diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5646911006..f7ecb1b82d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 
 - fix(k8sprocessor): delay deleting the metadata from owner resources [#1242]
+- fix(k8sprocessor): handle missed k8s resource deletions correctly [#1277]
 
 [#1230]: https://github.com/SumoLogic/sumologic-otel-collector/pull/1230
 [#1242]: https://github.com/SumoLogic/sumologic-otel-collector/pull/1242
diff --git a/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client.go b/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client.go
index d125239e54..2ab729aa6c 100644
--- a/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client.go
+++ b/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client.go
@@ -193,11 +193,28 @@ func (c *WatchClient) handlePodUpdate(old, new interface{}) {
 
 func (c *WatchClient) handlePodDelete(obj interface{}) {
 	observability.RecordPodDeleted()
-	if pod, ok := obj.(*api_v1.Pod); ok {
-		c.forgetPod(pod)
-	} else {
+
+	var pod *api_v1.Pod
+
+	switch obj := obj.(type) {
+	case *api_v1.Pod:
+		pod = obj
+	case cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown:
+		prev, ok := obj.Obj.(*api_v1.Pod)
+		if !ok {
+			c.logger.Error(
+				"object received was DeletedFinalStateUnknown but did not contain api_v1.Pod",
+				zap.Any("received", obj),
+			)
+			return
+		}
+		pod = prev
+	default:
 		c.logger.Error("object received was not of type api_v1.Pod", zap.Any("received", obj))
+		return
 	}
+
+	c.forgetPod(pod)
 }
 
 func (c *WatchClient) deleteLoop(interval time.Duration, gracePeriod time.Duration) {
diff --git a/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client_test.go b/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client_test.go
index dd98dae10d..dddaf5b62c 100644
--- a/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client_test.go
+++ b/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/client_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 
 	"github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/internal/k8sconfig"
 )
@@ -1233,6 +1234,36 @@ func Test_PodsGetAddedAndDeletedFromCache(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		eventuallyNPodsInCache(t, 0)
 	})
+
+	t.Run("with deleted final state unknown", func(t *testing.T) {
+		pod := &api_v1.Pod{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "my-pod",
+				Namespace: namespace,
+				UID:       "f15f0585-a0bc-43a3-96e4-dd2eace75392",
+			},
+		}
+
+		_, err = c.kc.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).
+			Create(context.Background(), pod, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		eventuallyNPodsInCache(t, 2)
+
+		// Rather than set up a stub Informer just for this case, bypass the
+		// informer + fake k8s client entirely. Manually call the delete
+		// handler with DeletedFinalStateUnknown.
+		c.handlePodDelete(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown{
+			Key: fmt.Sprintf("%s/my-pod", namespace),
+			Obj: pod,
+		})
+		defer func() {
+			err = c.kc.CoreV1().Pods(namespace).
+				Delete(context.Background(), pod.Name, metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		}()
+
+		eventuallyNPodsInCache(t, 0)
+	})
 }
 
 func newTestClientWithRulesAndFilters(t *testing.T, e ExtractionRules, f Filters) (*WatchClient, *observer.ObservedLogs) {
diff --git a/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/owner.go b/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/owner.go
index 5e39d2a77f..b2c6550e15 100644
--- a/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/owner.go
+++ b/pkg/processor/k8sprocessor/kube/owner.go
@@ -254,9 +254,28 @@ func (op *OwnerCache) upsertNamespace(obj interface{}) {
 }
 
 func (op *OwnerCache) deleteNamespace(obj interface{}) {
-	namespace := obj.(*api_v1.Namespace)
+	var ns *api_v1.Namespace
+
+	switch obj := obj.(type) {
+	case *api_v1.Namespace:
+		ns = obj
+	case cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown:
+		prev, ok := obj.Obj.(*api_v1.Namespace)
+		if !ok {
+			op.logger.Error(
+				"object received was DeletedFinalStateUnknown but did not contain api_v1.Namespace",
+				zap.Any("received", obj),
+			)
+			return
+		}
+		ns = prev
+	default:
+		op.logger.Error("object received was not of type api_v1.Namespace", zap.Any("received", obj))
+		return
+	}
+
 	op.nsMutex.Lock()
-	delete(op.namespaces, namespace.Name)
+	delete(op.namespaces, ns.Name)
 	op.nsMutex.Unlock()
 }
 
@@ -326,8 +345,31 @@ func (op *OwnerCache) addOwnerInformer(
 }
 
 func (op *OwnerCache) deleteObject(obj interface{}) {
+	var metaObj meta_v1.Object
+
+	switch obj := obj.(type) {
+	case meta_v1.Object:
+		metaObj = obj
+	case cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown:
+		prev, ok := obj.Obj.(meta_v1.Object)
+		if !ok {
+			op.logger.Error(
+				"object received was DeletedFinalStateUnknown but did not contain meta_v1.Object",
+				zap.Any("received", obj),
+			)
+			return
+		}
+		metaObj = prev
+	default:
+		op.logger.Error(
+			"object received was not of type meta_v1.Object",
+			zap.Any("received", obj),
+		)
+		return
+	}
+
 	op.ownersMutex.Lock()
-	delete(op.objectOwners, string(obj.(meta_v1.Object).GetUID()))
+	delete(op.objectOwners, string(metaObj.GetUID()))
 	op.ownersMutex.Unlock()
 }
 
@@ -410,7 +452,28 @@ func (op *OwnerCache) deleteEndpointFromPod(pod string, endpoint string) {
 }
 
 func (op *OwnerCache) genericEndpointOp(obj interface{}, endpointFunc func(pod string, endpoint string)) {
-	ep := obj.(*api_v1.Endpoints)
+	var ep *api_v1.Endpoints
+
+	switch obj := obj.(type) {
+	case *api_v1.Endpoints:
+		ep = obj
+	case cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown:
+		prev, ok := obj.Obj.(*api_v1.Endpoints)
+		if !ok {
+			op.logger.Error(
+				"object received was DeletedFinalStateUnknown but did not contain api_v1.Endpoints",
+				zap.Any("received", obj),
+			)
+			return
+		}
+		ep = prev
+	default:
+		op.logger.Error(
+			"object received was not of type api_v1.Endpoints",
+			zap.Any("received", obj),
+		)
+		return
+	}
 
 	for _, it := range ep.Subsets {
 		for _, addr := range it.Addresses {