diff --git a/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client.go b/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client.go
index 019105eb2a0e..47ab6255848e 100644
--- a/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client.go
+++ b/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client.go
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ func (c *WatchClient) handlePodUpdate(_, newPod interface{}) {
 
 func (c *WatchClient) handlePodDelete(obj interface{}) {
 	observability.RecordPodDeleted()
-	if pod, ok := obj.(*api_v1.Pod); ok {
+	if pod, ok := ignoreDeletedFinalStateUnknown(obj).(*api_v1.Pod); ok {
 		c.forgetPod(pod)
 	} else {
 		c.logger.Error("object received was not of type api_v1.Pod", zap.Any("received", obj))
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func (c *WatchClient) handleNamespaceUpdate(_, newNamespace interface{}) {
 
 func (c *WatchClient) handleNamespaceDelete(obj interface{}) {
 	observability.RecordNamespaceDeleted()
-	if namespace, ok := obj.(*api_v1.Namespace); ok {
+	if namespace, ok := ignoreDeletedFinalStateUnknown(obj).(*api_v1.Namespace); ok {
 		c.m.Lock()
 		if ns, ok := c.Namespaces[namespace.Name]; ok {
 			// When a namespace is deleted all the pods(and other k8s objects in that namespace) in that namespace are deleted before it.
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ func (c *WatchClient) handleReplicaSetUpdate(_, newRS interface{}) {
 
 func (c *WatchClient) handleReplicaSetDelete(obj interface{}) {
 	observability.RecordReplicaSetDeleted()
-	if replicaset, ok := obj.(*apps_v1.ReplicaSet); ok {
+	if replicaset, ok := ignoreDeletedFinalStateUnknown(obj).(*apps_v1.ReplicaSet); ok {
 		c.m.Lock()
 		key := string(replicaset.UID)
 		delete(c.ReplicaSets, key)
@@ -915,3 +915,13 @@ func (c *WatchClient) getReplicaSet(uid string) (*ReplicaSet, bool) {
 	}
 	return nil, false
 }
+
+// ignoreDeletedFinalStateUnknown returns the object wrapped in
+// DeletedFinalStateUnknown. Useful in OnDelete resource event handlers that do
+// not need the additional context.
+func ignoreDeletedFinalStateUnknown(obj interface{}) interface{} {
+	if obj, ok := obj.(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown); ok {
+		return obj.Obj
+	}
+	return obj
+}
diff --git a/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client_test.go b/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client_test.go
index fdaf1d5e5c3f..aa31c9f31423 100644
--- a/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client_test.go
+++ b/processor/k8sattributesprocessor/internal/kube/client_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/selection"
 	"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"
 )
@@ -250,6 +251,14 @@ func TestReplicaSetHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	// test delete replicaset
 	c.handleReplicaSetDelete(updatedReplicaset)
 	assert.Equal(t, len(c.ReplicaSets), 0)
+	// test delete replicaset when DeletedFinalStateUnknown
+	c.handleReplicaSetAdd(replicaset)
+	require.Equal(t, len(c.ReplicaSets), 1)
+	c.handleReplicaSetDelete(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown{
+		Obj: replicaset,
+	})
+	assert.Equal(t, len(c.ReplicaSets), 0)
+
 }
 
 func TestPodHostNetwork(t *testing.T) {
@@ -427,13 +436,14 @@ func TestPodDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, deleteRequest.ts.Before(tsBeforeDelete))
 	assert.False(t, deleteRequest.ts.After(time.Now()))
 
+	// delete when DeletedFinalStateUnknown
 	c.deleteQueue = c.deleteQueue[:0]
 	pod = &api_v1.Pod{}
 	pod.Name = "podC"
 	pod.Status.PodIP = "2.2.2.2"
 	pod.UID = "aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-eeeeeeeeeeee"
 	tsBeforeDelete = time.Now()
-	c.handlePodDelete(pod)
+	c.handlePodDelete(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown{Obj: pod})
 	assert.Equal(t, 5, len(c.Pods))
 	assert.Equal(t, 5, len(c.deleteQueue))
 	deleteRequest = c.deleteQueue[0]
@@ -464,6 +474,23 @@ func TestNamespaceDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(c.Namespaces))
 	got := c.Namespaces["namespaceA"]
 	assert.Equal(t, "namespaceA", got.Name)
+	// delete non-existent namespace when DeletedFinalStateUnknown
+	c.handleNamespaceDelete(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown{Obj: namespace})
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(c.Namespaces))
+	got = c.Namespaces["namespaceA"]
+	assert.Equal(t, "namespaceA", got.Name)
+
+	// delete namespace A
+	namespace.Name = "namespaceA"
+	c.handleNamespaceDelete(namespace)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(c.Namespaces))
+	got = c.Namespaces["namespaceB"]
+	assert.Equal(t, "namespaceB", got.Name)
+
+	// delete namespace B when DeletedFinalStateUnknown
+	namespace.Name = "namespaceB"
+	c.handleNamespaceDelete(cache.DeletedFinalStateUnknown{Obj: namespace})
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(c.Namespaces))
 }
 
 func TestDeleteQueue(t *testing.T) {