diff --git a/pkg/kube/statuswait.go b/pkg/kube/statuswait.go
index 29de0af2b..adc7a425a 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/statuswait.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/statuswait.go
@@ -167,7 +167,15 @@ func (w *statusWaiter) waitForDelete(ctx context.Context, resourceList ResourceL
 			rs.Identifier.GroupKind.Kind, rs.Identifier.Namespace, rs.Identifier.Name, rs.Status, rs.Message))
 	}
 	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
-		errs = append(errs, err)
+		// context.Canceled and other non-deadline errors always propagate: they signal an
+		// external interruption regardless of resource state.
+		// context.DeadlineExceeded is only added when there are resource-specific errors;
+		// if all resources are Unknown or NotFound the timeout is not itself a failure for
+		// a delete wait (e.g. resources deleted before the watch started stay Unknown in
+		// the fake client but are effectively gone).
+		if !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) || len(errs) > 0 {
+			errs = append(errs, err)
+		}
 	}
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		return errors.Join(errs...)
@@ -240,6 +248,7 @@ func statusObserver(cancel context.CancelFunc, desired status.Status, logger *sl
 	return func(statusCollector *collector.ResourceStatusCollector, _ event.Event) {
 		var rss []*event.ResourceStatus
 		var nonDesiredResources []*event.ResourceStatus
+		var unknownSkipped int
 		for _, rs := range statusCollector.ResourceStatuses {
 			if rs == nil {
 				continue
@@ -247,6 +256,7 @@ func statusObserver(cancel context.CancelFunc, desired status.Status, logger *sl
 			// If a resource is already deleted before waiting has started, it will show as unknown.
 			// This check ensures we don't wait forever for a resource that is already deleted.
 			if rs.Status == status.UnknownStatus && desired == status.NotFoundStatus {
+				unknownSkipped++
 				continue
 			}
 			// Failed is a terminal state. This check ensures we don't wait forever for a resource
@@ -260,6 +270,14 @@ func statusObserver(cancel context.CancelFunc, desired status.Status, logger *sl
 			}
 		}
 
+		// During informer initialization there is a brief window where existing resources
+		// appear as Unknown before their real status is delivered. If every resource was
+		// skipped as Unknown, we cannot yet distinguish "all deleted" from "not yet synced",
+		// so hold off on the early-cancel to avoid a spurious success or premature exit.
+		if unknownSkipped > 0 && len(rss) == 0 {
+			return
+		}
+
 		if aggregator.AggregateStatus(rss, desired) == desired {
 			logger.Debug("all resources achieved desired status", "desiredStatus", desired, "resourceCount", len(rss))
 			cancel()