diff --git a/hack/godep-save.sh b/hack/godep-save.sh
index ef2988ef572..eb7f086f334 100755
--- a/hack/godep-save.sh
+++ b/hack/godep-save.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/util.sh"
 
 kube::util::ensure_single_dir_gopath
 kube::util::ensure_godep_version v79
+kube::util::ensure_no_staging_repos_in_gopath
 
 if [ -e "${KUBE_ROOT}/vendor" -o -e "${KUBE_ROOT}/Godeps" ]; then
   echo "The directory vendor/ or Godeps/ exists. Remove them before running godep-save.sh" 1>&2
@@ -40,18 +41,6 @@ REQUIRED_BINS=(
 )
 
 pushd "${KUBE_ROOT}" > /dev/null
-  # sanity check that staging directories do not exist in GOPATH
-  error=0
-  for repo in $(ls ${KUBE_ROOT}/staging/src/k8s.io); do
-    if [ -e "${GOPATH}/src/k8s.io/${repo}" ]; then
-      echo "k8s.io/${repo} exists in GOPATH. Remove before running godep-save.sh." 1>&2
-      error=1
-    fi
-  done
-  if [ "${error}" = "1" ]; then
-    exit 1
-  fi
-
   echo "Running godep save. This will take around 15 minutes."
   GOPATH=${GOPATH}:${KUBE_ROOT}/staging godep save "${REQUIRED_BINS[@]}"
 
diff --git a/hack/lib/util.sh b/hack/lib/util.sh
index 2c486a01680..80e5545a449 100755
--- a/hack/lib/util.sh
+++ b/hack/lib/util.sh
@@ -513,6 +513,22 @@ kube::util::ensure_godep_version() {
   godep version
 }
 
+# Ensure that none of the staging repos is checked out in the GOPATH because this
+# easily confused godep.
+kube::util::ensure_no_staging_repos_in_gopath() {
+  kube::util::ensure_single_dir_gopath
+  local error=0
+  for repo in $(ls ${KUBE_ROOT}/staging/src/k8s.io); do
+    if [ -e "${GOPATH}/src/k8s.io/${repo}" ]; then
+      echo "k8s.io/${repo} exists in GOPATH. Remove before running godep-save.sh." 1>&2
+      error=1
+    fi
+  done
+  if [ "${error}" = "1" ]; then
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
 # Installs the specified go package at a particular commit.
 kube::util::go_install_from_commit() {
   local -r pkg=$1
diff --git a/hack/update-staging-godeps.sh b/hack/update-staging-godeps.sh
index 03c7ec1be80..553cddb5ca9 100755
--- a/hack/update-staging-godeps.sh
+++ b/hack/update-staging-godeps.sh
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ if ! kube::util::godep_restored 2>&1 | sed 's/^/  /'; then
 fi
 
 kube::util::ensure-temp-dir
+kube::util::ensure_single_dir_gopath
 kube::util::ensure_godep_version v79
+kube::util::ensure_no_staging_repos_in_gopath
 
 TMP_GOPATH="${KUBE_TEMP}/go"