diff --git a/npm/metrics/prometheus-metrics.go b/npm/metrics/prometheus-metrics.go
index ad930d9410..73c63b3eda 100644
--- a/npm/metrics/prometheus-metrics.go
+++ b/npm/metrics/prometheus-metrics.go
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ const (
 	namespaceExecTimeName           = "namespace_exec_time"
 	controllerNamespaceExecTimeHelp = "Execution time in milliseconds for adding/updating/deleting a namespace"
 
-	// TODO add health metrics
-
 	quantileMedian float64 = 0.5
 	deltaMedian    float64 = 0.05
 	quantile90th   float64 = 0.9
@@ -67,7 +65,7 @@ const (
 // Gauge metrics have the methods Inc(), Dec(), and Set(float64)
 // Summary metrics have the method Observe(float64)
 // For any Vector metric, you can call With(prometheus.Labels) before the above methods
-//   e.g. SomeGaugeVec.With(prometheus.Labels{label1: val1, label2: val2, ...).Dec()
+// e.g. SomeGaugeVec.With(prometheus.Labels{label1: val1, label2: val2, ...).Dec()
 var (
 	nodeRegistry    = prometheus.NewRegistry()
 	clusterRegistry = prometheus.NewRegistry()
@@ -94,8 +92,6 @@ var (
 	controllerPodExecTime       *prometheus.SummaryVec
 	controllerNamespaceExecTime *prometheus.SummaryVec
 	controllerExecTimeLabels    = []string{operationLabel, hadErrorLabel}
-
-	// TODO add health metrics
 )
 
 type RegistryType string
@@ -128,14 +124,11 @@ func (op OperationKind) isValid() bool {
 // TODO consider refactoring the functionality of the metrics package into a "Metrics" struct with methods (this would require code changes throughout npm).
 // Would need to consider how it seems like you can't register a metric twice, even in a separate registry, so you couldn't throw away the Metrics struct and create a new one.
 func InitializeAll() {
-	// TODO introduce isFanOut parameter to determine when to create fan-out controller/daemon metrics
 	if haveInitialized {
 		klog.Infof("metrics have already been initialized")
 	} else {
 		initializeDaemonMetrics()
 		initializeControllerMetrics()
-		// TODO include dataplane health metrics:
-		// num failures for apply ipsets, updating policies, deleting policies, and running periodic policy tasks, etc.
 		log.Logf("Finished initializing all Prometheus metrics")
 		haveInitialized = true
 	}
@@ -177,7 +170,6 @@ func initializeDaemonMetrics() {
 func initializeControllerMetrics() {
 	// CLUSTER METRICS
 	numPolicies = createClusterGauge(numPoliciesName, numPoliciesHelp)
-	// TODO include health metrics: num failures for validating policies & ipsets
 
 	// NODE METRICS
 	addPolicyExecTime = createNodeSummaryVec(addPolicyExecTimeName, "", addPolicyExecTimeHelp, addPolicyExecTimeLabels)
diff --git a/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController.go b/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController.go
index 4fdc868c4e..f7d92119fa 100644
--- a/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController.go
+++ b/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController.go
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ type NamedPortOperation string
 const (
 	deleteNamedPort NamedPortOperation = "del"
 	addNamedPort    NamedPortOperation = "add"
+
+	addEvent    string = "ADD"
+	updateEvent string = "UPDATE"
 )
 
 var kubeAllNamespaces = &ipsets.IPSetMetadata{Name: util.KubeAllNamespacesFlag, Type: ipsets.KeyLabelOfNamespace}
@@ -91,7 +94,8 @@ func (c *PodController) needSync(eventType string, obj interface{}) (string, boo
 		return key, needSync
 	}
 
-	if !hasValidPodIP(podObj) {
+	// should enqueue updates for Pods with an empty IP if they are also Running
+	if !hasValidPodIP(podObj) && (eventType == addEvent || podObj.Status.Phase != corev1.PodRunning) {
 		return key, needSync
 	}
 
