diff --git a/pkg/api/types.go b/pkg/api/types.go
index a82966e6b27..6f35a882666 100644
--- a/pkg/api/types.go
+++ b/pkg/api/types.go
@@ -469,6 +469,9 @@ type PodSpec struct {
 type PodStatus struct {
 	Phase PodPhase `json:"phase,omitempty"`
 
+	// A human readable message indicating details about why the pod is in this state.
+	Message string `json:"message,omitempty"`
+
 	// Host is the name of the node that this Pod is currently bound to, or empty if no
 	// assignment has been done.
 	Host   string `json:"host,omitempty"`
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go b/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go
index 71e05801ea2..10614a4e23a 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta1/conversion.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ func init() {
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Info, &out.Info, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			out.Message = in.Message
 			out.Host = in.Host
 			out.HostIP = in.HostIP
 			out.PodIP = in.PodIP
@@ -189,6 +190,7 @@ func init() {
 				return err
 			}
 
+			out.Message = in.Message
 			out.Host = in.Host
 			out.HostIP = in.HostIP
 			out.PodIP = in.PodIP
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go b/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go
index a817af67914..9faa062fad3 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1beta2/conversion.go
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ func init() {
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Info, &out.Info, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			out.Message = in.Message
 			out.Host = in.Host
 			out.HostIP = in.HostIP
 			out.PodIP = in.PodIP
@@ -307,6 +308,7 @@ func init() {
 			if err := s.Convert(&in.Info, &out.Info, 0); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			out.Message = in.Message
 			out.Host = in.Host
 			out.HostIP = in.HostIP
 			out.PodIP = in.PodIP