diff --git a/pkg/controller/queuejob/queuejob_controller_ex.go b/pkg/controller/queuejob/queuejob_controller_ex.go
index 94d0c623..3f776778 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/queuejob/queuejob_controller_ex.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/queuejob/queuejob_controller_ex.go
@@ -364,15 +364,21 @@ func (qjm *XController) PreemptQueueJobs() {
 			klog.Warningf("[PreemptQueueJobs] failed in retrieving a fresh copy of the app wrapper '%s/%s', err=%v. Will try to preempt on the next run.", aw.Namespace, aw.Name, err)
 			continue
 		}
+		//we need to update AW before analyzing it as a candidate for preemption
+		updateErr := qjm.UpdateQueueJobStatus(newjob)
+		if updateErr != nil {
+			klog.Warningf("[PreemptQueueJobs] update of pod count to AW %v failed hence skipping preemption", newjob.Name)
+			return
+		}
 		newjob.Status.CanRun = false
 		newjob.Status.FilterIgnore = true // update QueueJobState only
 		cleanAppWrapper := false
 		// If dispatch deadline is exceeded no matter what the state of AW, kill the job and set status as Failed.
-		if (aw.Status.State == arbv1.AppWrapperStateActive) && (aw.Spec.SchedSpec.DispatchDuration.Limit > 0) {
-			if aw.Spec.SchedSpec.DispatchDuration.Overrun {
-				index := getIndexOfMatchedCondition(aw, arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, "DispatchDeadlineExceeded")
+		if (newjob.Status.State == arbv1.AppWrapperStateActive) && (newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.DispatchDuration.Limit > 0) {
+			if newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.DispatchDuration.Overrun {
+				index := getIndexOfMatchedCondition(newjob, arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, "DispatchDeadlineExceeded")
 				if index < 0 {
-					message = fmt.Sprintf("Dispatch deadline exceeded. allowed to run for %v seconds", aw.Spec.SchedSpec.DispatchDuration.Limit)
+					message = fmt.Sprintf("Dispatch deadline exceeded. allowed to run for %v seconds", newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.DispatchDuration.Limit)
 					cond := GenerateAppWrapperCondition(arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, v1.ConditionTrue, "DispatchDeadlineExceeded", message)
 					newjob.Status.Conditions = append(newjob.Status.Conditions, cond)
 				} else {
@@ -387,7 +393,7 @@ func (qjm *XController) PreemptQueueJobs() {
 
 				err := qjm.updateStatusInEtcdWithRetry(ctx, updateNewJob, "PreemptQueueJobs - CanRun: false -- DispatchDeadlineExceeded")
 				if err != nil {
-					klog.Warningf("[PreemptQueueJobs] status update  CanRun: false -- DispatchDeadlineExceeded for '%s/%s' failed", aw.Namespace, aw.Name)
+					klog.Warningf("[PreemptQueueJobs] status update  CanRun: false -- DispatchDeadlineExceeded for '%s/%s' failed", newjob.Namespace, newjob.Name)
 					continue
 				}
 				// cannot use cleanup AW, since it puts AW back in running state
@@ -398,10 +404,10 @@ func (qjm *XController) PreemptQueueJobs() {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ((aw.Status.Running + aw.Status.Succeeded) < int32(aw.Spec.SchedSpec.MinAvailable)) && aw.Status.State == arbv1.AppWrapperStateActive {
-			index := getIndexOfMatchedCondition(aw, arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, "MinPodsNotRunning")
+		if ((newjob.Status.Running + newjob.Status.Succeeded) < int32(newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.MinAvailable)) && newjob.Status.State == arbv1.AppWrapperStateActive {
+			index := getIndexOfMatchedCondition(newjob, arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, "MinPodsNotRunning")
 			if index < 0 {
-				message = fmt.Sprintf("Insufficient number of Running and Completed pods, minimum=%d, running=%d, completed=%d.", aw.Spec.SchedSpec.MinAvailable, aw.Status.Running, aw.Status.Succeeded)
+				message = fmt.Sprintf("Insufficient number of Running and Completed pods, minimum=%d, running=%d, completed=%d.", newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.MinAvailable, newjob.Status.Running, newjob.Status.Succeeded)
 				cond := GenerateAppWrapperCondition(arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, v1.ConditionTrue, "MinPodsNotRunning", message)
 				newjob.Status.Conditions = append(newjob.Status.Conditions, cond)
 			} else {
@@ -409,22 +415,22 @@ func (qjm *XController) PreemptQueueJobs() {
 				newjob.Status.Conditions[index] = *cond.DeepCopy()
 			}
 
