diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go
index 4d2f2337d7..b6f01ef546 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate.go
@@ -104,8 +104,19 @@ func oldPodsRunning(newRS *extensions.ReplicaSet, oldRSs []*extensions.ReplicaSe
 		if newRS != nil && newRS.UID == rsUID {
 			continue
 		}
-		if len(podList.Items) > 0 {
-			return true
+		for _, pod := range podList.Items {
+			switch pod.Status.Phase {
+			case v1.PodFailed, v1.PodSucceeded:
+				// Don't count pods in terminal state.
+				continue
+			case v1.PodUnknown:
+				// This happens in situation like when the node is temporarily disconnected from the cluster.
+				// If we can't be sure that the pod is not running, we have to count it.
+				return true
+			default:
+				// Pod is not in terminal phase.
+				return true
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return false
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate_test.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate_test.go
index d557b5633a..d81435c759 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/recreate_test.go
@@ -90,33 +90,135 @@ func TestOldPodsRunning(t *testing.T) {
 		oldRSs []*extensions.ReplicaSet
 		podMap map[types.UID]*v1.PodList
 
-		expected bool
+		hasOldPodsRunning bool
 	}{
 		{
-			name:     "no old RSs",
-			expected: false,
+			name:              "no old RSs",
+			hasOldPodsRunning: false,
 		},
 		{
-			name:     "old RSs with running pods",
-			oldRSs:   []*extensions.ReplicaSet{rsWithUID("some-uid"), rsWithUID("other-uid")},
-			podMap:   podMapWithUIDs([]string{"some-uid", "other-uid"}),
-			expected: true,
+			name:              "old RSs with running pods",
+			oldRSs:            []*extensions.ReplicaSet{rsWithUID("some-uid"), rsWithUID("other-uid")},
+			podMap:            podMapWithUIDs([]string{"some-uid", "other-uid"}),
+			hasOldPodsRunning: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:     "old RSs without pods but with non-zero status replicas",
-			oldRSs:   []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-blabla", 0, 1, nil)},
-			expected: true,
+			name:              "old RSs without pods but with non-zero status replicas",
+			oldRSs:            []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 1, nil)},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:     "old RSs without pods or non-zero status replicas",
-			oldRSs:   []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-blabla", 0, 0, nil)},
-			expected: false,
+			name:              "old RSs without pods or non-zero status replicas",
+			oldRSs:            []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 0, nil)},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "old RSs with zero status replicas but pods in terminal state are present",
+			oldRSs: []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 0, nil)},
+			podMap: map[types.UID]*v1.PodList{
+				"uid-1": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodFailed,
+							},
+						},
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodSucceeded,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "old RSs with zero status replicas but pod in unknown phase present",
+			oldRSs: []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 0, nil)},
+			podMap: map[types.UID]*v1.PodList{
+				"uid-1": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodUnknown,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "old RSs with zero status replicas with pending pod present",
+			oldRSs: []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 0, nil)},
+			podMap: map[types.UID]*v1.PodList{
+				"uid-1": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodPending,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "old RSs with zero status replicas with running pod present",
+			oldRSs: []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 0, nil)},
+			podMap: map[types.UID]*v1.PodList{
+				"uid-1": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodRunning,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "old RSs with zero status replicas but pods in terminal state and pending are present",
+			oldRSs: []*extensions.ReplicaSet{newRSWithStatus("rs-1", 0, 0, nil)},
+			podMap: map[types.UID]*v1.PodList{
+				"uid-1": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodFailed,
+							},
+						},
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodSucceeded,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				"uid-2": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{},
+				},
+				"uid-3": {
+					Items: []v1.Pod{
+						{
+							Status: v1.PodStatus{
+								Phase: v1.PodPending,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			hasOldPodsRunning: true,
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			if expected, got := test.expected, oldPodsRunning(test.newRS, test.oldRSs, test.podMap); expected != got {
+			if expected, got := test.hasOldPodsRunning, oldPodsRunning(test.newRS, test.oldRSs, test.podMap); expected != got {
 				t.Errorf("%s: expected %t, got %t", test.name, expected, got)
 			}
 		})