diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 26f991e79cf..3dd0eeb1135 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -675,22 +675,19 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) Run(updates <-chan PodUpdate) {
 		glog.Errorf("Failed to start ContainerManager, system may not be properly isolated: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	err = kl.oomWatcher.Start(kl.nodeRef)
+	if err != nil {
+		kl.recorder.Eventf(kl.nodeRef, "kubeletSetupFailed", "Failed to start OOM watcher %v", err)
+		glog.Errorf("Failed to start OOM watching: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	go util.Until(kl.updateRuntimeUp, 5*time.Second, util.NeverStop)
 	go kl.syncNodeStatus()
 	// Run the system oom watcher forever.
-	go util.Until(kl.runOOMWatcher, time.Second, util.NeverStop)
 	kl.statusManager.Start()
 	kl.syncLoop(updates, kl)
 }
 
-// Watches for system OOMs.
-func (kl *Kubelet) runOOMWatcher() {
-	glog.V(5).Infof("Starting to record system OOMs")
-	if err := kl.oomWatcher.RecordSysOOMs(kl.nodeRef); err != nil {
-		glog.Errorf("failed to record system OOMs - %v", err)
-	}
-}
-
 // syncNodeStatus periodically synchronizes node status to master.
 func (kl *Kubelet) syncNodeStatus() {
 	if kl.kubeClient == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher.go b/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher.go
index b4f00f7b037..58a95783cdd 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher.go
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package kubelet
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/client/record"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/cadvisor"
@@ -29,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type OOMWatcher interface {
-	RecordSysOOMs(ref *api.ObjectReference) error
+	Start(ref *api.ObjectReference) error
 }
 
 type realOOMWatcher struct {
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ func NewOOMWatcher(cadvisor cadvisor.Interface, recorder record.EventRecorder) O
 const systemOOMEvent = "SystemOOM"
 
 // Watches cadvisor for system oom's and records an event for every system oom encountered.
-func (ow *realOOMWatcher) RecordSysOOMs(ref *api.ObjectReference) error {
+func (ow *realOOMWatcher) Start(ref *api.ObjectReference) error {
 	request := events.Request{
 		EventType: map[cadvisorApi.EventType]bool{
 			cadvisorApi.EventOom: true,
@@ -59,9 +57,15 @@ func (ow *realOOMWatcher) RecordSysOOMs(ref *api.ObjectReference) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	for event := range eventChannel.GetChannel() {
-		glog.V(2).Infof("got sys oom event from cadvisor: %v", event)
-		ow.recorder.PastEventf(ref, util.Time{event.Timestamp}, systemOOMEvent, "System OOM encountered")
-	}
-	return fmt.Errorf("failed to watch cadvisor for sys oom events")
+
+	go func() {
+		defer util.HandleCrash()
+
+		for event := range eventChannel.GetChannel() {
+			glog.V(2).Infof("Got sys oom event from cadvisor: %v", event)
+			ow.recorder.PastEventf(ref, util.Time{event.Timestamp}, systemOOMEvent, "System OOM encountered")
+		}
+		glog.Errorf("Unexpectedly stopped receiving OOM notifications from cAdvisor")
+	}()
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher_test.go
index 26ec50bad0a..57e9aaea25d 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/oom_watcher_test.go
@@ -54,9 +54,11 @@ func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	mockCadvisor := &cadvisor.Fake{}
 	node := &api.ObjectReference{}
 	oomWatcher := NewOOMWatcher(mockCadvisor, fakeRecorder)
-	go func() {
-		oomWatcher.RecordSysOOMs(node)
-	}()
+	err := oomWatcher.Start(node)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Should not have failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	// TODO: Improve this test once cadvisor exports events.EventChannel as an interface
 	// and thereby allow using a mock version of cadvisor.
 }