diff --git a/pkg/router/template/certmanager.go b/pkg/router/template/certmanager.go
index 2b0bd44c6049..cffdd2054e4f 100644
--- a/pkg/router/template/certmanager.go
+++ b/pkg/router/template/certmanager.go
@@ -12,10 +12,24 @@ import (
 	routeapi "github.com/openshift/origin/pkg/route/apis/route"
 )
 
+// certificateFile represents a certificate file.
+type certificateFile struct {
+	certDir string
+	id      string
+}
+
+// Tag generates a certificate file tag/name. This is used to index into the
+// the map of deleted certificates.
+func (cf certificateFile) Tag() string {
+	return filepath.Join(cf.certDir, cf.id+".pem")
+}
+
 // simpleCertificateManager is the default implementation of a certificateManager
 type simpleCertificateManager struct {
 	cfg *certificateManagerConfig
 	w   certificateWriter
+
+	deletedCertificates map[string]certificateFile
 }
 
 // newSimpleCertificateManager should be used to create a new cert manager.  It will return an error
@@ -27,7 +41,7 @@ func newSimpleCertificateManager(cfg *certificateManagerConfig, w certificateWri
 	if w == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("certificate manager requires a certificate writer")
 	}
-	return &simpleCertificateManager{cfg, w}, nil
+	return &simpleCertificateManager{cfg, w, make(map[string]certificateFile, 0)}, nil
 }
 
 // validateCertManagerConfig ensures that the key functions and directories are set as well as
@@ -81,6 +95,8 @@ func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) WriteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceAl
 					buffer.Write([]byte(caCertObj.Contents))
 				}
 
+				certFile := certificateFile{certDir: cm.cfg.certDir, id: certObj.ID}
+				delete(cm.deletedCertificates, certFile.Tag())
 				if err := cm.w.WriteCertificate(cm.cfg.certDir, certObj.ID, buffer.Bytes()); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -92,6 +108,8 @@ func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) WriteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceAl
 			destCert, ok := config.Certificates[destCertKey]
 
 			if ok {
+				destCertFile := certificateFile{certDir: cm.cfg.caCertDir, id: destCert.ID}
+				delete(cm.deletedCertificates, destCertFile.Tag())
 				if err := cm.w.WriteCertificate(cm.cfg.caCertDir, destCert.ID, []byte(destCert.Contents)); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -101,7 +119,7 @@ func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) WriteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceAl
 	return nil
 }
 
-// deleteCertificatesForConfig will delete all certificates for the ServiceAliasConfig
+// DeleteCertificatesForConfig will delete all certificates for the ServiceAliasConfig
 func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) DeleteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceAliasConfig) error {
 	if config == nil {
 		return nil
@@ -112,10 +130,8 @@ func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) DeleteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceA
 			certObj, ok := config.Certificates[certKey]
 
 			if ok {
-				err := cm.w.DeleteCertificate(cm.cfg.certDir, certObj.ID)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
+				certFile := certificateFile{certDir: cm.cfg.certDir, id: certObj.ID}
+				cm.deletedCertificates[certFile.Tag()] = certFile
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -124,16 +140,38 @@ func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) DeleteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceA
 			destCert, ok := config.Certificates[destCertKey]
 
 			if ok {
-				err := cm.w.DeleteCertificate(cm.cfg.caCertDir, destCert.ID)
-				if err != nil {
-					return err
-				}
+				destCertFile := certificateFile{certDir: cm.cfg.caCertDir, id: destCert.ID}
+				cm.deletedCertificates[destCertFile.Tag()] = destCertFile
 			}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+// Commit applies any pending changes made to the certificateManager.
+func (cm *simpleCertificateManager) Commit() error {
+	// Deletion of certificates that are being referenced in backends or
+	// config is problematic in that the template router will not
+	// reload because the config is invalid, so we _do_ need to "stage"
+	// or commit the removals. Remove all the deleted certificates.
+	for _, certFile := range cm.deletedCertificates {
+		err := cm.w.DeleteCertificate(certFile.certDir, certFile.id)
+		if err != nil {
+			// Log a warning if the delete fails but proceed on.
+			glog.Warningf("Ignoring error deleting certificate file %v: %v", certFile.Tag(), err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	cm.deletedCertificates = make(map[string]certificateFile, 0)
+
+	// If we decide to stage the certificate writes, we can flush the
+	// write to the disk here. Today, the certificate writes are done
+	// just before this function is called. The tradeoff is storing a
+	// copy in memory until we commit.
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // simpleCertificateWriter is the default implementation of a certificateWriter
 type simpleCertificateWriter struct{}
 
