diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission.go
index a182441d676..4f0d65e5823 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission.go
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ func (l *lifecycle) Admit(a admission.Attributes) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// always allow deletion of other resources
+	if a.GetOperation() == admission.Delete {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// always allow access review checks.  Returning status about the namespace would be leaking information
 	if isAccessReview(a) {
 		return nil
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission_test.go
index 2722003a884..9ddf97c6138 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/admission/plugin/namespace/lifecycle/admission_test.go
@@ -135,6 +135,24 @@ func TestAdmissionNamespaceDoesNotExist(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		t.Errorf("expected error returned from admission handler: %v", actions)
 	}
+
+	// verify create operations in the namespace cause an error
+	err = handler.Admit(admission.NewAttributesRecord(&pod, nil, v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("Pod").GroupKind().WithVersion("version"), pod.Namespace, pod.Name, v1.Resource("pods").WithVersion("version"), "", admission.Create, nil))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error rejecting creates in a namespace when it is missing")
+	}
+
+	// verify update operations in the namespace cause an error
+	err = handler.Admit(admission.NewAttributesRecord(&pod, nil, v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("Pod").GroupKind().WithVersion("version"), pod.Namespace, pod.Name, v1.Resource("pods").WithVersion("version"), "", admission.Update, nil))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error rejecting updates in a namespace when it is missing")
+	}
+
+	// verify delete operations in the namespace can proceed
+	err = handler.Admit(admission.NewAttributesRecord(nil, nil, v1.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("Pod").GroupKind().WithVersion("version"), pod.Namespace, pod.Name, v1.Resource("pods").WithVersion("version"), "", admission.Delete, nil))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error returned from admission handler: %v", err)
+	}
 }
 
 // TestAdmissionNamespaceActive verifies a resource is admitted when the namespace is active.