From d5080d71ef742eef0722416d257b9472deb1dc7b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Evans Mungai <mbuevans@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2025 18:57:51 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Handle deletion propagation defaults in uninstall action

Signed-off-by: Evans Mungai <mbuevans@gmail.com>
---
 pkg/action/uninstall.go      | 12 +++++--
 pkg/action/uninstall_test.go | 69 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 79 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/pkg/action/uninstall.go b/pkg/action/uninstall.go
index efbc72fef..212cccc43 100644
--- a/pkg/action/uninstall.go
+++ b/pkg/action/uninstall.go
@@ -276,12 +276,12 @@ func (u *Uninstall) deleteRelease(rel *release.Release) (kube.ResourceList, stri
 		return nil, "", []error{fmt.Errorf("unable to build kubernetes objects for delete: %w", err)}
 	}
 	if len(resources) > 0 {
-		_, errs = u.cfg.KubeClient.Delete(resources, parseCascadingFlag(u.DeletionPropagation))
+		_, errs = u.cfg.KubeClient.Delete(resources, u.parseCascadingFlag(u.DeletionPropagation))
 	}
 	return resources, kept.String(), errs
 }
 
-func parseCascadingFlag(cascadingFlag string) v1.DeletionPropagation {
+func (u *Uninstall) parseCascadingFlag(cascadingFlag string) v1.DeletionPropagation {
 	switch cascadingFlag {
 	case "orphan":
 		return v1.DeletePropagationOrphan
@@ -290,6 +290,14 @@ func parseCascadingFlag(cascadingFlag string) v1.DeletionPropagation {
 	case "background":
 		return v1.DeletePropagationBackground
 	default:
+		// When --wait is used with a non-hookOnly strategy (i.e. watcher or legacy), default to foreground
+		// deletion to ensure dependent resources are cleaned up before returning.
+		// This prevents the issue where helm uninstall --wait returns before
+		// all resources (including controller-created dependents) are fully deleted.
+		if u.WaitStrategy != kube.HookOnlyStrategy {
+			slog.Debug("uninstall: defaulting to foreground deletion due to wait strategy", "wait strategy", u.WaitStrategy, "cascading flag", cascadingFlag)
+			return v1.DeletePropagationForeground
+		}
 		slog.Debug("uninstall: given cascade value, defaulting to delete propagation background", "value", cascadingFlag)
 		return v1.DeletePropagationBackground
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/action/uninstall_test.go b/pkg/action/uninstall_test.go
index fba1e391f..e2e895dbe 100644
--- a/pkg/action/uninstall_test.go
+++ b/pkg/action/uninstall_test.go
@@ -169,3 +169,72 @@ func TestUninstallRun_UnreachableKubeClient(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, result)
 	assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "connection refused")
 }
+
+func TestParseCascadingFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name           string
+		cascadingFlag  string
+		waitStrategy   kube.WaitStrategy
+		expectedResult string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:           "explicit orphan",
+			cascadingFlag:  "orphan",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.HookOnlyStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Orphan",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "explicit foreground",
+			cascadingFlag:  "foreground",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.HookOnlyStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Foreground",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "explicit background",
+			cascadingFlag:  "background",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.HookOnlyStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Background",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "default with hookOnly strategy returns background",
+			cascadingFlag:  "",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.HookOnlyStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Background",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "default with watcher strategy returns foreground",
+			cascadingFlag:  "",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.StatusWatcherStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Foreground",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "default with legacy strategy returns foreground",
+			cascadingFlag:  "",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.LegacyStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Foreground",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "unknown value with hookOnly strategy returns background",
+			cascadingFlag:  "unknown",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.HookOnlyStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Background",
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "unknown value with watcher strategy returns foreground",
+			cascadingFlag:  "unknown",
+			waitStrategy:   kube.StatusWatcherStrategy,
+			expectedResult: "Foreground",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			unAction := uninstallAction(t)
+			unAction.WaitStrategy = tt.waitStrategy
+
+			result := unAction.parseCascadingFlag(tt.cascadingFlag)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expectedResult, string(result))
+		})
+	}
+}