
 			},
 		},
 	},
+	Labels: map[string]string{"a": "b"},
 }
 
 func TestCreateController(t *testing.T) {