diff --git a/node/pod.go b/node/pod.go
index bb07cef44..5176b5338 100644
--- a/node/pod.go
+++ b/node/pod.go
@@ -259,6 +259,12 @@ func (pc *PodController) updatePodStatus(ctx context.Context, podFromKubernetes
 	kPod.Lock()
 	podFromProvider := kPod.lastPodStatusReceivedFromProvider.DeepCopy()
 	kPod.Unlock()
+
+	if podFromProvider == nil {
+		log.G(ctx).Debug("No pod status received from provider yet, skipping update")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Pod deleted by provider due some reasons. e.g. a K8s provider, pod created by deployment would be evicted when node is not ready.
 	// If we do not delete pod in K8s, deployment would not create a new one.
 	if podFromProvider.DeletionTimestamp != nil && podFromKubernetes.DeletionTimestamp == nil {
diff --git a/node/podcontroller.go b/node/podcontroller.go
index 3680784d3..b8a5e4c3e 100644
--- a/node/podcontroller.go
+++ b/node/podcontroller.go
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) Run(ctx context.Context, podSyncWorkers int) (retErr er
 				kPod := obj.(*knownPod)
 				kPod.Lock()
 				if kPod.lastPodStatusUpdateSkipped &&
+					kPod.lastPodStatusReceivedFromProvider != nil &&
 					(!cmp.Equal(newPod.Status, kPod.lastPodStatusReceivedFromProvider.Status) ||
 						!cmp.Equal(newPod.Annotations, kPod.lastPodStatusReceivedFromProvider.Annotations) ||
 						!cmp.Equal(newPod.Labels, kPod.lastPodStatusReceivedFromProvider.Labels) ||