diff --git a/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index dbb3d49bea..91a9ed325a 100644
--- a/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ func isAddon(obj namespacedLabeled) bool {
 
 type Applier interface {
 	doCommand(log.Logger, string, io.Reader) error
-	stage(string, *apiObject)
-	execute(log.Logger, cluster.SyncError) error
+	stage(string, string, *apiObject)
+	execute(log.Logger, cluster.SyncError)
 }
 
 // Cluster is a handle to a Kubernetes API server.
@@ -195,26 +195,32 @@ func (c *Cluster) Sync(spec cluster.SyncDef) error {
 
 	errs := cluster.SyncError{}
 	for _, action := range spec.Actions {
-		if len(action.Delete) > 0 {
-			obj, err := definitionObj(action.Delete)
-			if err == nil {
-				c.applier.stage("delete", obj)
-			} else {
-				errs[action.ResourceID] = err
+		stages := []struct {
+			b   []byte
+			cmd string
+		}{
+			{action.Delete, "delete"},
+			{action.Apply, "apply"},
+		}
+		for _, stage := range stages {
+			if len(stage.b) == 0 {
 				continue
 			}
-		}
-		if len(action.Apply) > 0 {
-			obj, err := definitionObj(action.Apply)
+			obj, err := definitionObj(stage.b)
+			id := action.ResourceID
 			if err == nil {
-				c.applier.stage("apply", obj)
+				c.applier.stage(stage.cmd, id, obj)
 			} else {
-				errs[action.ResourceID] = err
-				continue
+				errs[id] = err
+				break
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return c.applier.execute(logger, errs)
+	c.applier.execute(logger, errs)
+	if len(errs) != 0 {
+		return errs
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) Ping() error {
diff --git a/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go b/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go
index 970e697edf..7e1a874e3f 100644
--- a/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go
+++ b/cluster/kubernetes/kubernetes_test.go
@@ -196,18 +196,14 @@ func (m *mockApplier) doCommand(_ log.Logger, command string, _ io.Reader) error
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *mockApplier) execute(_ log.Logger, errs cluster.SyncError) error {
+func (m *mockApplier) execute(_ log.Logger, errs cluster.SyncError) {
 	for _, cmd := range cmds {
 		if len(m.objs[cmd]) > 0 {
 			if err := m.doCommand(nil, cmd, nil); err != nil {
-				return err
+				errs[cmd] = err
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if len(errs) != 0 {
-		return errs
-	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 func deploymentDef(name string) []byte {
diff --git a/cluster/kubernetes/release.go b/cluster/kubernetes/release.go
index 6350237cc9..aeea88db70 100644
--- a/cluster/kubernetes/release.go
+++ b/cluster/kubernetes/release.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func (c *Kubectl) connectArgs() []string {
 	return args
 }
 
-func (c *Kubectl) execute(logger log.Logger, errs cluster.SyncError) error {
+func (c *Kubectl) execute(logger log.Logger, errs cluster.SyncError) {
 	defer c.changeSet.clear()
 
 	for _, cmd := range cmds {
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ func (c *Kubectl) execute(logger log.Logger, errs cluster.SyncError) error {
 
 		if err := c.doCommand(logger, cmd, buf); err != nil {
 			// TODO: fallback to one-by-one applying
-			errs[cmd] = err
+			for _, obj := range c.objs[cmd] {
+				r := bytes.NewReader(obj.bytes)
+				if err := c.doCommand(logger, cmd, r); err != nil {
+					errs[obj.Metadata.Name] = err
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	if len(errs) != 0 {
-		return errs
-	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *Kubectl) doCommand(logger log.Logger, command string, r io.Reader) error {
@@ -104,22 +104,27 @@ func (c *Kubectl) kubectlCommand(args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 }
 
 type changeSet struct {
-	objs map[string][]*apiObject
+	objs map[string][]obj
 }
 
-func (c *changeSet) stage(cmd string, obj *apiObject) {
+func (c *changeSet) stage(cmd, id string, o *apiObject) {
 	if c.objs == nil {
-		c.objs = make(map[string][]*apiObject)
+		c.objs = make(map[string][]obj)
 	}
-	c.objs[cmd] = append(c.objs[cmd], obj)
+	c.objs[cmd] = append(c.objs[cmd], obj{id, o})
 }
 
 func (c *changeSet) clear() {
 	if c.objs == nil {
-		c.objs = make(map[string][]*apiObject)
+		c.objs = make(map[string][]obj)
 		return
 	}
-	for cmd, _ := range c.objs {
+	for cmd := range c.objs {
 		c.objs[cmd] = nil
 	}
 }
+
+type obj struct {
+	id string
+	*apiObject
+}