diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java
index d908f52ebe..130c446900 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ protected <P extends HasMetadata> ControllerConfiguration<P> configFor(Reconcile
             Constants.NO_VALUE_SET),
         null,
         Utils.instantiate(annotation.itemStore(), ItemStore.class, context), dependentFieldManager,
-        this, informerListLimit);
+        this, informerListLimit, annotation.reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion());
 
     ResourceEventFilter<P> answer = deprecatedEventFilter(annotation);
     config.setEventFilter(answer != null ? answer : ResourceEventFilters.passthrough());
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfiguration.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfiguration.java
index 13ddd995ad..0adcc318dd 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfiguration.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfiguration.java
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 
 public interface ControllerConfiguration<P extends HasMetadata> extends ResourceConfiguration<P> {
 
+  boolean DEFAULT_RECONCILER_RESOURCES_MARKED_FOR_DELETION = false;
+
+
   @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
   RateLimiter DEFAULT_RATE_LIMITER = LinearRateLimiter.deactivatedRateLimiter();
   /**
@@ -140,4 +143,8 @@ default String fieldManager() {
     return getName();
   }
 
+  default boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion() {
+    return DEFAULT_RECONCILER_RESOURCES_MARKED_FOR_DELETION;
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfigurationOverrider.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfigurationOverrider.java
index 328d912109..aa3b509194 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfigurationOverrider.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ControllerConfigurationOverrider.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public class ControllerConfigurationOverrider<R extends HasMetadata> {
   private String name;
   private String fieldManager;
   private Long informerListLimit;
+  private Boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion;
 
   private ControllerConfigurationOverrider(ControllerConfiguration<R> original) {
     this.finalizer = original.getFinalizerName();
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ private ControllerConfigurationOverrider(ControllerConfiguration<R> original) {
     this.fieldManager = original.fieldManager();
     this.informerListLimit = original.getInformerListLimit().orElse(null);
     this.itemStore = original.getItemStore().orElse(null);
+    this.reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion = original.reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion();
   }
 
   public ControllerConfigurationOverrider<R> withFinalizer(String finalizer) {
@@ -179,6 +181,12 @@ public ControllerConfigurationOverrider<R> withFieldManager(
     return this;
   }
 
+  public ControllerConfigurationOverrider<R> withReconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion(
+      boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion) {
+    this.reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion = reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion;
+    return this;
+  }
+
 
   /**
    * Sets a max page size limit when starting the informer. This will result in pagination while
@@ -216,7 +224,7 @@ public ControllerConfiguration<R> build() {
         reconciliationMaxInterval, onAddFilter, onUpdateFilter, genericFilter,
         original.getDependentResources(),
         namespaces, finalizer, labelSelector, configurations, itemStore, fieldManager,
-        original.getConfigurationService(), informerListLimit);
+        original.getConfigurationService(), informerListLimit, reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion);
     overridden.setEventFilter(customResourcePredicate);
     return overridden;
   }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ResolvedControllerConfiguration.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ResolvedControllerConfiguration.java
index 307e75080f..1e188b0b62 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ResolvedControllerConfiguration.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/ResolvedControllerConfiguration.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public class ResolvedControllerConfiguration<P extends HasMetadata>
   private final ItemStore<P> itemStore;
   private final ConfigurationService configurationService;
   private final String fieldManager;
+  private final boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion;
 
   private ResourceEventFilter<P> eventFilter;
   private List<DependentResourceSpec> dependentResources;
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ public ResolvedControllerConfiguration(Class<P> resourceClass, ControllerConfigu
         other.getFinalizerName(), other.getLabelSelector(), Collections.emptyMap(),
         other.getItemStore().orElse(null), other.fieldManager(),
         other.getConfigurationService(),
-        other.getInformerListLimit().orElse(null));
+        other.getInformerListLimit().orElse(null), other.reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion());
   }
 
   public static Duration getMaxReconciliationInterval(long interval, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
@@ -76,11 +77,12 @@ public ResolvedControllerConfiguration(Class<P> resourceClass, String name,
       Set<String> namespaces, String finalizer, String labelSelector,
       Map<DependentResourceSpec, Object> configurations, ItemStore<P> itemStore,
       String fieldManager,
-      ConfigurationService configurationService, Long informerListLimit) {
+      ConfigurationService configurationService, Long informerListLimit,
+      Boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion) {
     this(resourceClass, name, generationAware, associatedReconcilerClassName, retry, rateLimiter,
         maxReconciliationInterval, onAddFilter, onUpdateFilter, genericFilter,
         namespaces, finalizer, labelSelector, configurations, itemStore, fieldManager,
-        configurationService, informerListLimit);
+        configurationService, informerListLimit, reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion);
     setDependentResources(dependentResources);
   }
 
