diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1a3c92cae..16d8a1c05 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/).
 ### Added
 - Added the option to disable prometheus service monitor creation [#810](https://github.com/NVIDIA/KAI-Scheduler/pull/810) [itsomri](https://github.com/itsomri)
 
+### Fixed
+- Fixed pod controller logging to use request namespace/name instead of empty pod object fields when pod is not found
+
 ## [v0.12.0] - 2025-12-24
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller.go b/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller.go
index bf06dd528..a40484e37 100644
--- a/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func (r *PodReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (ctrl.R
 	err := r.Client.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Namespace: req.Namespace, Name: req.Name}, &pod)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-			logger.V(1).Info(fmt.Sprintf("Pod %s/%s not found, was probably deleted", pod.Namespace, pod.Name))
+			logger.V(1).Info(fmt.Sprintf("Pod %s/%s not found, was probably deleted", req.Namespace, req.Name))
 			return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller_test.go b/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller_test.go
index 60516e3ce..1e2d46b3b 100644
--- a/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/podgrouper/pod_controller_test.go
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 package controllers
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -18,11 +20,39 @@ import (
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/fake"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log"
 
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/KAI-scheduler/pkg/common/constants"
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/KAI-scheduler/pkg/podgrouper/podgroup"
 )
 
+type testLogSink struct {
+	buffer *bytes.Buffer
+}
+
+func (s *testLogSink) Init(info logr.RuntimeInfo) {}
+func (s *testLogSink) Enabled(level int) bool     { return true }
+func (s *testLogSink) Info(level int, msg string, keysAndValues ...interface{}) {
+	s.buffer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("[%d] %s", level, msg))
+	for i := 0; i < len(keysAndValues); i += 2 {
+		if i+1 < len(keysAndValues) {
+			s.buffer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(" %v=%v", keysAndValues[i], keysAndValues[i+1]))
+		}
+	}
+	s.buffer.WriteString("\n")
+}
+func (s *testLogSink) Error(err error, msg string, keysAndValues ...interface{}) {
+	s.buffer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("ERROR %s: %v", msg, err))
+	for i := 0; i < len(keysAndValues); i += 2 {
+		if i+1 < len(keysAndValues) {
+			s.buffer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(" %v=%v", keysAndValues[i], keysAndValues[i+1]))
+		}
+	}
+	s.buffer.WriteString("\n")
+}
+func (s *testLogSink) WithValues(keysAndValues ...interface{}) logr.LogSink { return s }
+func (s *testLogSink) WithName(name string) logr.LogSink                    { return s }
+
 const nodePoolKey = "kai.scheduler/node-pool"
 
 func TestAddNodePoolLabel(t *testing.T) {
@@ -284,3 +314,41 @@ func TestLabelsMatch(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestReconcilePodNotFound(t *testing.T) {
+	testNamespace := "test-namespace"
+	testPodName := "test-pod"
+
+	var logBuffer bytes.Buffer
+	ctx := log.IntoContext(context.TODO(), logr.New(&testLogSink{buffer: &logBuffer}))
+	fakeClient := fake.NewClientBuilder().Build()
+
+	reconciler := PodReconciler{
+		Client:          fakeClient,
+		Scheme:          scheme.Scheme,
+		podGrouper:      &fakePodGrouper{},
+		PodGroupHandler: nil,
+		configs: Configs{
+			SchedulerName: "kai-scheduler",
+		},
+		eventRecorder: record.NewFakeRecorder(10),
+	}
+
+	result, err := reconciler.Reconcile(ctx, ctrl.Request{
+		NamespacedName: types.NamespacedName{
+			Namespace: testNamespace,
+			Name:      testPodName,
+		},
+	})
+
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, ctrl.Result{}, result)
+
+	logOutput := logBuffer.String()
+	expectedPattern := fmt.Sprintf("Pod %s/%s not found", testNamespace, testPodName)
+
+	assert.Contains(t, logOutput, expectedPattern,
+		"Log should contain correct namespace/name from req, got: %s", logOutput)
+	assert.NotContains(t, logOutput, "Pod / not found",
+		"Log should not contain empty namespace/name pattern")
+}