diff --git a/state/state.go b/state/state.go
index fdfdb613..884c5e46 100644
--- a/state/state.go
+++ b/state/state.go
@@ -202,7 +202,14 @@ type syncPrepareResult struct {
 
 // SyncReleases wrapper for executing helm upgrade on the releases
 func (st *HelmState) prepareSyncReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, additionalValues []string, concurrency int) ([]syncPrepareResult, []error) {
-	releases := st.Releases
+	releases := []*ReleaseSpec{}
+	for i, _ := range st.Releases {
+		if !st.Releases[i].Desired() {
+			continue
+		}
+		releases = append(releases, &st.Releases[i])
+	}
+
 	numReleases := len(releases)
 	jobs := make(chan *ReleaseSpec, numReleases)
 	results := make(chan syncPrepareResult, numReleases)
@@ -215,7 +222,7 @@ func (st *HelmState) prepareSyncReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, additionalValu
 		numReleases,
 		func() {
 			for i := 0; i < numReleases; i++ {
-				jobs <- &releases[i]
+				jobs <- releases[i]
 			}
 			close(jobs)
 		},
@@ -284,7 +291,7 @@ func (st *HelmState) DetectReleasesToBeDeleted(helm helmexec.Interface) ([]*Rele
 	detected := []*ReleaseSpec{}
 	for i, _ := range st.Releases {
 		release := st.Releases[i]
-		if release.Installed != nil && !*release.Installed {
+		if !release.Desired() {
 			installed, err := isReleaseInstalled(helm, release)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
@@ -322,7 +329,7 @@ func (st *HelmState) SyncReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, additionalValues []st
 				flags := prep.flags
 				chart := normalizeChart(st.basePath, release.Chart)
 				var relErr *ReleaseError
-				if release.Installed != nil && !*release.Installed {
+				if !release.Desired() {
 					installed, err := isReleaseInstalled(helm, *release)
 					if err != nil {
 						relErr = &ReleaseError{release, err}
@@ -457,6 +464,10 @@ func (st *HelmState) TemplateReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, additionalValues
 	}
 
 	for _, release := range st.Releases {
+		if !release.Desired() {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		flags, err := st.flagsForTemplate(helm, &release)
 		if err != nil {
 			errs = append(errs, err)
@@ -513,6 +524,10 @@ func (st *HelmState) LintReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, additionalValues []st
 	}
 
 	for _, release := range st.Releases {
+		if !release.Desired() {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		flags, err := st.flagsForLint(helm, &release)
 		if err != nil {
 			errs = append(errs, err)
@@ -717,6 +732,9 @@ func (st *HelmState) DiffReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, additionalValues []st
 
 func (st *HelmState) ReleaseStatuses(helm helmexec.Interface, workerLimit int) []error {
 	return st.scatterGatherReleases(helm, workerLimit, func(release ReleaseSpec) error {
+		if !release.Desired() {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return helm.ReleaseStatus(release.Name)
 	})
 }
@@ -742,6 +760,10 @@ func (st *HelmState) DeleteReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, purge bool) []error
 // TestReleases wrapper for executing helm test on the releases
 func (st *HelmState) TestReleases(helm helmexec.Interface, cleanup bool, timeout int, concurrency int) []error {
 	return st.scatterGatherReleases(helm, concurrency, func(release ReleaseSpec) error {
+		if !release.Desired() {
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		flags := []string{}
 		if cleanup {
 			flags = append(flags, "--cleanup")
diff --git a/state/state_test.go b/state/state_test.go
index 99fa8efb..4f224d31 100644
--- a/state/state_test.go
+++ b/state/state_test.go
@@ -1126,12 +1126,51 @@ func TestHelmState_ReleaseStatuses(t *testing.T) {
 			helm:    &mockHelmExec{},
 			wantErr: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "complain missing values file for desired release",
+			releases: []ReleaseSpec{
+				{
+					Name: "error",
+					Values: []interface{}{
+						"foo.yaml",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			helm:    &mockHelmExec{},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "should not complain missing values file for undesired release",
+			releases: []ReleaseSpec{
+				{
+					Name: "error",
+					Values: []interface{}{
+						"foo.yaml",
+					},
+					Installed: boolValue(false),
+				},
+			},
+			helm:    &mockHelmExec{},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		i := func(t *testing.T) {
 			state := &HelmState{
 				Releases: tt.releases,
 				logger:   logger,
+				fileExists: func(f string) (bool, error) {
+					if f != "foo.yaml" {
+						return false, fmt.Errorf("unexpected file: %s", f)
+					}
+					return true, nil
+				},
+				readFile: func(f string) ([]byte, error) {
+					if f != "foo.yaml" {
+						return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected file: %s", f)
+					}
+					return []byte{}, nil
+				},
 			}
 			errs := state.ReleaseStatuses(tt.helm, 1)
 			if (errs != nil) != tt.wantErr {