diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go
index be51c9aabb1c..f1238839bc50 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller.go
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) deletePod(obj interface{}) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
-		podMap, err := dc.getPodMapForReplicaSets(d.Namespace, rsList)
+		podMap, err := dc.getPodMapForDeployment(d, rsList)
 		if err != nil {
 			return
 		}
@@ -506,11 +506,17 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) getReplicaSetsForDeployment(d *extensions.Deploy
 	return cm.ClaimReplicaSets(rsList)
 }
 
-// getPodMapForReplicaSets scans the list of all Pods and returns a map from
-// RS UID to Pods controlled by that RS, based on the Pod's ControllerRef.
-func (dc *DeploymentController) getPodMapForReplicaSets(namespace string, rsList []*extensions.ReplicaSet) (map[types.UID]*v1.PodList, error) {
-	// List all Pods.
-	pods, err := dc.podLister.Pods(namespace).List(labels.Everything())
+// getPodMapForDeployment returns the Pods managed by a Deployment.
+//
+// It returns a map from ReplicaSet UID to a list of Pods controlled by that RS,
+// according to the Pod's ControllerRef.
+func (dc *DeploymentController) getPodMapForDeployment(d *extensions.Deployment, rsList []*extensions.ReplicaSet) (map[types.UID]*v1.PodList, error) {
+	// Get all Pods that potentially belong to this Deployment.
+	selector, err := metav1.LabelSelectorAsSelector(d.Spec.Selector)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	pods, err := dc.podLister.Pods(d.Namespace).List(selector)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -583,8 +589,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) syncDeployment(key string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	// List all Pods owned by this Deployment, grouped by their ReplicaSet.
-	// This is expensive, so do it once and pass it along to subroutines.
-	podMap, err := dc.getPodMapForReplicaSets(d.Namespace, rsList)
+	podMap, err := dc.getPodMapForDeployment(d, rsList)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go
index 28bf649e4c7f..fd8375d0fcd1 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/deployment_controller_test.go
@@ -515,9 +515,9 @@ func TestGetPodMapForReplicaSets(t *testing.T) {
 	defer close(stopCh)
 	informers.Start(stopCh)
 
-	podMap, err := c.getPodMapForReplicaSets(d.Namespace, f.rsLister)
+	podMap, err := c.getPodMapForDeployment(d, f.rsLister)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("getPodMapForReplicaSets() error: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("getPodMapForDeployment() error: %v", err)
 	}
 	podCount := 0
 	for _, podList := range podMap {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
index b0083999b0fa..4f725d84e4af 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/deployment/sync.go
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) checkPausedConditions(d *extensions.Deployment)
 // getAllReplicaSetsAndSyncRevision returns all the replica sets for the provided deployment (new and all old), with new RS's and deployment's revision updated.
 //
 // rsList should come from getReplicaSetsForDeployment(d).
-// podMap should come from getPodMapForReplicaSets(rsList).
-// These are passed around to avoid repeating expensive API calls.
+// podMap should come from getPodMapForDeployment(d, rsList).
 //
 // 1. Get all old RSes this deployment targets, and calculate the max revision number among them (maxOldV).
 // 2. Get new RS this deployment targets (whose pod template matches deployment's), and update new RS's revision number to (maxOldV + 1),
@@ -134,8 +133,7 @@ func (dc *DeploymentController) getAllReplicaSetsAndSyncRevision(d *extensions.D
 // targets, with pod-template-hash information synced.
 //
 // rsList should come from getReplicaSetsForDeployment(d).
-// podMap should come from getPodMapForReplicaSets(rsList).
-// These are passed around to avoid repeating expensive API calls.
+// podMap should come from getPodMapForDeployment(d, rsList).
 func (dc *DeploymentController) rsAndPodsWithHashKeySynced(d *extensions.Deployment, rsList []*extensions.ReplicaSet, podMap map[types.UID]*v1.PodList) ([]*extensions.ReplicaSet, *v1.PodList, error) {
 	syncedRSList := []*extensions.ReplicaSet{}
 	for _, rs := range rsList {
@@ -594,8 +592,7 @@ func calculateStatus(allRSs []*extensions.ReplicaSet, newRS *extensions.ReplicaS
 // by looking at the desired-replicas annotation in the active replica sets of the deployment.
 //
 // rsList should come from getReplicaSetsForDeployment(d).
-// podMap should come from getPodMapForReplicaSets(rsList).
-// These are passed around to avoid repeating expensive API calls.
+// podMap should come from getPodMapForDeployment(d, rsList).
 func (dc *DeploymentController) isScalingEvent(d *extensions.Deployment, rsList []*extensions.ReplicaSet, podMap map[types.UID]*v1.PodList) (bool, error) {
 	newRS, oldRSs, err := dc.getAllReplicaSetsAndSyncRevision(d, rsList, podMap, false)
 	if err != nil {