diff --git a/controller/cache/cluster.go b/controller/cache/cluster.go
index 297521be28..19dc178913 100644
--- a/controller/cache/cluster.go
+++ b/controller/cache/cluster.go
@@ -191,11 +191,14 @@ func (c *clusterInfo) getManagedLiveObjs(a *appv1.Application, targetObjs []*uns
 	defer c.lock.Unlock()
 
 	managedObjs := make(map[kube.ResourceKey]*unstructured.Unstructured)
+	// iterate all objects in live state cache to find ones associated with app
 	for key, o := range c.nodes {
 		if o.appName == a.Name && o.resource != nil && len(o.ownerRefs) == 0 {
 			managedObjs[key] = o.resource
 		}
 	}
+	// iterate target objects and identify ones that already exist in the cluster,\
+	// but are simply missing our label
 	lock := &sync.Mutex{}
 	err := util.RunAllAsync(len(targetObjs), func(i int) error {
 		targetObj := targetObjs[i]
@@ -211,12 +214,13 @@ func (c *clusterInfo) getManagedLiveObjs(a *appv1.Application, targetObjs []*uns
 				} else {
 					var err error
 					managedObj, err = c.kubectl.GetResource(c.cluster.RESTConfig(), targetObj.GroupVersionKind(), existingObj.ref.Name, existingObj.ref.Namespace)
-					err = c.handleError(targetObj.GroupVersionKind(), existingObj.ref.Namespace, existingObj.ref.Name, err)
-					if err != nil && !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+					if err != nil {
+						if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+							c.checkAndInvalidateStaleCache(targetObj.GroupVersionKind(), existingObj.ref.Namespace, existingObj.ref.Name)
+							return nil
+						}
 						return err
 					}
-					// TODO: may need to add following line due to k8s behavior of returning an object even when err is NotFound
-					// managedObj = nil
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -241,25 +245,26 @@ func (c *clusterInfo) getManagedLiveObjs(a *appv1.Application, targetObjs []*uns
 
 func (c *clusterInfo) delete(obj *unstructured.Unstructured) error {
 	err := c.kubectl.DeleteResource(c.cluster.RESTConfig(), obj.GroupVersionKind(), obj.GetName(), obj.GetNamespace(), false)
-	err = c.handleError(obj.GroupVersionKind(), obj.GetNamespace(), obj.GetName(), err)
 	if err != nil && errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-		err = nil
+		// a delete request came in for an object which does not exist. it's possible that our cache
+		// is stale. Check and invalidate if it is
+		c.lock.Lock()
+		c.checkAndInvalidateStaleCache(obj.GroupVersionKind(), obj.GetNamespace(), obj.GetName())
+		c.lock.Unlock()
+		return nil
 	}
 	return err
 }
 
-func (c *clusterInfo) handleError(gvk schema.GroupVersionKind, namespace string, name string, err error) error {
-	if err != nil && errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-		c.lock.Lock()
-		defer c.lock.Unlock()
-		if _, ok := c.nodes[kube.NewResourceKey(gvk.Group, gvk.Kind, namespace, name)]; ok {
-			if c.syncTime != nil {
-				c.log.Warn("Dropped stale cache")
-				c.syncTime = nil
-			}
+// checkAndInvalidateStaleCache checks if our cache is stale and invalidate it based on error
+// should be called whenever we suspect our cache is stale
+func (c *clusterInfo) checkAndInvalidateStaleCache(gvk schema.GroupVersionKind, namespace string, name string) {
+	if _, ok := c.nodes[kube.NewResourceKey(gvk.Group, gvk.Kind, namespace, name)]; ok {
+		if c.syncTime != nil {
+			c.log.Warnf("invalidated stale cache due to mismatch of %s, %s/%s", gvk, namespace, name)
+			c.invalidate()
 		}
 	}
-	return err
 }
 
 func (c *clusterInfo) processEvent(event watch.EventType, un *unstructured.Unstructured) error {