diff --git a/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller.go b/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller.go
index 1d7669e35..327fe5200 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller.go
@@ -36,10 +36,11 @@ import (
 const (
 	AgentName = "traffic-controller"
 
-	ClustersNotReady = "ClustersNotReady"
-	InProgress       = "InProgress"
-	InternalError    = "InternalError"
-	PodsNotReady     = "PodsNotReady"
+	ClustersNotReady   = "ClustersNotReady"
+	InProgress         = "InProgress"
+	InternalError      = "InternalError"
+	PodsNotInEndpoints = "PodsNotInEndpoints"
+	PodsNotReady       = "PodsNotReady"
 
 	TrafficTargetConditionChanged  = "TrafficTargetConditionChanged"
 	ClusterTrafficConditionChanged = "ClusterTrafficConditionChanged"
@@ -388,6 +389,9 @@ func (c *Controller) processTrafficTargetOnCluster(
 	}
 
 	if trafficStatus.podsToShift != nil {
+		// If we have pods to shift, our job can only be done after the
+		// change is made and observed, so we definitely still in
+		// progress.
 		err := shiftPodLabels(clientset, trafficStatus.podsToShift)
 		if err != nil {
 			readyCond = trafficutil.NewClusterTrafficCondition(
@@ -398,22 +402,39 @@ func (c *Controller) processTrafficTargetOnCluster(
 			)
 
 			return err
-		} else {
-			readyCond = trafficutil.NewClusterTrafficCondition(
-				shipper.ClusterConditionTypeReady,
-				corev1.ConditionFalse,
-				InProgress,
-				"",
-			)
 		}
-	} else {
+
+		readyCond = trafficutil.NewClusterTrafficCondition(
+			shipper.ClusterConditionTypeReady,
+			corev1.ConditionFalse,
+			InProgress,
+			"",
+		)
+	} else if trafficStatus.podsNotReady > 0 {
+		// All the pods have been shifted, made it to endpoints, but
+		// some aren't ready.
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf(
+			"%d out of %d pods designated to receive traffic are not ready. this might require intervention, try `kubectl describe ct %s` for more information",
+			trafficStatus.podsNotReady, trafficStatus.podsLabeled, releaseName)
 		readyCond = trafficutil.NewClusterTrafficCondition(
 			shipper.ClusterConditionTypeReady,
 			corev1.ConditionFalse,
 			PodsNotReady,
-			fmt.Sprintf(
-				"%d out of %d pods are not ready. this might require intervention, check the CapacityTarget for more information",
-				trafficStatus.podsReady, trafficStatus.podsLabeled),
+			msg,
+		)
+	} else {
+		// All the pods have been shifted, but not enough of them are
+		// ready, and there are none not ready in endpoints, which
+		// means that they haven't made it there yet, or that the
+		// service selector is invalid.
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf(
+			"%d out of %d pods designated to receive traffic are not yet in endpoints",
+			trafficStatus.podsLabeled-trafficStatus.podsReady, trafficStatus.podsLabeled)
+		readyCond = trafficutil.NewClusterTrafficCondition(
+			shipper.ClusterConditionTypeReady,
+			corev1.ConditionFalse,
+			PodsNotInEndpoints,
+			msg,
 		)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller_test.go
index 1c2aaba94..8fe35c4dd 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_controller_test.go
@@ -171,6 +171,16 @@ func TestTrafficShiftingWithPodsNotReady(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		&corev1.Pod{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "pod-also-ready",
+				Namespace: shippertesting.TestNamespace,
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					shipper.AppLabel:     shippertesting.TestApp,
+					shipper.ReleaseLabel: ttName,
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		&corev1.Pod{
 			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name:      "pod-not-ready",
@@ -194,17 +204,20 @@ func TestTrafficShiftingWithPodsNotReady(t *testing.T) {
 		Clusters: []*shipper.ClusterTrafficStatus{
 			{
 				Name:            clusterA,
-				AchievedTraffic: 5,
+				AchievedTraffic: 7,
 				Conditions: []shipper.ClusterTrafficCondition{
 					{
 						Type:   shipper.ClusterConditionTypeOperational,
 						Status: corev1.ConditionTrue,
 					},
 					{
-						Type:    shipper.ClusterConditionTypeReady,
-						Status:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
-						Reason:  PodsNotReady,
-						Message: "1 out of 2 pods are not ready. this might require intervention, check the CapacityTarget for more information",
+						Type:   shipper.ClusterConditionTypeReady,
+						Status: corev1.ConditionFalse,
+						Reason: PodsNotReady,
+						Message: fmt.Sprintf(
+							"1 out of 3 pods designated to receive traffic are not ready. this might require intervention, try `kubectl describe ct %s` for more information",
+							ttName,
+						),
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -232,7 +245,7 @@ func TestTrafficShiftingWithPodsNotReady(t *testing.T) {
 				trafficTarget: tt,
 				status:        status,
 				podsByCluster: map[string]podStatus{
-					clusterA: {withTraffic: 2},
+					clusterA: {withTraffic: len(pods)},
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_shifting_status.go b/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_shifting_status.go
index 141149b22..3c28b5e4a 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_shifting_status.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/traffic/traffic_shifting_status.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type trafficShiftingStatus struct {
 	ready                 bool
 	achievedTrafficWeight uint32
 	podsReady             int
+	podsNotReady          int
 	podsLabeled           int
 	podsToShift           map[string][]*corev1.Pod
 }
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ func buildTrafficShiftingStatus(
 		shipper.ReleaseLabel: releaseName,
 	}).AsSelector()
 
-	podsByTrafficStatus, podsInRelease, podsReady := summarizePods(
+	podsByTrafficStatus, podsInRelease, podsReady, podsNotReady := summarizePods(
 		appPods, endpoints, releaseSelector)
 
 	releaseTargetWeight := releaseTargetWeights[releaseName]
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ func buildTrafficShiftingStatus(
 	return trafficShiftingStatus{
 		achievedTrafficWeight: achievedWeight,
 		podsReady:             podsReady,
+		podsNotReady:          podsNotReady,
 		podsLabeled:           podsLabeledForTraffic,
 		ready:                 ready,
 		podsToShift:           podsToShift,
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ func summarizePods(
 	pods []*corev1.Pod,
 	endpoints *corev1.Endpoints,
 	releaseSelector labels.Selector,
-) (map[string][]*corev1.Pod, int, int) {
+) (map[string][]*corev1.Pod, int, int, int) {
 	podsInRelease := make(map[string]struct{})
 	podsByTrafficStatus := make(map[string][]*corev1.Pod)
 
@@ -158,6 +160,7 @@ func summarizePods(
 	}
 
 	podsReady := 0
+	podsNotReady := 0
 	for podName, podReady := range podReadiness {
 		_, belongsToRelease := podsInRelease[podName]
 
@@ -167,10 +170,12 @@ func summarizePods(
 
 		if podReady {
 			podsReady++
+		} else {
+			podsNotReady++
 		}
 	}
 
-	return podsByTrafficStatus, len(podsInRelease), podsReady
+	return podsByTrafficStatus, len(podsInRelease), podsReady, podsNotReady
 }
 
 // markAddressReadiness updates podReadiness  by marking