diff --git a/controller/controller.go b/controller/controller.go
index 269ea02..6be7a37 100644
--- a/controller/controller.go
+++ b/controller/controller.go
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ const annStorageProvisioner = "volume.beta.kubernetes.io/storage-provisioner"
 // be dynamically provisioned. Its value is the name of the selected node.
 const annSelectedNode = "volume.kubernetes.io/selected-node"
 
+// Finalizer for PVs so we know to clean them up
+const finalizerPV = "external-provisioner.volume.kubernetes.io"
+
 // ProvisionController is a controller that provisions PersistentVolumes for
 // PersistentVolumeClaims.
 type ProvisionController struct {
@@ -857,7 +860,7 @@ func (ctrl *ProvisionController) shouldDelete(volume *v1.PersistentVolume) bool
 	// In 1.9+ PV protection means the object will exist briefly with a
 	// deletion timestamp even after our successful Delete. Ignore it.
 	if ctrl.kubeVersion.AtLeast(utilversion.MustParseSemantic("v1.9.0")) {
-		if volume.ObjectMeta.DeletionTimestamp != nil {
+		if !ctrl.checkFinalizer(volume, finalizerPV) && volume.ObjectMeta.DeletionTimestamp != nil {
 			return false
 		}
 	}
@@ -899,6 +902,15 @@ func (ctrl *ProvisionController) canProvision(claim *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim) e
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (ctrl *ProvisionController) checkFinalizer(volume *v1.PersistentVolume, finalizer string) bool {
+	for _, f := range volume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers {
+		if f == finalizer {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func (ctrl *ProvisionController) updateProvisionStats(claim *v1.PersistentVolumeClaim, err error, startTime time.Time) {
 	class := ""
 	if claim.Spec.StorageClassName != nil {
@@ -1034,6 +1046,11 @@ func (ctrl *ProvisionController) provisionClaimOperation(claim *v1.PersistentVol
 	// Set ClaimRef and the PV controller will bind and set annBoundByController for us
 	volume.Spec.ClaimRef = claimRef
 
+	// Add external provisioner finalizer if it doesn't already have it
+	if !ctrl.checkFinalizer(volume, finalizerPV) {
+		volume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers = append(volume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers, finalizerPV)
+	}
+
 	metav1.SetMetaDataAnnotation(&volume.ObjectMeta, annDynamicallyProvisioned, ctrl.provisionerName)
 	if ctrl.kubeVersion.AtLeast(utilversion.MustParseSemantic("v1.6.0")) {
 		volume.Spec.StorageClassName = claimClass
@@ -1138,6 +1155,33 @@ func (ctrl *ProvisionController) deleteVolumeOperation(volume *v1.PersistentVolu
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if len(newVolume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers) > 0 {
+		// Remove external-provisioner finalizer
+
+		// need to get the pv again because the delete has updated the object with a deletion timestamp
+		newVolume, err := ctrl.client.CoreV1().PersistentVolumes().Get(volume.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			// If we get an error the volume is probably gone
+			return nil
+		}
+		finalizers := make([]string, 0)
+		for _, finalizer := range newVolume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers {
+			if finalizer != finalizerPV {
+				finalizers = append(finalizers, finalizer)
+			}
+		}
+
+		newVolume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers = finalizers
+		if _, err = ctrl.client.CoreV1().PersistentVolumes().Update(newVolume); err != nil {
+			if !apierrs.IsNotFound(err) {
+				// Couldn't remove finalizer and the object still exists, the controller may
+				// try to remove the finalizer again on the next update
+				glog.Info(logOperation(operation, "failed to remove finalizer for persistentvolume: %v", err))
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	glog.Info(logOperation(operation, "persistentvolume deleted"))
 
 	glog.Info(logOperation(operation, "succeeded"))
diff --git a/controller/controller_test.go b/controller/controller_test.go
index 42badd8..6f22959 100644
--- a/controller/controller_test.go
+++ b/controller/controller_test.go
@@ -914,6 +914,8 @@ func constructProvisionedVolumeWithoutStorageClassInfo(claim *v1.PersistentVolum
 	// TODO implement options.ProvisionerSelector parsing
 	// pv.Labels MUST be set to match claim.spec.selector. The provisioner MAY add additional labels.
 
+	volume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers = append(volume.ObjectMeta.Finalizers, finalizerPV)
+
 	return volume
 }