diff --git a/pkg/router/template/certmanager_test.go b/pkg/router/template/certmanager_test.go
index 7bfcb4034ac9..e662ec20610b 100644
--- a/pkg/router/template/certmanager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/router/template/certmanager_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package templaterouter
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
 	routeapi "github.com/openshift/origin/pkg/route/apis/route"
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ func TestCertManager(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for k, tc := range testCases {
+		certManager.Commit()
 		fakeCertWriter.clear()
 		err := certManager.WriteCertificatesForConfig(tc.cfg)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -133,14 +135,31 @@ func TestCertManager(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Unexpected number of adds for %s occurred. Expected: %d Got: %d", k, len(tc.expectedAdds), len(fakeCertWriter.addedCerts))
 		}
 
+		if 0 != len(fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts) {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected number of deletes prior to certManager.Commit() for %s occurred. Expected: 0 Got: %d", k, len(fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts))
+		}
+
+		err = certManager.Commit()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected error committing certs for service alias config for %s.  Config: %v, err: %v", k, tc.cfg, err)
+		}
+
+		if len(tc.expectedAdds) != len(fakeCertWriter.addedCerts) {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected number of adds for %s occurred. Expected: %d Got: %d", k, len(tc.expectedAdds), len(fakeCertWriter.addedCerts))
+		}
+
 		if len(tc.expectedDeletes) != len(fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts) {
 			t.Errorf("Unexpected number of deletes for %s occurred. Expected: %d Got: %d", k, len(tc.expectedDeletes), len(fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts))
 		}
 
+		sort.Strings(tc.expectedAdds)
+		sort.Strings(fakeCertWriter.addedCerts)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(tc.expectedAdds, fakeCertWriter.addedCerts) {
 			t.Errorf("Unexpected adds for %s, wanted: %v, got %v", k, tc.expectedAdds, fakeCertWriter.addedCerts)
 		}
 
+		sort.Strings(tc.expectedDeletes)
+		sort.Strings(fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(tc.expectedDeletes, fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts) {
 			t.Errorf("Unexpected deletes for %s, wanted: %v, got %v", k, tc.expectedDeletes, fakeCertWriter.deletedCerts)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/router/template/router.go b/pkg/router/template/router.go
index 29f191c9c776..fea48638971a 100644
--- a/pkg/router/template/router.go
+++ b/pkg/router/template/router.go
@@ -394,6 +394,13 @@ func (r *templateRouter) writeConfig() error {
 		r.state[k] = cfg
 	}
 
+	glog.V(4).Infof("Committing router certificate manager changes...")
+	if err := r.certManager.Commit(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error committing certificate changes: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	glog.V(4).Infof("Router certificate manager config committed")
+
 	for path, template := range r.templates {
 		file, err := os.Create(path)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/router/template/types.go b/pkg/router/template/types.go
index dd06561313ab..f6764684ebbb 100644
--- a/pkg/router/template/types.go
+++ b/pkg/router/template/types.go
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ type certificateManager interface {
 	WriteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceAliasConfig) error
 	// DeleteCertificatesForConfig deletes all certificates for all ServiceAliasConfigs in config
 	DeleteCertificatesForConfig(config *ServiceAliasConfig) error
+	// Commit commits all the changes made to the certificateManager.
+	Commit() error
 	// CertificateWriter provides direct access to the underlying writer if required
 	CertificateWriter() certificateWriter
 }