diff --git a/pkg/gameservers/controller.go b/pkg/gameservers/controller.go
index 67cd9f28f4..15cd0953b0 100644
--- a/pkg/gameservers/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gameservers/controller.go
@@ -888,11 +888,6 @@ func (c *Controller) syncGameServerStartingState(ctx context.Context, gs *agones
 		return gs, workerqueue.NewTraceError(errors.Errorf("node not yet populated for Pod %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name))
 	}
 
-	// Ensure the pod IPs are populated
-	if len(pod.Status.PodIPs) == 0 {
-		return gs, workerqueue.NewTraceError(errors.Errorf("pod IPs 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)
@@ -903,6 +898,16 @@ func (c *Controller) syncGameServerStartingState(ctx context.Context, gs *agones
 		return gs, err
 	}
 
+	// Ensure the pod IPs are populated
+	if len(pod.Status.PodIPs) == 0 {
+		// Update ports and address even if there is no pod IPs populated yet
+		gs, err = c.gameServerGetter.GameServers(gs.ObjectMeta.Namespace).Update(ctx, gsCopy, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			return gs, errors.Wrapf(err, "error updating GameServer %s address and port", gs.Name)
+		}
+		return gs, workerqueue.NewTraceError(errors.Errorf("pod IPs not yet populated for Pod %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name))
+	}
+
 	gsCopy.Status.State = agonesv1.GameServerStateScheduled
 	gs, err = c.gameServerGetter.GameServers(gs.ObjectMeta.Namespace).Update(ctx, gsCopy, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -939,8 +944,14 @@ func (c *Controller) syncGameServerRequestReadyState(ctx context.Context, gs *ag
 	// if the address hasn't been populated, and the Ready request comes
 	// before the controller has had a chance to do it, then
 	// do it here instead
+	var hasPodIPAddress bool
+	for _, addr := range gs.Status.Addresses {
+		if addr.Type == agonesv1.NodePodIP {
+			hasPodIPAddress = true
+		}
+	}
 	addressPopulated := false
-	if gs.Status.NodeName == "" {
+	if gs.Status.NodeName == "" || (!hasPodIPAddress && len(pod.Status.PodIPs) > 0) {
 		addressPopulated = true
 		if pod.Spec.NodeName == "" {
 			return gs, workerqueue.NewTraceError(errors.Errorf("node not yet populated for Pod %s", pod.ObjectMeta.Name))
diff --git a/pkg/gameservers/controller_test.go b/pkg/gameservers/controller_test.go
index 79f8ccd054..7fffd2d0e3 100644
--- a/pkg/gameservers/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/gameservers/controller_test.go
@@ -1195,6 +1195,7 @@ func TestControllerSyncGameServerStartingState(t *testing.T) {
 		pod, err := gsFixture.Pod(agtesting.FakeAPIHooks{})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		pod.Spec.NodeName = nodeFixtureName
+		pod.Status.PodIPs = nil
 
 		m.KubeClient.AddReactor("list", "nodes", func(_ k8stesting.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
 			return true, &corev1.NodeList{Items: []corev1.Node{node}}, nil
@@ -1205,8 +1206,11 @@ func TestControllerSyncGameServerStartingState(t *testing.T) {
 		m.AgonesClient.AddReactor("update", "gameservers", func(action k8stesting.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
 			ua := action.(k8stesting.UpdateAction)
 			gs := ua.GetObject().(*agonesv1.GameServer)
-			assert.Equal(t, agonesv1.GameServerStateScheduled, gs.Status.State)
-			return true, gs, errors.New("update-err")
+			assert.Equal(t, agonesv1.GameServerStateStarting, gs.Status.State)
+			assert.NotEmpty(t, gs.Status.Ports)
+			assert.NotEmpty(t, gs.Status.Address)
+			assert.NotEmpty(t, gs.Status.Addresses)
+			return true, gs, nil
 		})
 		ctx, cancel := agtesting.StartInformers(m, c.gameServerSynced, c.podSynced, c.nodeSynced)
 		defer cancel()