diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/core/generic_scheduler.go b/pkg/scheduler/core/generic_scheduler.go
index 40effb6fd34f2..4e73b88949dbf 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/core/generic_scheduler.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/core/generic_scheduler.go
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ func (g *genericScheduler) findNodesThatFit(pod *v1.Pod, nodes []*v1.Node) ([]*v
 // addNominatedPods adds pods with equal or greater priority which are nominated
 // to run on the node given in nodeInfo to meta and nodeInfo. It returns 1) whether
 // any pod was found, 2) augmented meta data, 3) augmented nodeInfo.
-func addNominatedPods(podPriority int32, meta algorithm.PredicateMetadata,
+func addNominatedPods(pod *v1.Pod, meta algorithm.PredicateMetadata,
 	nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo, queue internalqueue.SchedulingQueue) (bool, algorithm.PredicateMetadata,
 	*schedulercache.NodeInfo) {
 	if queue == nil || nodeInfo == nil || nodeInfo.Node() == nil {
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ func addNominatedPods(podPriority int32, meta algorithm.PredicateMetadata,
 	}
 	nodeInfoOut := nodeInfo.Clone()
 	for _, p := range nominatedPods {
-		if util.GetPodPriority(p) >= podPriority {
+		if util.GetPodPriority(p) >= util.GetPodPriority(pod) && p.UID != pod.UID {
 			nodeInfoOut.AddPod(p)
 			if metaOut != nil {
 				metaOut.AddPod(p, nodeInfoOut)
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ func podFitsOnNode(
 		metaToUse := meta
 		nodeInfoToUse := info
 		if i == 0 {
-			podsAdded, metaToUse, nodeInfoToUse = addNominatedPods(util.GetPodPriority(pod), meta, info, queue)
+			podsAdded, metaToUse, nodeInfoToUse = addNominatedPods(pod, meta, info, queue)
 		} else if !podsAdded || len(failedPredicates) != 0 {
 			break
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go b/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
index eaa9dee3f6bd2..aa420bcb173bf 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
@@ -135,6 +135,9 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	// Disable pod preemption or not.
 	DisablePreemption bool
+
+	// SchedulingQueue holds pods to be scheduled
+	SchedulingQueue internalqueue.SchedulingQueue
 }
 
 // PodPreemptor has methods needed to delete a pod and to update
@@ -1261,9 +1264,10 @@ func (c *configFactory) CreateFromKeys(predicateKeys, priorityKeys sets.String,
 		NextPod: func() *v1.Pod {
 			return c.getNextPod()
 		},
-		Error:          c.MakeDefaultErrorFunc(podBackoff, c.podQueue),
-		StopEverything: c.StopEverything,
-		VolumeBinder:   c.volumeBinder,
+		Error:           c.MakeDefaultErrorFunc(podBackoff, c.podQueue),
+		StopEverything:  c.StopEverything,
+		VolumeBinder:    c.volumeBinder,
+		SchedulingQueue: c.podQueue,
 	}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue.go b/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue.go
index b9a1b5c8970ef..6f5aa682c98ff 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue.go
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ type SchedulingQueue interface {
 	// Close closes the SchedulingQueue so that the goroutine which is
 	// waiting to pop items can exit gracefully.
 	Close()
+	// DeleteNominatedPodIfExists deletes nominatedPod from internal cache
+	DeleteNominatedPodIfExists(pod *v1.Pod)
 }
 
 // NewSchedulingQueue initializes a new scheduling queue. If pod priority is
@@ -157,6 +159,9 @@ func (f *FIFO) Close() {
 	f.FIFO.Close()
 }
 
+// DeleteNominatedPodIfExists does nothing in FIFO.
+func (f *FIFO) DeleteNominatedPodIfExists(pod *v1.Pod) {}
+
 // NewFIFO creates a FIFO object.
 func NewFIFO() *FIFO {
 	return &FIFO{FIFO: cache.NewFIFO(cache.MetaNamespaceKeyFunc)}
@@ -219,7 +224,7 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) addNominatedPodIfNeeded(pod *v1.Pod) {
 	if len(nnn) > 0 {
 		for _, np := range p.nominatedPods[nnn] {
 			if np.UID == pod.UID {
-				klog.Errorf("Pod %v/%v already exists in the nominated map!", pod.Namespace, pod.Name)
+				klog.V(4).Infof("Pod %v/%v already exists in the nominated map!", pod.Namespace, pod.Name)
 				return
 			}
 		}
@@ -228,6 +233,7 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) addNominatedPodIfNeeded(pod *v1.Pod) {
 }
 
 // deleteNominatedPodIfExists deletes a pod from the nominatedPods.
+// NOTE: this function assumes lock has been acquired in caller.
 func (p *PriorityQueue) deleteNominatedPodIfExists(pod *v1.Pod) {
 	nnn := NominatedNodeName(pod)
 	if len(nnn) > 0 {
@@ -342,7 +348,6 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) Pop() (*v1.Pod, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	pod := obj.(*v1.Pod)
-	p.deleteNominatedPodIfExists(pod)
 	p.receivedMoveRequest = false
 	return pod, err
 }
@@ -411,13 +416,17 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) Delete(pod *v1.Pod) error {
 // AssignedPodAdded is called when a bound pod is added. Creation of this pod
 // may make pending pods with matching affinity terms schedulable.
 func (p *PriorityQueue) AssignedPodAdded(pod *v1.Pod) {
+	p.lock.Lock()
 	p.movePodsToActiveQueue(p.getUnschedulablePodsWithMatchingAffinityTerm(pod))
+	p.lock.Unlock()
 }
 
