diff --git a/pkg/k8sutil/unstructured.go b/pkg/k8sutil/unstructured.go
index 347112c97..806482cb2 100644
--- a/pkg/k8sutil/unstructured.go
+++ b/pkg/k8sutil/unstructured.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package k8sutil
 import (
 	"reflect"
 
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil/objectmatch"
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/goph/emperror"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
@@ -29,13 +28,14 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
 
 	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil/objectmatch"
 )
 
 type DesiredState string
 
 const (
-	CREATED DesiredState = "created"
-	DELETED DesiredState = "deleted"
+	DesiredStatePresent DesiredState = "present"
+	DesiredStateAbsent  DesiredState = "absent"
 )
 
 type DynamicObject struct {
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ type DynamicObject struct {
 }
 
 func (d *DynamicObject) Reconcile(log logr.Logger, client dynamic.Interface, desiredState DesiredState) error {
+	if desiredState == "" {
+		desiredState = DesiredStatePresent
+	}
 	desired := d.unstructured()
 	desiredType := reflect.TypeOf(desired)
 	log = log.WithValues("type", reflect.TypeOf(d), "name", d.Name)
@@ -56,18 +59,14 @@ func (d *DynamicObject) Reconcile(log logr.Logger, client dynamic.Interface, des
 	if err != nil && !apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 		return emperror.WrapWith(err, "getting resource failed", "name", d.Name, "kind", desiredType)
 	}
-	if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
-		if desiredState == CREATED {
-			if _, err := client.Resource(d.Gvr).Namespace(d.Namespace).Create(desired, metav1.CreateOptions{}); err != nil {
-				return emperror.WrapWith(err, "creating resource failed", "name", d.Name, "kind", desiredType)
-			}
-			log.Info("resource created", "kind", d.Gvr.Resource)
-		} else if desiredState == DELETED {
-			log.Info("resource not found, already deleted", "kind", d.Gvr.Resource)
+	if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) && desiredState == DesiredStatePresent {
+		if _, err := client.Resource(d.Gvr).Namespace(d.Namespace).Create(desired, metav1.CreateOptions{}); err != nil {
+			return emperror.WrapWith(err, "creating resource failed", "name", d.Name, "kind", desiredType)
 		}
+		log.Info("resource created", "kind", d.Gvr.Resource)
 	}
 	if err == nil {
-		if desiredState == CREATED {
+		if desiredState == DesiredStatePresent {
 			objectsEquals, err := objectmatch.Match(current, desired)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Error(err, "could not match objects", "kind", desiredType)
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ func (d *DynamicObject) Reconcile(log logr.Logger, client dynamic.Interface, des
 				return emperror.WrapWith(err, "updating resource failed", "name", d.Name, "kind", desiredType)
 			}
 			log.Info("resource updated", "kind", d.Gvr.Resource)
-		} else if desiredState == DELETED {
+		} else if desiredState == DesiredStateAbsent {
 			if err := client.Resource(d.Gvr).Namespace(d.Namespace).Delete(d.Name, &metav1.DeleteOptions{}); err != nil {
 				return emperror.WrapWith(err, "deleting resource failed", "name", d.Name, "kind", desiredType)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/resources/citadel/citadel.go b/pkg/resources/citadel/citadel.go
index ed94e61bb..416469767 100644
--- a/pkg/resources/citadel/citadel.go
+++ b/pkg/resources/citadel/citadel.go
@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@ limitations under the License.
 package citadel
 
 import (
-	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil"
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/resources"
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/goph/emperror"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+
+	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/resources"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -86,12 +87,12 @@ func (r *Reconciler) Reconcile(log logr.Logger) error {
 
 	var mTLSDesiredState k8sutil.DesiredState
 	if r.Config.Spec.MTLS {
-		mTLSDesiredState = k8sutil.CREATED
+		mTLSDesiredState = k8sutil.DesiredStatePresent
 	} else {
-		mTLSDesiredState = k8sutil.DELETED
+		mTLSDesiredState = k8sutil.DesiredStateAbsent
 	}
 	drs := []resources.DynamicResourceWithDesiredState{
-		{DynamicResource: r.meshPolicy, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
+		{DynamicResource: r.meshPolicy, DesiredState: k8sutil.DesiredStatePresent},
 		{DynamicResource: r.destinationRuleDefaultMtls, DesiredState: mTLSDesiredState},
 		{DynamicResource: r.destinationRuleApiServerMtls, DesiredState: mTLSDesiredState},
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/resources/mixer/mixer.go b/pkg/resources/mixer/mixer.go
index 584cc800f..33268017b 100644
--- a/pkg/resources/mixer/mixer.go
+++ b/pkg/resources/mixer/mixer.go
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ package mixer
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil"
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/resources"
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/goph/emperror"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+
+	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/resources"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -85,28 +86,28 @@ func (r *Reconciler) Reconcile(log logr.Logger) error {
 		}
 	}
 	drs := []resources.DynamicResourceWithDesiredState{
-		{DynamicResource: r.istioProxyAttributeManifest, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.kubernetesAttributeManifest, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.stdioHandler, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.accessLogLogentry, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.tcpAccessLogLogentry, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.stdioRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.stdioTcpRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.prometheusHandler, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.requestCountMetric, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.requestDurationMetric, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.requestSizeMetric, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.responseSizeMetric, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.tcpByteReceivedMetric, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.tcpByteSentMetric, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.promHttpRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.promTcpRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.kubernetesEnvHandler, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.attributesKubernetes, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.kubeAttrRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.tcpKubeAttrRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.policyDestinationRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
-		{DynamicResource: r.telemetryDestinationRule, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
+		{DynamicResource: r.istioProxyAttributeManifest},
+		{DynamicResource: r.kubernetesAttributeManifest},
+		{DynamicResource: r.stdioHandler},
+		{DynamicResource: r.accessLogLogentry},
+		{DynamicResource: r.tcpAccessLogLogentry},
+		{DynamicResource: r.stdioRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.stdioTcpRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.prometheusHandler},
+		{DynamicResource: r.requestCountMetric},
+		{DynamicResource: r.requestDurationMetric},
+		{DynamicResource: r.requestSizeMetric},
+		{DynamicResource: r.responseSizeMetric},
+		{DynamicResource: r.tcpByteReceivedMetric},
+		{DynamicResource: r.tcpByteSentMetric},
+		{DynamicResource: r.promHttpRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.promTcpRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.kubernetesEnvHandler},
+		{DynamicResource: r.attributesKubernetes},
+		{DynamicResource: r.kubeAttrRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.tcpKubeAttrRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.policyDestinationRule},
+		{DynamicResource: r.telemetryDestinationRule},
 	}
 	for _, dr := range drs {
 		o := dr.DynamicResource()
diff --git a/pkg/resources/pilot/pilot.go b/pkg/resources/pilot/pilot.go
index a48bd1d10..9b13daddc 100644
--- a/pkg/resources/pilot/pilot.go
+++ b/pkg/resources/pilot/pilot.go
@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@ limitations under the License.
 package pilot
 
 import (
-	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil"
-	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/resources"
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/goph/emperror"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+
+	istiov1beta1 "github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/apis/istio/v1beta1"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/k8sutil"
+	"github.com/banzaicloud/istio-operator/pkg/resources"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) Reconcile(log logr.Logger) error {
 		}
 	}
 	drs := []resources.DynamicResourceWithDesiredState{
-		{DynamicResource: r.gateway, DesiredState: k8sutil.CREATED},
+		{DynamicResource: r.gateway},
 	}
 	for _, dr := range drs {
 		o := dr.DynamicResource()