diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/computedomain.go b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/computedomain.go
index bd2acebe..ca02f55c 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/computedomain.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/computedomain.go
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ func (m *ComputeDomainManager) RemoveFinalizer(ctx context.Context, uid string)
 		return fmt.Errorf("error retrieving ComputeDomain: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if cd.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("attempting to remove finalizer before ComputeDomain marked for deletion")
+	}
+
 	newCD := cd.DeepCopy()
 	newCD.Finalizers = []string{}
 	for _, f := range cd.Finalizers {
@@ -210,20 +214,34 @@ func (m *ComputeDomainManager) onAddOrUpdate(ctx context.Context, obj any) error
 	klog.Infof("Processing added or updated ComputeDomain: %s/%s", cd.Namespace, cd.Name)
 
 	if cd.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
-		if err := m.deploymentManager.Delete(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting Deployment: %w", err)
+		if err := m.resourceClaimManager.Delete(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting ResourceClaim: %w", err)
 		}
 
 		if err := m.deviceClassManager.Delete(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting DeviceClass: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		if err := m.resourceClaimManager.Delete(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting ResourceClaim: %w", err)
+		if err := m.deploymentManager.Delete(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error deleting Deployment: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		if err := m.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer: %w", err)
+		if true {
+			if err := m.resourceClaimManager.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error deleting ResourceClaim: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			if err := m.deviceClassManager.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error deleting DeviceClass: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			if err := m.deploymentManager.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error deleting Deployment: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			if err := m.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, string(cd.UID)); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer: %w", err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deployment.go b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deployment.go
index 4e2dbac9..1595ee76 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deployment.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deployment.go
@@ -249,10 +249,6 @@ func (m *DeploymentManager) Delete(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error deleting IMEX channel pool: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	if err := m.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, cdUID); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer on Deployment: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	if d.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -266,6 +262,16 @@ func (m *DeploymentManager) Delete(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) error {
 }
 
 func (m *DeploymentManager) RemoveFinalizer(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) error {
+	if err := m.resourceClaimTemplateManager.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, cdUID); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer on ResourceClaimTemplate: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := m.removeFinalizer(ctx, cdUID); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer on Deployment: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m *DeploymentManager) removeFinalizer(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) error {
 	ds, err := getByComputeDomainUID[*appsv1.Deployment](ctx, m.informer, cdUID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error retrieving Deployment: %w", err)
@@ -279,6 +285,10 @@ func (m *DeploymentManager) RemoveFinalizer(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) e
 
 	d := ds[0]
 
+	if d.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("attempting to remove finalizer before Deployment marked for deletion")
+	}
+
 	newD := d.DeepCopy()
 	newD.Finalizers = []string{}
 	for _, f := range d.Finalizers {
diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deviceclass.go b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deviceclass.go
index 4069d634..8b8bedbb 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deviceclass.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/deviceclass.go
@@ -172,10 +172,6 @@ func (m *DeviceClassManager) Delete(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) error {
 
 	dc := dcs[0]
 
-	if err := m.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, cdUID); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer on DeviceClass '%s': %w", dc.Name, err)
-	}
-
 	if dc.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -202,6 +198,10 @@ func (m *DeviceClassManager) RemoveFinalizer(ctx context.Context, cdUID string)
 
 	dc := dcs[0]
 
+	if dc.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("attempting to remove finalizer before DeviceClass marked for deletion")
+	}
+
 	newDC := dc.DeepCopy()
 	newDC.Finalizers = []string{}
 	for _, f := range dc.Finalizers {
diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaim.go b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaim.go
index 4b7f338e..d8bfecc1 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaim.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaim.go
@@ -151,10 +151,6 @@ func (m *ResourceClaimManager) Delete(ctx context.Context, cdUID string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if err := m.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, cdUID); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer on ResourceClaims': %w", err)
-	}
-
 	for _, rc := range rcs {
 		if rc.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
 			continue
@@ -179,6 +175,10 @@ func (m *ResourceClaimManager) RemoveFinalizer(ctx context.Context, cdUID string
 	}
 
 	for _, rc := range rcs {
+		if rc.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("attempting to remove finalizer before ResoureClaim marked for deletion")
+		}
+
 		newRC := rc.DeepCopy()
 		newRC.Finalizers = []string{}
 		for _, f := range rc.Finalizers {
diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaimtemplate.go b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaimtemplate.go
index d7a9db7f..0ff77560 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaimtemplate.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-dra-imex-controller/resourceclaimtemplate.go
@@ -197,10 +197,6 @@ func (m *ResourceClaimTemplateManager) Delete(ctx context.Context, cdUID string)
 
 	rct := rcts[0]
 
-	if err := m.RemoveFinalizer(ctx, cdUID); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error removing finalizer on ResourceClaimTemplate '%s/%s': %w", rct.Namespace, rct.Name, err)
-	}
-
 	if rct.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -227,6 +223,10 @@ func (m *ResourceClaimTemplateManager) RemoveFinalizer(ctx context.Context, cdUI
 
 	rct := rcts[0]
 
+	if rct.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("attempting to remove finalizer before ResourceClaimTemplate marked for deletion")
+	}
+
 	newRCT := rct.DeepCopy()
 	newRCT.Finalizers = []string{}
 	for _, f := range rct.Finalizers {