diff --git a/internal/cluster/orchestrator_unit_additional_test.go b/internal/cluster/orchestrator_unit_additional_test.go
index 05ff6ed..1aafade 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/orchestrator_unit_additional_test.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/orchestrator_unit_additional_test.go
@@ -286,14 +286,15 @@ func TestRecycleStuckControllerPodsCordonsEncryptedVolumeNodeWhenRepairFails(t *
 // TestRecycleStuckControllerPodsHandlesStalePodsOnReadyNodes runs one orchestration or CLI step.
 // Signature: TestRecycleStuckControllerPodsHandlesStalePodsOnReadyNodes(t *testing.T).
 // Why: post-outage controller pods can remain Unknown or Failed after their
-// node recovers; normal deletion clears stale status without force-deleting or
-// touching storage.
+// node recovers; deletion clears stale status while force deletion stays away
+// from PVC-backed storage.
 func TestRecycleStuckControllerPodsHandlesStalePodsOnReadyNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	old := time.Now().Add(-10 * time.Minute).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	recent := time.Now().Add(-30 * time.Second).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	pods := `{"items":[` +
 		`{"metadata":{"namespace":"longhorn-system","name":"longhorn-vault-sync-old","creationTimestamp":"` + old + `","ownerReferences":[{"kind":"ReplicaSet","name":"longhorn-vault-sync"}]},"spec":{"nodeName":"titan-12"},"status":{"phase":"Unknown"}},` +
 		`{"metadata":{"namespace":"longhorn-system","name":"longhorn-vault-sync-failed","creationTimestamp":"` + old + `","deletionTimestamp":"` + old + `","ownerReferences":[{"kind":"ReplicaSet","name":"longhorn-vault-sync"}]},"spec":{"nodeName":"titan-12","volumes":[{"name":"secret"}]},"status":{"phase":"Failed"}},` +
+		`{"metadata":{"namespace":"logging","name":"oauth2-proxy-terminating","creationTimestamp":"` + old + `","deletionTimestamp":"` + old + `","ownerReferences":[{"kind":"ReplicaSet","name":"oauth2-proxy-logs"}]},"spec":{"nodeName":"titan-18","volumes":[{"name":"secret"}]},"status":{"phase":"Running"}},` +
 		`{"metadata":{"namespace":"longhorn-system","name":"pvc-backed-failed","creationTimestamp":"` + old + `","deletionTimestamp":"` + old + `","ownerReferences":[{"kind":"ReplicaSet","name":"pvc-backed"}]},"spec":{"nodeName":"titan-12","volumes":[{"name":"data","persistentVolumeClaim":{"claimName":"data"}}]},"status":{"phase":"Failed"}},` +
 		`{"metadata":{"namespace":"longhorn-system","name":"longhorn-vault-sync-fresh","creationTimestamp":"` + recent + `","ownerReferences":[{"kind":"ReplicaSet","name":"longhorn-vault-sync"}]},"spec":{"nodeName":"titan-12"},"status":{"phase":"Unknown"}},` +
 		`{"metadata":{"namespace":"maintenance","name":"stale-on-bad-node","creationTimestamp":"` + old + `","ownerReferences":[{"kind":"ReplicaSet","name":"maintenance"}]},"spec":{"nodeName":"titan-22"},"status":{"phase":"Unknown"}},` +
@@ -325,6 +326,15 @@ func TestRecycleStuckControllerPodsHandlesStalePodsOnReadyNodes(t *testing.T) {
 				return true
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			match: func(name string, args []string) bool {
+				if !matchContains("kubectl", "-n", "logging", "delete", "pod", "oauth2-proxy-terminating", "--wait=false", "--grace-period=0", "--force")(name, args) {
+					return false
+				}
+				deleted = append(deleted, "oauth2-proxy-terminating")
+				return true
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			match: func(name string, args []string) bool {
 				if !matchContains("kubectl", "-n", "longhorn-system", "delete", "pod", "pvc-backed-failed", "--wait=false")(name, args) {
@@ -342,7 +352,7 @@ func TestRecycleStuckControllerPodsHandlesStalePodsOnReadyNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := orch.recycleStuckControllerPods(context.Background()); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("recycleStuckControllerPods failed: %v", err)
 	}
-	if strings.Join(deleted, ",") != "longhorn-vault-sync-old,longhorn-vault-sync-failed,pvc-backed-failed" {
+	if strings.Join(deleted, ",") != "longhorn-vault-sync-old,longhorn-vault-sync-failed,oauth2-proxy-terminating,pvc-backed-failed" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected only stale controller pods on Ready node to be recycled, got %#v", deleted)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/cluster/orchestrator_workload_convergence.go b/internal/cluster/orchestrator_workload_convergence.go
index c24cbee..d6943f8 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/orchestrator_workload_convergence.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/orchestrator_workload_convergence.go
@@ -224,6 +224,9 @@ func (o *Orchestrator) recycleStuckControllerPods(ctx context.Context) error {
 		if reason == "" {
 			reason = stalePhaseReasons[ns+"/"+name]
 		}
+		if reason == "" && staleControllerPodForceDeleteSafe(pod, grace) {
+			reason = "StaleDeletingControllerPod"
+		}
 		if reason == "" {
 			continue
 		}