diff --git a/controllers/awscluster_controller.go b/controllers/awscluster_controller.go
index 8fa29f610c..a3e0368d03 100644
--- a/controllers/awscluster_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/awscluster_controller.go
@@ -200,6 +200,11 @@ func (r *AWSClusterReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 }
 
 func (r *AWSClusterReconciler) reconcileDelete(ctx context.Context, clusterScope *scope.ClusterScope) error {
+	if !controllerutil.ContainsFinalizer(clusterScope.AWSCluster, infrav1.ClusterFinalizer) {
+		clusterScope.Info("No finalizer on AWSCluster, skipping deletion reconciliation")
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	clusterScope.Info("Reconciling AWSCluster delete")
 
 	ec2svc := r.getEC2Service(clusterScope)
diff --git a/controllers/awscluster_controller_test.go b/controllers/awscluster_controller_test.go
index 1ab83dfd8a..274f623b5f 100644
--- a/controllers/awscluster_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/awscluster_controller_test.go
@@ -374,6 +374,7 @@ func TestAWSClusterReconcilerIntegrationTests(t *testing.T) {
 			g.Expect(testEnv.Cleanup(ctx, &awsCluster, controllerIdentity, ns)).To(Succeed())
 		})
 
+		awsCluster.Finalizers = []string{infrav1.ClusterFinalizer}
 		cs, err := getClusterScope(awsCluster)
 		g.Expect(err).To(BeNil())
 
diff --git a/controllers/awscluster_controller_unit_test.go b/controllers/awscluster_controller_unit_test.go
index 07328fe8d4..22e3af6ad3 100644
--- a/controllers/awscluster_controller_unit_test.go
+++ b/controllers/awscluster_controller_unit_test.go
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ func TestAWSClusterReconcileOperations(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Run("Should successfully delete AWSCluster with Cluster Finalizer removed", func(t *testing.T) {
 				g := NewWithT(t)
 				awsCluster := getAWSCluster("test", "test")
+				awsCluster.Finalizers = []string{infrav1.ClusterFinalizer}
 				csClient := setup(t, &awsCluster)
 				defer teardown()
 				deleteCluster()