diff --git a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/executors/kubernetes_executor.py b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/executors/kubernetes_executor.py
index 0dcc01537cb78..03362c3c1687d 100644
--- a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/executors/kubernetes_executor.py
+++ b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/executors/kubernetes_executor.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.task_publish_max_retries = self.conf.getint(
             "kubernetes_executor", "task_publish_max_retries", fallback=0
         )
-        self.completed: set[KubernetesResults] = set()
+        self.completed: dict[tuple[str, str], KubernetesResults] = {}
         self.create_pods_after: datetime | None = None
 
     def _list_pods(self, query_kwargs):
@@ -300,8 +300,18 @@ def sync(self) -> None:
                 finally:
                     self.result_queue.task_done()
 
-                for result in self.completed:
+        if self.completed:
+            still_pending: dict[tuple[str, str], KubernetesResults] = {}
+            for pod_key, result in self.completed.items():
+                try:
                     self._change_state(result)
+                except Exception:
+                    self.log.exception(
+                        "Exception when attempting to change state of adopted completed pod %s, will retry.",
+                        result,
+                    )
+                    still_pending[pod_key] = result
+            self.completed = still_pending
 
         from airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.executors.kubernetes_executor_utils import ResourceVersion
 
@@ -813,15 +823,15 @@ def _adopt_completed_pods(self, kube_client: client.CoreV1Api) -> None:
                 continue
 
             ti_id = annotations_to_key(pod.metadata.annotations)
-            self.completed.add(
-                KubernetesResults(
-                    key=ti_id,
-                    state="completed",
-                    pod_name=pod.metadata.name,
-                    namespace=pod.metadata.namespace,
-                    resource_version=pod.metadata.resource_version,
-                    failure_details=None,
-                )
+            pod_name = pod.metadata.name
+            namespace = pod.metadata.namespace
+            self.completed[(namespace, pod_name)] = KubernetesResults(
+                key=ti_id,
+                state="completed",
+                pod_name=pod_name,
+                namespace=namespace,
+                resource_version=pod.metadata.resource_version,
+                failure_details=None,
             )
 
     def _flush_task_queue(self) -> None:
diff --git a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/executors/test_kubernetes_executor.py b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/executors/test_kubernetes_executor.py
index bc1c2a97f55c7..c82b97af85978 100644
--- a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/executors/test_kubernetes_executor.py
+++ b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/executors/test_kubernetes_executor.py
@@ -1397,7 +1397,7 @@ def get_annotations(pod_name):
             ],
             any_order=True,
         )
-        assert {k8s_res.key for k8s_res in executor.completed} == expected_running_ti_keys
+        assert {k8s_res.key for k8s_res in executor.completed.values()} == expected_running_ti_keys
 
     @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.executors.kubernetes_executor.DynamicClient")
     @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.kube_client.get_kube_client")
@@ -1536,6 +1536,88 @@ def test_alive_other_scheduler_job_ids_does_not_detach_caller_session(self, sess
             "_alive_other_scheduler_job_ids closed/detached the caller's scoped session"
         )
 
+    @pytest.mark.db_test
+    @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.executors.kubernetes_executor_utils.KubernetesJobWatcher")
+    @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.kube_client.get_kube_client")
+    @mock.patch(
+        "airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.executors.kubernetes_executor_utils.AirflowKubernetesScheduler.delete_pod"
+    )
+    def test_sync_processes_completed_pods_once(
+        self, mock_delete_pod, mock_get_kube_client, mock_kubernetes_job_watcher
+    ):
+        """Adopted completed pods must not be re-deleted for every result-queue item."""
+        executor = self.kubernetes_executor
+        executor.start()
+        try:
+            completed_key = TaskInstanceKey(dag_id="dag", task_id="completed", run_id="run_id", try_number=1)
+            queue_key = TaskInstanceKey(dag_id="dag", task_id="queued", run_id="run_id", try_number=1)
+            executor.completed = {
+                ("default", "completed-pod"): KubernetesResults(
+                    completed_key,
+                    "completed",
+                    "completed-pod",
+                    "default",
+                    "1",
+                    None,
+                )
+            }
+            executor.result_queue.put(KubernetesResults(queue_key, None, "queue-pod", "default", "2", None))
+            executor.result_queue.put(KubernetesResults(queue_key, None, "queue-pod-2", "default", "3", None))
+
+            executor.sync()
+
+            assert mock_delete_pod.call_count == 3
+            assert executor.completed == {}
+        finally:
+            executor.end()
+
+    @pytest.mark.db_test
+    @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.executors.kubernetes_executor_utils.KubernetesJobWatcher")
+    @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.kube_client.get_kube_client")
+    @mock.patch(
+        "airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.executors.kubernetes_executor_utils.AirflowKubernetesScheduler"
+    )
+    def test_sync_processes_completed_pods_once_without_deletion(
+        self, mock_kubescheduler, mock_get_kube_client, mock_kubernetes_job_watcher
+    ):
+        """Adopted completed pods must not be re-patched for every result-queue item."""
+        mock_delete_pod = mock_kubescheduler.return_value.delete_pod
+        mock_patch_pod = mock_kubescheduler.return_value.patch_pod_executor_done
+        executor = self.kubernetes_executor
+        executor.kube_config.delete_worker_pods = False
+        executor.start()
+        try:
+            completed_key = TaskInstanceKey(dag_id="dag", task_id="completed", run_id="run_id", try_number=1)
+            queue_key = TaskInstanceKey(dag_id="dag", task_id="queued", run_id="run_id", try_number=1)
+            executor.completed = {
+                ("default", "completed-pod"): KubernetesResults(
+                    completed_key,
+                    "completed",
+                    "completed-pod",
+                    "default",
+                    "1",
+                    None,
+                )
+            }
+            executor.result_queue.put(KubernetesResults(queue_key, None, "queue-pod", "default", "2", None))
+            executor.result_queue.put(KubernetesResults(queue_key, None, "queue-pod-2", "default", "3", None))
+
+            executor.sync()
+
+            mock_delete_pod.assert_not_called()
+            assert mock_patch_pod.call_count == 3
+            mock_patch_pod.assert_has_calls(
+                [
+                    mock.call(pod_name="completed-pod", namespace="default"),
+                    mock.call(pod_name="queue-pod", namespace="default"),
+                    mock.call(pod_name="queue-pod-2", namespace="default"),
+                ],
+                any_order=True,
+            )
+            assert executor.completed == {}
+        finally:
+            executor.end()
+
     @mock.patch("airflow.providers.cncf.kubernetes.kube_client.get_kube_client")
     def test_not_adopt_unassigned_task(self, mock_kube_client):
         """