diff --git a/armada/handlers/k8s.py b/armada/handlers/k8s.py
index 727ecb98..31b00c70 100644
--- a/armada/handlers/k8s.py
+++ b/armada/handlers/k8s.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import re
+import time
 
 from kubernetes import client
 from kubernetes import config
@@ -151,34 +152,45 @@ class K8s(object):
             timeout = self._check_timeout(timeout)
 
             LOG.debug(
-                'Watching to delete %s %s, Wait timeout=%s',
-                object_type_description, name, timeout)
+                'Watching to delete %s: %s in namespace=%s (wait timeout=%s)',
+                object_type_description, name, namespace, timeout)
             body = client.V1DeleteOptions(
                 propagation_policy=propagation_policy)
             w = watch.Watch()
             issue_delete = True
             found_events = False
-            for event in w.stream(list_func, namespace=namespace,
-                                  timeout_seconds=timeout):
-                if issue_delete:
-                    delete_func(name=name, namespace=namespace, body=body)
-                    issue_delete = False
 
-                event_type = event['type'].upper()
-                item_name = event['object'].metadata.name
-                LOG.debug('Watch event %s on %s', event_type, item_name)
+            deadline = round(time.time() + timeout)
+            while timeout > 0:
+                for event in w.stream(
+                        list_func, namespace=namespace,
+                        field_selector='metadata.name={}'.format(name),
+                        timeout_seconds=timeout):
+                    if issue_delete:
+                        delete_func(name=name, namespace=namespace, body=body)
+                        issue_delete = False
 
-                if item_name == name:
-                    found_events = True
-                    if event_type == 'DELETED':
-                        LOG.info(
-                            'Successfully deleted %s %s',
-                            object_type_description, item_name)
-                        return
+                    event_type = event['type'].upper()
+                    item = event['object']
+                    item_name = item.metadata.name
+                    LOG.debug(
+                        'Watch event seen: type=%s, name=%s, '
+                        'namespace=%s (waiting on %s: %s)', event_type,
+                        item_name, namespace, object_type_description, name)
+
+                    if item_name == name:
+                        found_events = True
+                        if event_type == 'DELETED':
+                            LOG.info(
+                                'Successfully deleted %s: %s in namespace=%s',
+                                object_type_description, item_name, namespace)
+                            return
+
+                timeout = round(deadline - time.time())
 
             if not found_events:
                 LOG.warn(
-                    'Saw no delete events for %s %s in namespace=%s',
+                    'Saw no events for %s: %s in namespace=%s',
                     object_type_description, name, namespace)
 
             err_msg = (
diff --git a/armada/handlers/tiller.py b/armada/handlers/tiller.py
index 77fa4a3c..c685bbdd 100644
--- a/armada/handlers/tiller.py
+++ b/armada/handlers/tiller.py
@@ -638,8 +638,8 @@ class Tiller(object):
         if resource_labels is not None:
             label_selector = label_selectors(resource_labels)
         LOG.debug(
-            "Deleting resources in namespace %s matching "
-            "selectors (%s).", namespace, label_selector)
+            "Deleting resources in namespace: %s, matching "
+            "selectors: %s (timeout=%s).", namespace, label_selector, timeout)
 
         handled = False
         if resource_type == 'job':
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ class Tiller(object):
                 jb_name = jb.metadata.name
 
                 LOG.info(
-                    "Deleting job %s in namespace: %s", jb_name, namespace)
+                    "Deleting job: %s in namespace: %s", jb_name, namespace)
                 self.k8s.delete_job_action(jb_name, namespace, timeout=timeout)
             handled = True
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 0527ddf3..db84d2c4 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ jsonschema>=3.0.1<4
 keystoneauth1>=3.18.0
 keystonemiddleware==5.3.0
 kombu<4.7,>=4.6.10
-kubernetes>=11.0.0
+kubernetes>=12.0.0
 Paste>=2.0.3
 PasteDeploy>=1.5.2
 protobuf>=3.4.0