-			if aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.InitialTimeInSeconds == 0 {
-				aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.InitialTimeInSeconds = aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.TimeInSeconds
+			if newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.InitialTimeInSeconds == 0 {
+				newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.InitialTimeInSeconds = newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.TimeInSeconds
 			}
-			if aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.GrowthType == "exponential" {
+			if newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.GrowthType == "exponential" {
 				if newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds == 0 {
-					newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds += aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.TimeInSeconds
+					newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds += newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.TimeInSeconds
 				} else {
 					newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds += newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds
 				}
-			} else if aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.GrowthType == "linear" {
-				newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds += aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.InitialTimeInSeconds
+			} else if newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.GrowthType == "linear" {
+				newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds += newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.InitialTimeInSeconds
 			}
 
-			if aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.MaxTimeInSeconds > 0 {
-				if aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.MaxTimeInSeconds <= newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds {
-					newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds = aw.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.MaxTimeInSeconds
+			if newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.MaxTimeInSeconds > 0 {
+				if newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.MaxTimeInSeconds <= newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds {
+					newjob.Status.RequeueingTimeInSeconds = newjob.Spec.SchedSpec.Requeuing.MaxTimeInSeconds
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -438,7 +444,7 @@ func (qjm *XController) PreemptQueueJobs() {
 			updateNewJob = newjob.DeepCopy()
 		} else {
 			// If pods failed scheduling generate new preempt condition
-			message = fmt.Sprintf("Pods failed scheduling failed=%v, running=%v.", len(aw.Status.PendingPodConditions), aw.Status.Running)
+			message = fmt.Sprintf("Pods failed scheduling failed=%v, running=%v.", len(newjob.Status.PendingPodConditions), newjob.Status.Running)
 			index := getIndexOfMatchedCondition(newjob, arbv1.AppWrapperCondPreemptCandidate, "PodsFailedScheduling")
 			// ignore co-scheduler failed scheduling events. This is a temp
 			// work-around until co-scheduler version 0.22.X perf issues are resolved.
@@ -455,17 +461,17 @@ func (qjm *XController) PreemptQueueJobs() {
 
 		err = qjm.updateStatusInEtcdWithRetry(ctx, updateNewJob, "PreemptQueueJobs - CanRun: false -- MinPodsNotRunning")
 		if err != nil {
-			klog.Warningf("[PreemptQueueJobs] status update for '%s/%s' failed, skipping app wrapper err =%v", aw.Namespace, aw.Name, err)
+			klog.Warningf("[PreemptQueueJobs] status update for '%s/%s' failed, skipping app wrapper err =%v", newjob.Namespace, newjob.Name, err)
 			continue
 		}
 
 		if cleanAppWrapper {
-			klog.V(4).Infof("[PreemptQueueJobs] Deleting AppWrapper %s/%s due to maximum number of re-queueing(s) exceeded.", aw.Name, aw.Namespace)
+			klog.V(4).Infof("[PreemptQueueJobs] Deleting AppWrapper %s/%s due to maximum number of re-queueing(s) exceeded.", newjob.Name, newjob.Namespace)
 			go qjm.Cleanup(ctx, updateNewJob)
 		} else {
 			// Only back-off AWs that are in state running and not in state Failed
 			if updateNewJob.Status.State != arbv1.AppWrapperStateFailed {
-				klog.Infof("[PreemptQueueJobs] Adding preempted AppWrapper %s/%s to back off queue.", aw.Name, aw.Namespace)
+				klog.Infof("[PreemptQueueJobs] Adding preempted AppWrapper %s/%s to back off queue.", newjob.Name, newjob.Namespace)
 				qjm.backoff(ctx, updateNewJob, "PreemptionTriggered", string(message))
 			}
 		}