diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
index 32b251df6e135..64366317708ba 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet.go
@@ -1245,12 +1245,12 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) computePodContainerChanges(pod *api.Pod, hasMirrorPod bool, c
 					result, err := kl.probeContainer(pod, podStatus, container, dockerContainer.ID, dockerContainer.Created)
 					if err != nil {
 						// TODO(vmarmol): examine this logic.
-						glog.Infof("probe no-error: %s", container.Name)
+						glog.Infof("probe no-error: %q", container.Name)
 						containersToKeep[containerID] = index
 						continue
 					}
 					if result == probe.Success {
-						glog.Infof("probe success: %s", container.Name)
+						glog.Infof("probe success: %q", container.Name)
 						containersToKeep[containerID] = index
 						continue
 					}
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncPod(pod *api.Pod, hasMirrorPod bool, containersInPod dock
 
 	// Before returning, regenerate status and store it in the cache.
 	defer func() {
-		status, err := kl.generatePodStatus(podFullName, uid)
+		status, err := kl.generatePodStatusByPod(pod)
 		if err != nil {
 			glog.Errorf("Unable to generate status for pod with name %q and uid %q info with error(%v)", podFullName, uid, err)
 		} else {
@@ -1467,7 +1467,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) cleanupOrphanedVolumes(pods []api.Pod, running []*docker.Cont
 		if _, ok := desiredVolumes[name]; !ok {
 			parts := strings.Split(name, "/")
 			if runningSet.Has(parts[0]) {
-				glog.Infof("volume %s, still has a container running %s, skipping teardown", name, parts[0])
+				glog.Infof("volume %q, still has a container running %q, skipping teardown", name, parts[0])
 				continue
 			}
 			//TODO (jonesdl) We should somehow differentiate between volumes that are supposed
@@ -1767,9 +1767,9 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) syncStatus(deadline time.Duration) {
 		}
 		_, err = kl.kubeClient.Pods(pod.Namespace).UpdateStatus(pod.Name, &status)
 		if err != nil {
-			glog.Warningf("Error updating status for pod %s: %v (full pod: %s)", pod.Name, err, pod)
+			glog.Warningf("Error updating status for pod %q: %v (full pod: %q)", pod.Name, err, pod)
 		} else {
-			glog.V(3).Infof("Status for pod %q updated successfully: %s", pod.Name, pod)
+			glog.V(3).Infof("Status for pod %q updated successfully: %q", pod.Name, pod)
 		}
 	}
 	t.Stop()
@@ -1887,7 +1887,16 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) GetPods() ([]api.Pod, util.StringSet) {
 	return append([]api.Pod{}, kl.pods...), kl.mirrorPods
 }
 
-// GetPodByName provides the first pod that matches namespace and name, as well as whether the node was found.
+func (kl *Kubelet) GetPodByFullName(podFullName string) (*api.Pod, bool) {
+	name, namespace, err := ParsePodFullName(podFullName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	return kl.GetPodByName(namespace, name)
+}
+
+// GetPodByName provides the first pod that matches namespace and name, as well
+// as whether the pod was found.
 func (kl *Kubelet) GetPodByName(namespace, name string) (*api.Pod, bool) {
 	kl.podLock.RLock()
 	defer kl.podLock.RUnlock()
@@ -1917,10 +1926,10 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) updateNodeStatus() error {
 func (kl *Kubelet) tryUpdateNodeStatus() error {
 	node, err := kl.kubeClient.Nodes().Get(kl.hostname)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error getting node %s: %v", kl.hostname, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error getting node %q: %v", kl.hostname, err)
 	}
 	if node == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no node instance returned for %v", kl.hostname)
+		return fmt.Errorf("no node instance returned for %q", kl.hostname)
 	}
 
 	// TODO: Post NotReady if we cannot get MachineInfo from cAdvisor. This needs to start
@@ -2042,41 +2051,37 @@ func getPodReadyCondition(spec *api.PodSpec, info api.PodInfo) []api.PodConditio
 	return ready
 }
 
-func (kl *Kubelet) GetPodByFullName(podFullName string) (*api.PodSpec, bool) {
-	kl.podLock.RLock()
-	defer kl.podLock.RUnlock()
-	for _, pod := range kl.pods {
-		if GetPodFullName(&pod) == podFullName {
-			return &pod.Spec, true
-		}
-	}
-	return nil, false
-}
-
 // GetPodStatus returns information from Docker about the containers in a pod
 func (kl *Kubelet) GetPodStatus(podFullName string, uid types.UID) (api.PodStatus, error) {
 	// Check to see if we have a cached version of the status.
 	cachedPodStatus, found := kl.getPodStatusFromCache(podFullName)
 	if found {
-		glog.V(3).Infof("Returning cached status for %s", podFullName)
+		glog.V(3).Infof("Returning cached status for %q", podFullName)
 		return cachedPodStatus, nil
 	}
 	return kl.generatePodStatus(podFullName, uid)
 }
 
 func (kl *Kubelet) generatePodStatus(podFullName string, uid types.UID) (api.PodStatus, error) {
-	glog.V(3).Infof("Generating status for %s", podFullName)
-
-	spec, found := kl.GetPodByFullName(podFullName)
+	pod, found := kl.GetPodByFullName(podFullName)
 	if !found {
-		return api.PodStatus{}, fmt.Errorf("Couldn't find spec for pod %s", podFullName)
+		return api.PodStatus{}, fmt.Errorf("couldn't find pod %q", podFullName)
 	}
+	return kl.generatePodStatusByPod(pod)
+}
+
+// By passing the pod directly, this method avoids pod lookup, which requires
+// grabbing a lock.
+func (kl *Kubelet) generatePodStatusByPod(pod *api.Pod) (api.PodStatus, error) {
+	podFullName := GetPodFullName(pod)
+	glog.V(3).Infof("Generating status for %q", podFullName)
 
-	podStatus, err := dockertools.GetDockerPodStatus(kl.dockerClient, *spec, podFullName, uid)
+	spec := &pod.Spec
+	podStatus, err := dockertools.GetDockerPodStatus(kl.dockerClient, *spec, podFullName, pod.UID)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		// Error handling
-		glog.Infof("Query docker container info for pod %s failed with error (%v)", podFullName, err)
+		glog.Infof("Query docker container info for pod %q failed with error (%v)", podFullName, err)
 		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "resource temporarily unavailable") {
 			// Leave upstream layer to decide what to do
 			return api.PodStatus{}, err
@@ -2153,7 +2158,7 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) PortForward(podFullName string, uid types.UID, port uint16, s
 	}
 	podInfraContainer, found, _ := dockerContainers.FindPodContainer(podFullName, uid, dockertools.PodInfraContainerName)
 	if !found {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to find pod infra container for pod %s, uid %v", podFullName, uid)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to find pod infra container for pod %q, uid %v", podFullName, uid)
 	}
 	return kl.runner.PortForward(podInfraContainer.ID, port, stream)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go b/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go
index 55b3189d782ac..b7a6941525d7f 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/runonce_test.go
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ func TestRunOnce(t *testing.T) {
 		rootDirectory: "/tmp/kubelet",
 		recorder:      &record.FakeRecorder{},
 		cadvisor:      cadvisor,
+		podStatuses:   make(map[string]api.PodStatus),
 	}
 
 	kb.networkPlugin, _ = network.InitNetworkPlugin([]network.NetworkPlugin{}, "", network.NewFakeHost(nil))