diff --git a/pkg/gameservers/controller.go b/pkg/gameservers/controller.go
index 16835b268e..00460aacb7 100644
--- a/pkg/gameservers/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gameservers/controller.go
@@ -754,6 +754,9 @@ func (c *Controller) syncGameServerStartingState(ctx context.Context, gs *agones
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if pod.Spec.NodeName == "" {
+		return gs, workerqueue.NewDebugError(errors.Errorf("node not yet populated for Pod %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name))
+	}
 	node, err := c.nodeLister.Get(pod.Spec.NodeName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return gs, errors.Wrapf(err, "error retrieving node %s for Pod %s", pod.Spec.NodeName, pod.ObjectMeta.Name)
@@ -803,6 +806,9 @@ func (c *Controller) syncGameServerRequestReadyState(ctx context.Context, gs *ag
 	addressPopulated := false
 	if gs.Status.NodeName == "" {
 		addressPopulated = true
+		if pod.Spec.NodeName == "" {
+			return gs, workerqueue.NewDebugError(errors.Errorf("node not yet populated for Pod %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name))
+		}
 		node, err := c.nodeLister.Get(pod.Spec.NodeName)
 		if err != nil {
 			return gs, errors.Wrapf(err, "error retrieving node %s for Pod %s", pod.Spec.NodeName, pod.ObjectMeta.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/gameservers/migration.go b/pkg/gameservers/migration.go
index 510b71dc59..1f4579482b 100644
--- a/pkg/gameservers/migration.go
+++ b/pkg/gameservers/migration.go
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ func (mc *MigrationController) syncGameServer(ctx context.Context, key string) e
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if pod.Spec.NodeName == "" {
+		return workerqueue.NewDebugError(errors.Errorf("node not yet populated for Pod %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name))
+	}
 	node, err := mc.nodeLister.Get(pod.Spec.NodeName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "error retrieving node %s for Pod %s", pod.Spec.NodeName, pod.ObjectMeta.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue.go b/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue.go
index c9225d1487..8df0b8b605 100644
--- a/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue.go
+++ b/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue.go
@@ -37,6 +37,32 @@ const (
 	workFx = time.Second
 )
 
+// debugError is a marker type for errors that that should only be logged at a Debug level.
+// Useful if you want a Handler to be retried, but not logged at an Error level.
+type debugError struct {
+	err error
+}
+
+// NewDebugError returns a debugError wrapper around an error.
+func NewDebugError(err error) error {
+	return &debugError{err: err}
+}
+
+// Error returns the error string
+func (l *debugError) Error() string {
+	if l.err == nil {
+		return "<nil>"
+	}
+	return l.err.Error()
+}
+
+// isDebugError returns if the error is a debug error or not
+func isDebugError(err error) bool {
+	cause := errors.Cause(err)
+	_, ok := cause.(*debugError)
+	return ok
+}
+
 // Handler is the handler for processing the work queue
 // This is usually a syncronisation handler for a controller or related
 type Handler func(context.Context, string) error
@@ -153,7 +179,8 @@ func (wq *WorkerQueue) processNextWorkItem(ctx context.Context) bool {
 
 	if err := wq.SyncHandler(ctx, key); err != nil {
 		// Conflicts are expected, so only show them in debug operations.
-		if k8serror.IsConflict(errors.Cause(err)) {
+		// Also check is debugError for other expected errors.
+		if k8serror.IsConflict(errors.Cause(err)) || isDebugError(err) {
 			wq.logger.WithField(wq.keyName, obj).Debug(err)
 		} else {
 			runtime.HandleError(wq.logger.WithField(wq.keyName, obj), err)
diff --git a/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue_test.go b/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue_test.go
index 2d15a78bbd..5624404861 100644
--- a/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/workerqueue/workerqueue_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/heptiolabs/healthcheck"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
@@ -194,3 +195,16 @@ func TestWorkerQueueEnqueueAfter(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Fail(t, "should have got a queue'd message by now")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDebugError(t *testing.T) {
+	err := errors.New("not a debug error")
+	assert.False(t, isDebugError(err))
+
+	err = NewDebugError(err)
+	assert.True(t, isDebugError(err))
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "not a debug error")
+
+	err = NewDebugError(nil)
+	assert.True(t, isDebugError(err))
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "<nil>")
+}