diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
index 345566d1026..50eacfb09c2 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/kubelet_pods.go
@@ -940,6 +940,24 @@ func (kl *Kubelet) PodResourcesAreReclaimed(pod *v1.Pod, status v1.PodStatus) bo
 		klog.V(3).Infof("Pod %q is terminated, but some containers have not been cleaned up: %s", format.Pod(pod), statusStr)
 		return false
 	}
+	// pod's sandboxes should be deleted
+	filter := &runtimeapi.PodSandboxFilter{
+		LabelSelector: map[string]string{kubetypes.KubernetesPodUIDLabel: string(pod.UID)},
+	}
+	sandboxes, err := kl.runtimeService.ListPodSandbox(filter)
+	if err != nil {
+		klog.V(3).Infof("Pod %q is terminated, Error getting pod sandboxes from the runtime service: %s", format.Pod(pod), err)
+		return false
+	}
+	if len(sandboxes) > 0 {
+		var sandboxStr string
+		for _, sandbox := range sandboxes {
+			sandboxStr += fmt.Sprintf("%+v ", sandbox)
+		}
+		klog.V(3).Infof("Pod %q is terminated, but some pod sandboxes have not been cleaned up: %s", format.Pod(pod), sandboxStr)
+		return false
+	}
+
 	if kl.podVolumesExist(pod.UID) && !kl.keepTerminatedPodVolumes {
 		// We shouldn't delete pods whose volumes have not been cleaned up if we are not keeping terminated pod volumes
 		klog.V(3).Infof("Pod %q is terminated, but some volumes have not been cleaned up", format.Pod(pod))