@@ -92,7 +94,8 @@ protected ResolvedControllerConfiguration(Class<P> resourceClass, String name,
       Set<String> namespaces, String finalizer, String labelSelector,
       Map<DependentResourceSpec, Object> configurations, ItemStore<P> itemStore,
       String fieldManager,
-      ConfigurationService configurationService, Long informerListLimit) {
+      ConfigurationService configurationService, Long informerListLimit,
+      boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion) {
     super(resourceClass, namespaces, labelSelector, onAddFilter, onUpdateFilter, genericFilter,
         itemStore, informerListLimit);
     this.configurationService = configurationService;
@@ -107,13 +110,14 @@ protected ResolvedControllerConfiguration(Class<P> resourceClass, String name,
     this.finalizer =
         ControllerConfiguration.ensureValidFinalizerName(finalizer, getResourceTypeName());
     this.fieldManager = fieldManager;
+    this.reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion = reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion;
   }
 
   protected ResolvedControllerConfiguration(Class<P> resourceClass, String name,
       Class<? extends Reconciler> reconcilerClas, ConfigurationService configurationService) {
     this(resourceClass, name, false, getAssociatedReconcilerClassName(reconcilerClas), null, null,
         null, null, null, null, null,
-        null, null, null, null, null, configurationService, null);
+        null, null, null, null, null, configurationService, null, false);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -195,4 +199,9 @@ public Optional<ItemStore<P>> getItemStore() {
   public String fieldManager() {
     return fieldManager;
   }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion() {
+    return reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java
index c064e669e0..a315fd8206 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.retry.Retry;
 
 import static io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ControllerConfiguration.CONTROLLER_NAME_AS_FIELD_MANAGER;
+import static io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ControllerConfiguration.DEFAULT_RECONCILER_RESOURCES_MARKED_FOR_DELETION;
 import static io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Constants.NO_LONG_VALUE_SET;
 
 @Inherited
@@ -166,4 +167,11 @@ MaxReconciliationInterval maxReconciliationInterval() default @MaxReconciliation
    * the informer cache.
    */
   long informerListLimit() default NO_LONG_VALUE_SET;
+
+  /**
+   * if true and reconciler not implements {@link Cleaner} interface executes reconciliation even if
+   * controller is marked for deletion, thus when waiting for other finalizer removal. This allows
+   * to manage corner cases when not all resources will need a finalizer.
+   */
+  boolean reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion() default DEFAULT_RECONCILER_RESOURCES_MARKED_FOR_DELETION;
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java
index ed3eb38521..685473775f 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ private PostExecutionControl<P> handleDispatch(ExecutionScope<P> executionScope)
         originalResource.getMetadata().getNamespace());
 
     final var markedForDeletion = originalResource.isMarkedForDeletion();
-    if (markedForDeletion && shouldNotDispatchToCleanupWhenMarkedForDeletion(originalResource)) {
+    if (markedForDeletion && shouldNotDispatchWhenMarkedForDeletion(originalResource)) {
       log.debug(
           "Skipping cleanup of resource {} because finalizer(s) {} don't allow processing yet",
           getName(originalResource),
@@ -85,21 +85,22 @@ private PostExecutionControl<P> handleDispatch(ExecutionScope<P> executionScope)
 
     Context<P> context =
         new DefaultContext<>(executionScope.getRetryInfo(), controller, originalResource);
-    if (markedForDeletion) {
+    if (markedForDeletion && controller.useFinalizer()) {
       return handleCleanup(resourceForExecution, context);
     } else {
       return handleReconcile(executionScope, resourceForExecution, originalResource, context);
     }
   }
 
-  private boolean shouldNotDispatchToCleanupWhenMarkedForDeletion(P resource) {
+  private boolean shouldNotDispatchWhenMarkedForDeletion(P resource) {
     var alreadyRemovedFinalizer = controller.useFinalizer()
         && !resource.hasFinalizer(configuration().getFinalizerName());
     if (alreadyRemovedFinalizer) {
       log.warn("This should not happen. Marked for deletion & already removed finalizer: {}",
           ResourceID.fromResource(resource));
     }
-    return !controller.useFinalizer() || alreadyRemovedFinalizer;
+    return !controller.getConfiguration().reconcileResourcesMarkedForDeletion() &&
+        (!controller.useFinalizer() || alreadyRemovedFinalizer);
   }
 
   private PostExecutionControl<P> handleReconcile(
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ResourceEventFilterTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ResourceEventFilterTest.java
index c8ec839b59..eb80388be4 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ResourceEventFilterTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ResourceEventFilterTest.java
@@ -145,7 +145,8 @@ public ControllerConfig(String finalizer, boolean generationAware,
           null,
           null,
           null,
-          null, null, null, finalizer, null, null, null, new BaseConfigurationService(), null);
+          null, null, null, finalizer, null, null, null, new BaseConfigurationService(), null,
+          false);
       setEventFilter(eventFilter);
     }
   }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSourceTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSourceTest.java
index 64f0993139..aacf28af84 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSourceTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSourceTest.java
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public TestConfiguration(boolean generationAware, OnAddFilter<TestCustomResource
           null,
           FINALIZER,
           null, null, null, new BaseConfigurationService(),
-          null);
+          null, DEFAULT_RECONCILER_RESOURCES_MARKED_FOR_DELETION);
     }
   }
 }