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ func (c *PodController) needSync(eventType string, obj interface{}) (string, boo
 }
 
 func (c *PodController) addPod(obj interface{}) {
-	key, needSync := c.needSync("ADD", obj)
+	key, needSync := c.needSync(addEvent, obj)
 	if !needSync {
 		return
 	}
@@ -128,7 +132,7 @@ func (c *PodController) addPod(obj interface{}) {
 }
 
 func (c *PodController) updatePod(old, newp interface{}) {
-	key, needSync := c.needSync("UPDATE", newp)
+	key, needSync := c.needSync(updateEvent, newp)
 	if !needSync {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController_test.go b/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController_test.go
index 3fbca34675..d1ae9c5c02 100644
--- a/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController_test.go
+++ b/npm/pkg/controlplane/controllers/v2/podController_test.go
@@ -620,6 +620,99 @@ func TestLabelUpdatePod(t *testing.T) {
 	checkNpmPodWithInput("TestLabelUpdatePod", f, newPodObj)
 }
 
+func TestEmptyIPUpdate(t *testing.T) {
+	labels := map[string]string{
+		"app": "test-pod",
+	}
+	oldPodObj := createPod("test-pod", "test-namespace", "0", "1.2.3.4", labels, NonHostNetwork, corev1.PodRunning)
+
+	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer ctrl.Finish()
+
+	dp := dpmocks.NewMockGenericDataplane(ctrl)
+	f := newFixture(t, dp)
+	f.podLister = append(f.podLister, oldPodObj)
+	f.kubeobjects = append(f.kubeobjects, oldPodObj)
+	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(stopCh)
+	f.newPodController(stopCh)
+
+	newPodObj := oldPodObj.DeepCopy()
+	// oldPodObj.ResourceVersion value is "0"
+	newRV, _ := strconv.Atoi(oldPodObj.ResourceVersion)
+	newPodObj.ResourceVersion = fmt.Sprintf("%d", newRV+1)
+	// oldPodObj PodIP is "1.2.3.4"
+	newPodObj.Status.PodIP = ""
+	// Add pod section
+	mockIPSets := []*ipsets.IPSetMetadata{
+		ipsets.NewIPSetMetadata("test-namespace", ipsets.Namespace),
+		ipsets.NewIPSetMetadata("app", ipsets.KeyLabelOfPod),
+		ipsets.NewIPSetMetadata("app:test-pod", ipsets.KeyValueLabelOfPod),
+	}
+	podMetadata1 := dataplane.NewPodMetadata("test-namespace/test-pod", "1.2.3.4", "")
+
+	dp.EXPECT().AddToLists([]*ipsets.IPSetMetadata{kubeAllNamespaces}, mockIPSets[:1]).Return(nil).Times(1)
+	dp.EXPECT().AddToSets(mockIPSets[:1], podMetadata1).Return(nil).Times(1)
+	dp.EXPECT().AddToSets(mockIPSets[1:], podMetadata1).Return(nil).Times(1)
+	if !util.IsWindowsDP() {
+		dp.EXPECT().
+			AddToSets(
+				[]*ipsets.IPSetMetadata{ipsets.NewIPSetMetadata("app:test-pod", ipsets.NamedPorts)},
+				dataplane.NewPodMetadata("test-namespace/test-pod", "1.2.3.4,8080", ""),
+			).
+			Return(nil).Times(1)
+	}
+	dp.EXPECT().ApplyDataPlane().Return(nil).Times(2)
+	// Delete pod section
+	dp.EXPECT().RemoveFromSets(mockIPSets[:1], podMetadata1).Return(nil).Times(1)
+	dp.EXPECT().RemoveFromSets(mockIPSets[1:], podMetadata1).Return(nil).Times(1)
+	if !util.IsWindowsDP() {
+		dp.EXPECT().
+			RemoveFromSets(
+				[]*ipsets.IPSetMetadata{ipsets.NewIPSetMetadata("app:test-pod", ipsets.NamedPorts)},
+				dataplane.NewPodMetadata("test-namespace/test-pod", "1.2.3.4,8080", ""),
+			).
+			Return(nil).Times(1)
+	}
+	// since the new IP is invalid, adding the new Pod object is ignored
+
+	updatePod(t, f, oldPodObj, newPodObj)
+
+	testCases := []expectedValues{
+		{0, 1, 0, podPromVals{1, 1, 0}},
+	}
+	checkPodTestResult("TestEmptyIPUpdate", f, testCases)
+}
+
+func TestEmptyIPAdd(t *testing.T) {
+	labels := map[string]string{
+		"app": "test-pod",
+	}
+	podObj := createPod("test-pod", "test-namespace", "0", "", labels, NonHostNetwork, corev1.PodRunning)
+	podKey := getKey(podObj, t)
+
+	ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+	defer ctrl.Finish()
+
+	dp := dpmocks.NewMockGenericDataplane(ctrl)
+	f := newFixture(t, dp)
+	f.podLister = append(f.podLister, podObj)
+	f.kubeobjects = append(f.kubeobjects, podObj)
+	stopCh := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(stopCh)
+	f.newPodController(stopCh)
+
+	addPod(t, f, podObj)
+	testCases := []expectedValues{
+		{0, 0, 0, podPromVals{0, 0, 0}},
+	}
+	checkPodTestResult("TestEmptyIPAdd", f, testCases)
+
+	if _, exists := f.podController.podMap[podKey]; exists {
+		t.Error("TestEmptyIPAdd failed @ cached pod obj exists check")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestIPAddressUpdatePod(t *testing.T) {
 	labels := map[string]string{
 		"app": "test-pod",
@@ -797,6 +890,14 @@ func TestHasValidPodIP(t *testing.T) {
 	if ok := hasValidPodIP(podObj); !ok {
 		t.Errorf("TestisValidPod failed @ isValidPod")
 	}
+
+	podObj = &corev1.Pod{
+		Status: corev1.PodStatus{
+			Phase: "Running",
+			PodIP: "",
+		},
+	}
+	require.False(t, hasValidPodIP(podObj))
 }
 
