diff --git a/pkg/controller.v1/pytorch/pytorchjob_controller.go b/pkg/controller.v1/pytorch/pytorchjob_controller.go
index 6ed4694a93..13cbee9889 100644
--- a/pkg/controller.v1/pytorch/pytorchjob_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller.v1/pytorch/pytorchjob_controller.go
@@ -504,6 +504,15 @@ func (r *PyTorchJobReconciler) SetClusterSpec(job interface{}, podTemplate *core
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (r *PyTorchJobReconciler) IsMasterRole(replicas map[kubeflowv1.ReplicaType]*kubeflowv1.ReplicaSpec,
+	rtype kubeflowv1.ReplicaType, index int) bool {
+	if _, ok := replicas[kubeflowv1.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeMaster]; ok {
+		return string(rtype) == strings.ToLower(string(kubeflowv1.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeMaster))
+	}
+	// else check if it is worker with index 0
+	return string(rtype) == strings.ToLower(string(kubeflowv1.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeWorker)) && index == 0
+}
+
 func (r *PyTorchJobReconciler) GetDefaultContainerName() string {
 	return kubeflowv1.PyTorchJobDefaultContainerName
 }
@@ -512,11 +521,6 @@ func (r *PyTorchJobReconciler) GetDefaultContainerPortName() string {
 	return kubeflowv1.PyTorchJobDefaultPortName
 }
 
-func (r *PyTorchJobReconciler) IsMasterRole(replicas map[kubeflowv1.ReplicaType]*kubeflowv1.ReplicaSpec,
-	rtype kubeflowv1.ReplicaType, index int) bool {
-	return string(rtype) == string(kubeflowv1.PyTorchJobReplicaTypeMaster)
-}
-
 // onOwnerCreateFunc modify creation condition.
 func (r *PyTorchJobReconciler) onOwnerCreateFunc() func(event.CreateEvent) bool {
 	return func(e event.CreateEvent) bool {