diff --git a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
index d233b45ec4..02f80967c5 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/garbagecollector/garbagecollector.go
@@ -619,13 +619,9 @@ func (gc *GarbageCollector) attemptToOrphanWorker() bool {
 // GraphHasUID returns if the GraphBuilder has a particular UID store in its
 // uidToNode graph. It's useful for debugging.
 // This method is used by integration tests.
-func (gc *GarbageCollector) GraphHasUID(UIDs []types.UID) bool {
-	for _, u := range UIDs {
-		if _, ok := gc.dependencyGraphBuilder.uidToNode.Read(u); ok {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
+func (gc *GarbageCollector) GraphHasUID(u types.UID) bool {
+	_, ok := gc.dependencyGraphBuilder.uidToNode.Read(u)
+	return ok
 }
 
 // GetDeletableResources returns all resources from discoveryClient that the
diff --git a/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go b/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go
index 29be203e91..e941b452fb 100644
--- a/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/garbagecollector/garbage_collector_test.go
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ func TestCascadingDeletion(t *testing.T) {
 	// the gc, so wait for the garbage collector to observe the deletion of
 	// the toBeDeletedRC
 	if err := wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 60*time.Second, func() (bool, error) {
-		return !gc.GraphHasUID([]types.UID{toBeDeletedRC.ObjectMeta.UID}), nil
+		return !gc.GraphHasUID(toBeDeletedRC.ObjectMeta.UID), nil
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -440,18 +440,39 @@ func setupRCsPods(t *testing.T, gc *garbagecollector.GarbageCollector, clientSet
 	for j := 0; j < 3; j++ {
 		podName := "test.pod." + nameSuffix + "-" + strconv.Itoa(j)
 		pod := newPod(podName, namespace, []metav1.OwnerReference{{UID: rc.ObjectMeta.UID, Name: rc.ObjectMeta.Name}})
-		_, err = podClient.Create(pod)
+		createdPod, err := podClient.Create(pod)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Failed to create Pod: %v", err)
 		}
-		podUIDs = append(podUIDs, pod.ObjectMeta.UID)
+		podUIDs = append(podUIDs, createdPod.ObjectMeta.UID)
+	}
+	orphan := false
+	switch {
+	case options == nil:
+		// if there are no deletion options, the default policy for replication controllers is orphan
+		orphan = true
+	case options.OrphanDependents != nil:
+		// if the deletion options explicitly specify whether to orphan, that controls
+		orphan = *options.OrphanDependents
+	case len(initialFinalizers) != 0 && initialFinalizers[0] == metav1.FinalizerOrphanDependents:
+		// if the orphan finalizer is explicitly added, we orphan
+		orphan = true
 	}
-	orphan := (options != nil && options.OrphanDependents != nil && *options.OrphanDependents) || (options == nil && len(initialFinalizers) != 0 && initialFinalizers[0] == metav1.FinalizerOrphanDependents)
 	// if we intend to orphan the pods, we need wait for the gc to observe the
 	// creation of the pods, otherwise if the deletion of RC is observed before
 	// the creation of the pods, the pods will not be orphaned.
 	if orphan {
-		wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 60*time.Second, func() (bool, error) { return gc.GraphHasUID(podUIDs), nil })
+		err := wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 60*time.Second, func() (bool, error) {
+			for _, u := range podUIDs {
+				if !gc.GraphHasUID(u) {
+					return false, nil
+				}
+			}
+			return true, nil
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to observe the expected pods in the GC graph for rc %s", rcName)
+		}
 	}
 	// delete the rc
 	if err := rcClient.Delete(rc.ObjectMeta.Name, options); err != nil {
@@ -534,13 +555,11 @@ func TestStressingCascadingDeletion(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// verify there is no node representing replication controllers in the gc's graph
-	uids := make([]types.UID, 0, collections)
 	for i := 0; i < collections; i++ {
 		uid := <-rcUIDs
-		uids = append(uids, uid)
-	}
-	if gc.GraphHasUID(uids) {
-		t.Errorf("Expect all nodes representing replication controllers are removed from the Propagator's graph")
+		if gc.GraphHasUID(uid) {
+			t.Errorf("Expect all nodes representing replication controllers are removed from the Propagator's graph")
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -568,17 +587,27 @@ func TestOrphaning(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < podsNum; i++ {
 		podName := garbageCollectedPodName + strconv.Itoa(i)
 		pod := newPod(podName, ns.Name, []metav1.OwnerReference{{UID: toBeDeletedRC.ObjectMeta.UID, Name: toBeDeletedRCName}})
-		_, err = podClient.Create(pod)
+		createdPod, err := podClient.Create(pod)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Failed to create Pod: %v", err)
 		}
-		podUIDs = append(podUIDs, pod.ObjectMeta.UID)
+		podUIDs = append(podUIDs, createdPod.ObjectMeta.UID)
 	}
 
 	// we need wait for the gc to observe the creation of the pods, otherwise if
 	// the deletion of RC is observed before the creation of the pods, the pods
 	// will not be orphaned.
-	wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 60*time.Second, func() (bool, error) { return gc.GraphHasUID(podUIDs), nil })
+	err = wait.Poll(1*time.Second, 60*time.Second, func() (bool, error) {
+		for _, u := range podUIDs {
+			if !gc.GraphHasUID(u) {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+		}
+		return true, nil
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to observe pods in GC graph for %s: %v", toBeDeletedRC.Name, err)
+	}
 
 	err = rcClient.Delete(toBeDeletedRCName, getOrphanOptions())
 	if err != nil {