diff --git a/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes.rb b/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes.rb
index 4a87de6822b..bb9fb528cac 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes.rb
@@ -21,20 +21,31 @@ def sync_from_system
   end
 
   def sync_starting_workers
-    MiqWorker.find_all_starting.reject(&:rails_worker?).each do |worker|
+    starting = MiqWorker.find_all_starting
+
+    # Non-rails workers cannot set their own miq_worker record to started once they
+    # have finished initializing.  Check for any starting non-rails workers whose
+    # pod is running and mark the miq_worker as started.
+    starting.reject(&:rails_worker?).each do |worker|
       worker_pod = current_pods[worker.system_uid]
       next if worker_pod.nil?
 
-      worker.update!(:status => "started") if worker_pod[:running]
+      worker.update!(:status => MiqWorker::STATUS_STARTED) if worker_pod[:running]
     end
+
+    starting.reload
   end
 
   def sync_stopping_workers
-    MiqWorker.find_all_stopping.reject(&:rails_worker?).each do |worker|
+    stopping = MiqWorker.find_all_stopping
+
+    stopping.reject(&:rails_worker?).each do |worker|
       next if current_pods.key?(worker[:system_uid])
 
       worker.update!(:status => MiqWorker::STATUS_STOPPED)
     end
+
+    stopping.reload
   end
 
   def enough_resource_to_start_worker?(_worker_class)
diff --git a/spec/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes_spec.rb b/spec/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes_spec.rb
index f6532587722..8b27863331e 100644
--- a/spec/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/miq_server/worker_management/kubernetes_spec.rb
@@ -210,6 +210,128 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#sync_starting_workers" do
+    before { MiqWorkerType.seed }
+
+    context "podified" do
+      let(:rails_worker) { true }
+      let(:pod_name)     { "1-generic-abcd" }
+      let(:pod_running)  { true }
+      let(:worker)       { FactoryBot.create(:miq_generic_worker, :miq_server => server, :status => status, :system_uid => pod_name) }
+      let(:current_pods) { {pod_name => {:label_name => pod_label, :last_state_terminated => false, :container_restarts => 0, :running => pod_running}} }
+
+      before do
+        allow(worker.class).to receive(:rails_worker?).and_return(rails_worker)
+        server.worker_manager.current_pods = current_pods
+      end
+
+      after do
+        server.worker_manager.current_pods.clear
+      end
+
+      context "with no starting workers" do
+        let(:status) { MiqWorker::STATUS_STARTED }
+
+        it "returns an empty array" do
+          expect(server.worker_manager.sync_starting_workers).to be_empty
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "with a starting worker" do
+        let(:status) { MiqWorker::STATUS_STARTING }
+
+        it "returns the starting worker" do
+          expect(server.worker_manager.sync_starting_workers).to include(worker)
+        end
+
+        context "non-rails worker" do
+          let(:rails_worker) { false }
+
+          context "without a pod" do
+            let(:current_pods) { {} }
+
+            it "returns the worker as still starting" do
+              expect(server.worker_manager.sync_starting_workers).to include(worker)
+            end
+          end
+
+          context "with a pod that is running" do
+            let(:pod_running) { true }
+
+            it "marks the worker as running and returns an empty array" do
+              expect(server.worker_manager.sync_starting_workers).to be_empty
+            end
+          end
+
+          context "with a pod that isn't running yet" do
+            let(:pod_running) { false }
+
+            it "returns the starting worker" do
+              expect(server.worker_manager.sync_starting_workers).to include(worker)
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe "#sync_starting_workers" do
+    before { MiqWorkerType.seed }
+
+    context "podified" do
+      let(:rails_worker) { true }
+      let(:pod_name)     { "1-generic-abcd" }
+      let(:pod_running)  { true }
+      let(:worker)       { FactoryBot.create(:miq_generic_worker, :miq_server => server, :status => status, :system_uid => pod_name) }
+      let(:current_pods) { {pod_name => {:label_name => pod_label, :last_state_terminated => false, :container_restarts => 0, :running => pod_running}} }
+
+      before do
+        allow(worker.class).to receive(:rails_worker?).and_return(rails_worker)
+        server.worker_manager.current_pods = current_pods
+      end
+
+      after do
+        server.worker_manager.current_pods.clear
+      end
+
+      context "with no stopping workers" do
+        let(:status) { MiqWorker::STATUS_STARTED }
+
+        it "returns an empty array" do
+          expect(server.worker_manager.sync_stopping_workers).to be_empty
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "with a stopping worker" do
+        let(:status) { MiqWorker::STATUS_STOPPING }
+
+        it "returns the stopping worker" do
+          expect(server.worker_manager.sync_stopping_workers).to include(worker)
+        end
+
+        context "non-rails worker" do
+          let(:rails_worker) { false }
+
+          context "without a pod" do
+            let(:current_pods) { {} }
+
+            it "marks the worker as stopped and returns an empty array" do
+              expect(server.worker_manager.sync_stopping_workers).to be_empty
+            end
+          end
+
+          context "with a pod that is still running" do
+            let(:pod_running) { true }
+
+            it "returns the stopping worker" do
+              expect(server.worker_manager.sync_stopping_workers).to include(worker)
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   context "#cleanup_orphaned_worker_rows" do
     context "podified" do
       let(:server2) { EvmSpecHelper.remote_miq_server }