diff --git a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 8b8b57676..4010cd5aa 100644
--- a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -204,11 +204,6 @@ func (e *kube) SetupWorkflow(ctx context.Context, conf *types.Config, taskUUID s
 
 // Start the pipeline step.
 func (e *kube) StartStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string) error {
-	if step.Type == types.StepTypeService {
-		// a service should be started by SetupWorkflow so we can ignore it
-		log.Trace().Msgf("StartStep got service '%s', ignoring it.", step.Name)
-		return nil
-	}
 	log.Trace().Str("taskUUID", taskUUID).Msgf("starting step: %s", step.Name)
 	_, err := startPod(ctx, e, step)
 	return err
@@ -353,11 +348,6 @@ func (e *kube) TailStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string)
 }
 
 func (e *kube) DestroyStep(ctx context.Context, step *types.Step, taskUUID string) error {
-	if step.Type == types.StepTypeService {
-		// a service should be stopped by DestroyWorkflow so we can ignore it
-		log.Trace().Msgf("destroyStep got service '%s', ignoring it.", step.Name)
-		return nil
-	}
 	log.Trace().Str("taskUUID", taskUUID).Msgf("Stopping step: %s", step.Name)
 	err := stopPod(ctx, e, step, defaultDeleteOptions)
 	return err
diff --git a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go
index 49f7ca6e0..930098bb4 100644
--- a/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go
+++ b/pipeline/backend/kubernetes/pod.go
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ func mapToEnvVars(m map[string]string) []v1.EnvVar {
 }
 
 func startPod(ctx context.Context, engine *kube, step *types.Step) (*v1.Pod, error) {
-	podName, err := podName(step)
+	podName, err := stepToPodName(step)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ func startPod(ctx context.Context, engine *kube, step *types.Step) (*v1.Pod, err
 }
 
 func stopPod(ctx context.Context, engine *kube, step *types.Step, deleteOpts metav1.DeleteOptions) error {
-	podName, err := podName(step)
+	podName, err := stepToPodName(step)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}