 // AssignedPodUpdated is called when a bound pod is updated. Change of labels
 // may make pending pods with matching affinity terms schedulable.
 func (p *PriorityQueue) AssignedPodUpdated(pod *v1.Pod) {
+	p.lock.Lock()
 	p.movePodsToActiveQueue(p.getUnschedulablePodsWithMatchingAffinityTerm(pod))
+	p.lock.Unlock()
 }
 
 // MoveAllToActiveQueue moves all pods from unschedulableQ to activeQ. This
@@ -441,9 +450,8 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) MoveAllToActiveQueue() {
 	p.cond.Broadcast()
 }
 
+// NOTE: this function assumes lock has been acquired in caller
 func (p *PriorityQueue) movePodsToActiveQueue(pods []*v1.Pod) {
-	p.lock.Lock()
-	defer p.lock.Unlock()
 	for _, pod := range pods {
 		if err := p.activeQ.Add(pod); err == nil {
 			p.unschedulableQ.delete(pod)
@@ -457,9 +465,8 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) movePodsToActiveQueue(pods []*v1.Pod) {
 
 // getUnschedulablePodsWithMatchingAffinityTerm returns unschedulable pods which have
 // any affinity term that matches "pod".
+// NOTE: this function assumes lock has been acquired in caller.
 func (p *PriorityQueue) getUnschedulablePodsWithMatchingAffinityTerm(pod *v1.Pod) []*v1.Pod {
-	p.lock.RLock()
-	defer p.lock.RUnlock()
 	var podsToMove []*v1.Pod
 	for _, up := range p.unschedulableQ.pods {
 		affinity := up.Spec.Affinity
@@ -516,6 +523,13 @@ func (p *PriorityQueue) Close() {
 	p.cond.Broadcast()
 }
 
+// DeleteNominatedPodIfExists deletes pod from internal cache if it's a nominatedPod
+func (p *PriorityQueue) DeleteNominatedPodIfExists(pod *v1.Pod) {
+	p.lock.Lock()
+	p.deleteNominatedPodIfExists(pod)
+	p.lock.Unlock()
+}
+
 // UnschedulablePodsMap holds pods that cannot be scheduled. This data structure
 // is used to implement unschedulableQ.
 type UnschedulablePodsMap struct {
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue_test.go b/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue_test.go
index cdce43adc6a5c..ca0e336965621 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue_test.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/internal/queue/scheduling_queue_test.go
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ func TestPriorityQueue_Add(t *testing.T) {
 	if p, err := q.Pop(); err != nil || p != &unschedulablePod {
 		t.Errorf("Expected: %v after Pop, but got: %v", unschedulablePod.Name, p.Name)
 	}
-	if len(q.nominatedPods) != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected nomindatePods to be empty: %v", q.nominatedPods)
+	if len(q.nominatedPods["node1"]) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected medPriorityPod and unschedulablePod to be still present in nomindatePods: %v", q.nominatedPods["node1"])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ func TestPriorityQueue_AddIfNotPresent(t *testing.T) {
 	if p, err := q.Pop(); err != nil || p != &unschedulablePod {
 		t.Errorf("Expected: %v after Pop, but got: %v", unschedulablePod.Name, p.Name)
 	}
-	if len(q.nominatedPods) != 0 {
-		t.Errorf("Expected nomindatePods to be empty: %v", q.nominatedPods)
+	if len(q.nominatedPods["node1"]) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected medPriorityPod and unschedulablePod to be still present in nomindatePods: %v", q.nominatedPods["node1"])
 	}
 	if q.unschedulableQ.get(&highPriNominatedPod) != &highPriNominatedPod {
 		t.Errorf("Pod %v was not found in the unschedulableQ.", highPriNominatedPod.Name)
@@ -178,8 +178,8 @@ func TestPriorityQueue_Pop(t *testing.T) {
 		if p, err := q.Pop(); err != nil || p != &medPriorityPod {
 			t.Errorf("Expected: %v after Pop, but got: %v", medPriorityPod.Name, p.Name)
 		}
-		if len(q.nominatedPods) != 0 {
-			t.Errorf("Expected nomindatePods to be empty: %v", q.nominatedPods)
+		if len(q.nominatedPods["node1"]) != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("Expected medPriorityPod to be present in nomindatePods: %v", q.nominatedPods["node1"])
 		}
 	}()
 	q.Add(&medPriorityPod)
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go b/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go
index b9b94d3970662..ae8db84e4af7b 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go
@@ -433,6 +433,10 @@ func (sched *Scheduler) assume(assumed *v1.Pod, host string) error {
 		})
 		return err
 	}
+	// if "assumed" is a nominated pod, we should remove it from internal cache
+	if sched.config.SchedulingQueue != nil {
+		sched.config.SchedulingQueue.DeleteNominatedPodIfExists(assumed)
+	}
 
 	// Optimistically assume that the binding will succeed, so we need to invalidate affected
 	// predicates in equivalence cache.