diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager.go
index 4541c21d5c8..2282d8e6285 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func (m *manager) RemovePod(pod *api.Pod) {
 		for _, probeType := range [...]probeType{readiness, liveness} {
 			key.probeType = probeType
 			if worker, ok := m.workers[key]; ok {
-				close(worker.stop)
+				worker.stop()
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func (m *manager) CleanupPods(activePods []*api.Pod) {
 
 	for key, worker := range m.workers {
 		if _, ok := desiredPods[key.podUID]; !ok {
-			close(worker.stop)
+			worker.stop()
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager_test.go
index f01ba50cf04..ac64843f0ff 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/manager_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package prober
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	kubecontainer "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/container"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubelet/prober/results"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/probe"
+	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/wait"
 )
@@ -173,6 +175,31 @@ func TestCleanupPods(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestCleanupRepeated(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newTestManager()
+	defer cleanup(t, m)
+	podTemplate := api.Pod{
+		Spec: api.PodSpec{
+			Containers: []api.Container{{
+				Name:           "prober1",
+				ReadinessProbe: defaultProbe,
+				LivenessProbe:  defaultProbe,
+			}},
+		},
+	}
+
+	const numTestPods = 100
+	for i := 0; i < numTestPods; i++ {
+		pod := podTemplate
+		pod.UID = types.UID(strconv.Itoa(i))
+		m.AddPod(&pod)
+	}
+
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		m.CleanupPods([]*api.Pod{})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestUpdatePodStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	unprobed := api.ContainerStatus{
 		Name:        "unprobed_container",
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go
index 60f4c6d6747..c3d0f2241c4 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker.go
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ import (
 // stop channel is closed. The worker uses the probe Manager's statusManager to get up-to-date
 // container IDs.
 type worker struct {
-	// Channel for stopping the probe, it should be closed to trigger a stop.
-	stop chan struct{}
+	// Channel for stopping the probe.
+	stopCh chan struct{}
 
 	// The pod containing this probe (read-only)
 	pod *api.Pod
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func newWorker(
 	container api.Container) *worker {
 
 	w := &worker{
-		stop:         make(chan struct{}),
+		stopCh:       make(chan struct{}, 1), // Buffer so stop() can be non-blocking.
 		pod:          pod,
 		container:    container,
 		probeType:    probeType,
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ probeLoop:
 	for w.doProbe() {
 		// Wait for next probe tick.
 		select {
-		case <-w.stop:
+		case <-w.stopCh:
 			break probeLoop
 		case <-probeTicker.C:
 			// continue
@@ -117,6 +117,15 @@ probeLoop:
 	}
 }
 
+// stop stops the probe worker. The worker handles cleanup and removes itself from its manager.
+// It is safe to call stop multiple times.
+func (w *worker) stop() {
+	select {
+	case w.stopCh <- struct{}{}:
+	default: // Non-blocking.
+	}
+}
+
 // doProbe probes the container once and records the result.
 // Returns whether the worker should continue.
 func (w *worker) doProbe() (keepGoing bool) {
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker_test.go
index 192bc30c0c5..26a87dd2dcf 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/prober/worker_test.go
@@ -236,7 +236,9 @@ func TestCleanUp(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		close(w.stop)
+		for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+			w.stop() // Stop should be callable multiple times without consequence.
+		}
 		if err := waitForWorkerExit(m, []probeKey{key}); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("[%s] error waiting for worker exit: %v", probeType, err)
 		}