diff --git a/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations.go b/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations.go
index aded86aa21aa..1e5ce60fde1c 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations.go
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ func (grm *nestedPendingOperations) isOperationExists(key operationKey) (bool, i
 		return false, -1
 	}
 
+	opIndex := -1
 	for previousOpIndex, previousOp := range grm.operations {
 		volumeNameMatch := previousOp.key.volumeName == key.volumeName
 
@@ -251,16 +252,28 @@ func (grm *nestedPendingOperations) isOperationExists(key operationKey) (bool, i
 			key.podName == EmptyUniquePodName ||
 			previousOp.key.podName == key.podName
 
+		podNameExactMatch := previousOp.key.podName == key.podName
+
 		nodeNameMatch := previousOp.key.nodeName == EmptyNodeName ||
 			key.nodeName == EmptyNodeName ||
 			previousOp.key.nodeName == key.nodeName
 
+		nodeNameExactMatch := previousOp.key.nodeName == key.nodeName
+
 		if volumeNameMatch && podNameMatch && nodeNameMatch {
-			return true, previousOpIndex
+			// nonExactMatch pending first
+			if previousOp.operationPending {
+				return true, previousOpIndex
+			}
+			// nonExactMatch with no pending, set opIndex to the first nonExactMatch
+			// exactMatch can override opIndex to expected
+			if opIndex == -1 || (podNameExactMatch && nodeNameExactMatch) {
+				opIndex = previousOpIndex
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	return opIndex != -1, opIndex
 
-	return false, -1
 }
 
 func (grm *nestedPendingOperations) getOperation(key operationKey) (uint, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations_test.go b/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations_test.go
index 7d25b3a2288b..6300e4652efa 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations_test.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/util/nestedpendingoperations/nestedpendingoperations_test.go
@@ -879,3 +879,140 @@ func waitChannelWithTimeout(ch <-chan interface{}, timeout time.Duration) error
 		return fmt.Errorf("timeout after %v", timeout)
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_NestedPendingOperations_OperationExists_PendingFirst(t *testing.T) {
+	// Arrange
+	grm := NewNestedPendingOperations(true /* exponentialBackOffOnError */)
+	volumeName := v1.UniqueVolumeName("test-volume")
+	podName1 := volumetypes.UniquePodName("pod1")
+	podName2 := volumetypes.UniquePodName("pod2")
+	podName3 := volumetypes.UniquePodName("pod3")
+	podName4 := EmptyUniquePodName
+	nodeName := EmptyNodeName
+
+	// delay after an operation is signaled to finish to ensure it actually
+	// finishes before running the next operation.
+	delay := 50 * time.Millisecond
+
+	// fake operation1 for pod1 failed
+	operation1DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation1 := generateWaitWithErrorFunc(operation1DoneCh)
+	err1 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName1, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation1, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err1 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err1)
+	}
+
+	// fake operation2 for pod2 fails
+	operation2DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation2 := generateWaitWithErrorFunc(operation2DoneCh)
+	err2 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName2, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation2, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err2 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err2)
+	}
+
+	// fake operation3 for pod3 pending
+	operation3DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation3 := generateWaitFunc(operation3DoneCh)
+	defer func() {
+		close(operation3DoneCh)
+	}()
+	err3 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName3, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation3, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err3 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err3)
+	}
+
+	operation1DoneCh <- true
+	operation2DoneCh <- true
+	time.Sleep(delay)
+
+	// fake operation4 for EmptyUniquePodName should be rejected as operation3 is still pending
+	operation4DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation4 := generateWaitFunc(operation4DoneCh)
+	defer func() {
+		close(operation4DoneCh)
+	}()
+	err4 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName4, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation4, OperationName: "mount"})
+
+	// Assert
+	if err4 == nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations did not fail. Expected an operation to already exist")
+	}
+	if !IsAlreadyExists(err4) {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations did not return alreadyExistsError, got: %v", err4)
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_NestedPendingOperations_OperationExists_ExactMatchFirstNoPending(t *testing.T) {
+	// Arrange
+	grm := NewNestedPendingOperations(true /* exponentialBackOffOnError */)
+	volumeName := v1.UniqueVolumeName("test-volume")
+	podName1 := volumetypes.UniquePodName("pod1")
+	podName2 := volumetypes.UniquePodName("pod2")
+	podName3 := volumetypes.UniquePodName("pod3")
+	podName4 := EmptyUniquePodName
+	nodeName := EmptyNodeName
+
+	// delay after an operation is signaled to finish to ensure it actually
+	// finishes before running the next operation.
+	delay := 50 * time.Millisecond
+	backoffDelay := 500 * time.Millisecond
+
+	// fake operation1 for pod1 fails
+	operation1DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation1 := generateWaitWithErrorFunc(operation1DoneCh)
+	err1 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName1, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation1, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err1 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err1)
+	}
+
+	// fake operation2 for pod2 fails
+	operation2DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation2 := generateWaitWithErrorFunc(operation2DoneCh)
+	err2 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName2, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation2, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err2 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err2)
+	}
+
+	// fake operation3 for pod3 fails
+	operation3DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation3 := generateWaitWithErrorFunc(operation3DoneCh)
+	err3 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName3, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation3, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err3 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err3)
+	}
+
+	operation1DoneCh <- true
+	operation2DoneCh <- true
+	operation3DoneCh <- true
+	time.Sleep(delay)
+
+	// fake operation4 with EmptyUniquePodName fails
+	operation4DoneCh := make(chan interface{})
+	operation4 := generateWaitWithErrorFunc(operation4DoneCh)
+	err4 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName4, nodeName /* nodeName */, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation4, OperationName: "mount"})
+	if err4 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err4)
+	}
+
+	operation4DoneCh <- true
+
+	// operation for pod2 retry
+	time.Sleep(backoffDelay)
+	operation5 := noopFunc
+	err5 := grm.Run(volumeName, podName2, nodeName, volumetypes.GeneratedOperations{OperationFunc: operation5, OperationName: "umount"})
+	if err5 != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Expected: <no error> Actual: <%v>", err5)
+	}
+	time.Sleep(delay)
+
+	// Assert
+	// Operation5 will override operation2, since we successfully finished unmount operation on pod2, it should be removed from operations array
+	grm.(*nestedPendingOperations).lock.Lock()
+	defer grm.(*nestedPendingOperations).lock.Unlock()
+	for _, op := range grm.(*nestedPendingOperations).operations {
+		if op.key.podName == podName2 {
+			t.Errorf("NestedPendingOperations failed. Operation for pod2 should be removed")
+		}
+	}
+
+}