 func TestIsCompletePod(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/npm/pkg/dataplane/dataplane_windows.go b/npm/pkg/dataplane/dataplane_windows.go
index 60552a3876..6c2c8d9ad6 100644
--- a/npm/pkg/dataplane/dataplane_windows.go
+++ b/npm/pkg/dataplane/dataplane_windows.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const (
 
 var (
 	errPolicyModeUnsupported = errors.New("only IPSet policy mode is supported")
-	errMismanagedPodKey      = errors.New("the pod key was not managed correctly when refreshing pod endpoints")
+	errMismanagedPodKey      = errors.New("the endpoint corresponds to a different pod")
 )
 
 // initializeDataPlane will help gather network and endpoint details
@@ -112,12 +112,16 @@ func (dp *DataPlane) shouldUpdatePod() bool {
 
 // updatePod has two responsibilities in windows
 // 1. Will call into dataplane and updates endpoint references of this pod.
-// 2. Will check for existing applicable network policies and applies it on endpoint
+// 2. Will check for existing applicable network policies and applies it on endpoint.
+/*
+	FIXME: see https://github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking/issues/1729
+	TODO: it would be good to replace stalePodKey behavior since it is complex.
+*/
 func (dp *DataPlane) updatePod(pod *updateNPMPod) error {
 	klog.Infof("[DataPlane] updatePod called for Pod Key %s", pod.PodKey)
-	// Check if pod is part of this node
 	if pod.NodeName != dp.nodeName {
-		klog.Infof("[DataPlane] ignoring update pod as expected Node: [%s] got: [%s]", dp.nodeName, pod.NodeName)
+		// Ignore updates if the pod is not part of this node.
+		klog.Infof("[DataPlane] ignoring update pod as expected Node: [%s] got: [%s]. pod: [%s]", dp.nodeName, pod.NodeName, pod.PodKey)
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -130,7 +134,7 @@ func (dp *DataPlane) updatePod(pod *updateNPMPod) error {
 	if !ok {
 		// ignore this err and pod endpoint will be deleted in ApplyDP
 		// if the endpoint is not found, it means the pod is not part of this node or pod got deleted.
-		klog.Warningf("[DataPlane] did not find endpoint with IPaddress %s", pod.PodIP)
+		klog.Warningf("[DataPlane] did not find endpoint with IPaddress %s for pod %s", pod.PodIP, pod.PodKey)
 		return nil
 	}