diff --git a/pkg/cluster/pod.go b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
index 44af662cb..e64421a31 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/pod.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/pod.go
@@ -319,6 +319,6 @@ func (c *Cluster) podIsEndOfLife(pod *v1.Pod) (bool, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
-	return node.Spec.Unschedulable || util.MapContains(node.Labels, c.OpConfig.NodeEOLLabel), nil
+	return node.Spec.Unschedulable || !util.MapContains(node.Labels, c.OpConfig.NodeReadinessLabel), nil
 
 }
diff --git a/pkg/controller/node.go b/pkg/controller/node.go
index 524b3ce30..f745333aa 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/node.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/node.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ func (c *Controller) nodeAdd(obj interface{}) {
 	}
 
 	c.logger.Debugf("new node has been added: %q (%s)", util.NameFromMeta(node.ObjectMeta), node.Spec.ProviderID)
+	// check if the node became not ready while the operator was down (otherwise we would have caught it in nodeUpdate)
+	if !c.nodeIsReady(node) {
+		c.movePodsOffNode(node)
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *Controller) nodeUpdate(prev, cur interface{}) {
@@ -55,13 +59,23 @@ func (c *Controller) nodeUpdate(prev, cur interface{}) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if nodePrev.Spec.Unschedulable && util.MapContains(nodePrev.Labels, c.opConfig.NodeEOLLabel) ||
-		!nodeCur.Spec.Unschedulable || !util.MapContains(nodeCur.Labels, c.opConfig.NodeEOLLabel) {
+	// do nothing if the node should have already triggered an update or
+	// if only one of the label and the unschedulability criteria are met.
+	if !c.nodeIsReady(nodePrev) || c.nodeIsReady(nodeCur) {
 		return
 	}
+	c.movePodsOffNode(nodeCur)
+}
 
-	c.logger.Infof("node %q became unschedulable and has EOL labels: %q", util.NameFromMeta(nodeCur.ObjectMeta),
-		c.opConfig.NodeEOLLabel)
+func (c *Controller) nodeIsReady(node *v1.Node) bool {
+	return (!node.Spec.Unschedulable || util.MapContains(node.Labels, c.opConfig.NodeReadinessLabel) ||
+		util.MapContains(node.Labels, map[string]string{"master": "true"}))
+}
+
+func (c *Controller) movePodsOffNode(node *v1.Node) {
+	nodeName := util.NameFromMeta(node.ObjectMeta)
+	c.logger.Infof("moving pods: node %q became unschedulable and does not have a ready label: %q",
+		nodeName, c.opConfig.NodeReadinessLabel)
 
 	opts := metav1.ListOptions{
 		LabelSelector: labels.Set(c.opConfig.ClusterLabels).String(),
@@ -74,7 +88,7 @@ func (c *Controller) nodeUpdate(prev, cur interface{}) {
 
 	nodePods := make([]*v1.Pod, 0)
 	for i, pod := range podList.Items {
-		if pod.Spec.NodeName == nodeCur.Name {
+		if pod.Spec.NodeName == node.Name {
 			nodePods = append(nodePods, &podList.Items[i])
 		}
 	}
@@ -131,7 +145,7 @@ func (c *Controller) nodeUpdate(prev, cur interface{}) {
 	for pod, cl := range replicaPods {
 		podName := util.NameFromMeta(pod.ObjectMeta)
 
-		if err := cl.MigrateReplicaPod(podName, nodeCur.Name); err != nil {
+		if err := cl.MigrateReplicaPod(podName, node.Name); err != nil {
 			c.logger.Errorf("could not move replica pod %q: %v", podName, err)
 			movedPods--
 		}
@@ -144,11 +158,11 @@ func (c *Controller) nodeUpdate(prev, cur interface{}) {
 	totalPods := len(nodePods)
 
 	c.logger.Infof("%d/%d pods have been moved out from the %q node",
-		movedPods, totalPods, util.NameFromMeta(nodeCur.ObjectMeta))
+		movedPods, totalPods, nodeName)
 
 	if leftPods := totalPods - movedPods; leftPods > 0 {
 		c.logger.Warnf("could not move %d/%d pods from the %q node",
-			leftPods, totalPods, util.NameFromMeta(nodeCur.ObjectMeta))
+			leftPods, totalPods, nodeName)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/node_test.go b/pkg/controller/node_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f86628bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/controller/node_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package controller
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/zalando-incubator/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/pkg/api/v1"
+)
+
+const (
+	readyLabel = "lifecycle-status"
+	readyValue = "ready"
+)
+
+func initializeController() *Controller {
+	var c = NewController(&spec.ControllerConfig{})
+	c.opConfig.NodeReadinessLabel = map[string]string{readyLabel: readyValue}
+	return c
+}
+
+func makeNode(labels map[string]string, isSchedulable bool) *v1.Node {
+	return &v1.Node{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Namespace: v1.NamespaceDefault,
+			Labels:    labels,
+		},
+		Spec: v1.NodeSpec{
+			Unschedulable: !isSchedulable,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+var c = initializeController()
+
+func TestNodeIsReady(t *testing.T) {
+	testName := "TestNodeIsReady"
+	var testTable = []struct {
+		in  *v1.Node
+		out bool
+	}{
+		{
+			in:  makeNode(map[string]string{"foo": "bar"}, true),
+			out: true,
+		},
+		{
+			in:  makeNode(map[string]string{"foo": "bar"}, false),
+			out: false,
+		},
+		{
+			in:  makeNode(map[string]string{readyLabel: readyValue}, false),
+			out: true,
+		},
+		{
+			in:  makeNode(map[string]string{"foo": "bar", "master": "true"}, false),
+			out: true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range testTable {
+		if isReady := c.nodeIsReady(tt.in); isReady != tt.out {
+			t.Errorf("%s: expected response %t doesn't match the actual %t for the node %#v",
+				testName, tt.out, isReady, tt.in)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/util/config/config.go b/pkg/util/config/config.go
index 90590a84b..8cec41417 100644
--- a/pkg/util/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/util/config/config.go
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ type Resources struct {
 	DefaultCPULimit         string            `name:"default_cpu_limit" default:"3"`
 	DefaultMemoryLimit      string            `name:"default_memory_limit" default:"1Gi"`
 	PodEnvironmentConfigMap string            `name:"pod_environment_configmap" default:""`
-	NodeEOLLabel            map[string]string `name:"node_eol_label" default:"lifecycle-status:pending-decommission"`
 	NodeReadinessLabel      map[string]string `name:"node_readiness_label" default:"lifecycle-status:ready"`
 	MaxInstances            int32             `name:"max_instances" default:"-1"`
 	MinInstances            int32             `name:"min_instances" default:"-1"`