diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go
index 920890c8f93..463850d489e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status/manager.go
@@ -323,8 +323,9 @@ func (m *manager) syncPod(uid types.UID, status versionedPodStatus) {
 	// TODO: make me easier to express from client code
 	pod, err := m.kubeClient.Pods(status.podNamespace).Get(status.podName)
 	if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-		glog.V(3).Infof("Pod %q (%s) was deleted on the server", status.podName, uid)
-		m.deletePodStatus(uid)
+		glog.V(3).Infof("Pod %q (%s) does not exist on the server", status.podName, uid)
+		// If the Pod is deleted the status will be cleared in
+		// RemoveOrphanedStatuses, so we just ignore the update here.
 		return
 	}
 	if err == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/status/manager_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/status/manager_test.go
index c6c0b368b23..c6bef2cb381 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/status/manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/status/manager_test.go
@@ -264,8 +264,6 @@ func TestSyncBatchIgnoresNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyActions(t, syncer.kubeClient, []testclient.Action{
 		testclient.GetActionImpl{ActionImpl: testclient.ActionImpl{Verb: "get", Resource: "pods"}},
 	})
-	_, found := syncer.GetPodStatus(testPod.UID)
-	assert.False(t, found, "Pod status should have been deleted")
 }
 
 func TestSyncBatch(t *testing.T) {