diff --git a/services/maintenance/node-ops/node-image-sweeper-daemonset.yaml b/services/maintenance/node-ops/node-image-sweeper-daemonset.yaml
index db4b2a9e..31634e80 100644
--- a/services/maintenance/node-ops/node-image-sweeper-daemonset.yaml
+++ b/services/maintenance/node-ops/node-image-sweeper-daemonset.yaml
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ spec:
   updateStrategy:
     type: RollingUpdate
     rollingUpdate:
-      # Two unreachable old pods consume the budget; replace one reachable pod.
-      maxUnavailable: 3
+      # Startup readiness waits for the first bounded cleanup to finish.
+      maxUnavailable: 1
   template:
     metadata:
       annotations: