diff --git a/api/core/v1alpha2/vmcondition/condition.go b/api/core/v1alpha2/vmcondition/condition.go
index e99b6416a..2a6807b7b 100644
--- a/api/core/v1alpha2/vmcondition/condition.go
+++ b/api/core/v1alpha2/vmcondition/condition.go
@@ -103,4 +103,9 @@ const (
 
 	ReasonBlockDeviceCapacityAvailable Reason = "BlockDeviceCapacityAvailable"
 	ReasonBlockDeviceCapacityReached   Reason = "BlockDeviceCapacityReached"
+
+	ReasonPodTerminatingReason      Reason = "PodTerminating"
+	ReasonPodNotExistsReason        Reason = "PodNotExists"
+	ReasonPodConditionMissingReason Reason = "PodConditionMissing"
+	ReasonGuestNotRunningReason     Reason = "GuestNotRunning"
 )
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/conditions/stringer.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/conditions/stringer.go
index c2e71525a..0c6b02b51 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/conditions/stringer.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/conditions/stringer.go
@@ -29,14 +29,3 @@ func (cr CommonReason) String() string {
 const (
 	ReasonUnknown CommonReason = "Unknown"
 )
-
-// Deprecated: avoid using this wrapper.
-// TODO: get rid of this wrapper.
-type DeprecatedWrappedString string
-
-func (s DeprecatedWrappedString) String() string {
-	if s == "" {
-		return "Unknown"
-	}
-	return string(s)
-}
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/lifecycle.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/lifecycle.go
index ad7b2a95c..bb16aab38 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/lifecycle.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/lifecycle.go
@@ -266,8 +266,7 @@ func (h *LifeCycleHandler) syncRunning(vm *virtv2.VirtualMachine, kvvm *virtv1.V
 		for _, c := range kvvmi.Status.Conditions {
 			if c.Type == virtv1.VirtualMachineInstanceReady {
 				cb.Status(conditionStatus(string(c.Status))).
-					//nolint:staticcheck
-					Reason(conditions.DeprecatedWrappedString(c.Reason)).
+					Reason(getKVMIReadyReason(c.Reason)).
 					Message(c.Message)
 				conditions.SetCondition(cb, &vm.Status.Conditions)
 				return
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/util.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/util.go
index b4edf4afa..0b62a0ba4 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/util.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/util.go
@@ -133,6 +133,29 @@ var mapPhases = map[virtv1.VirtualMachinePrintableStatus]virtv2.MachinePhase{
 
 const kvvmEmptyPhase virtv1.VirtualMachinePrintableStatus = ""
 
+func getKVMIReadyReason(kvmiReason string) conditions.Stringer {
+	if r, ok := mapReasons[kvmiReason]; ok {
+		return r
+	}
+
+	if kvmiReason == "" {
+		return conditions.ReasonUnknown
+	}
+
+	return conditions.CommonReason(kvmiReason)
+}
+
+var mapReasons = map[string]vmcondition.Reason{
+	// PodTerminatingReason indicates on the Ready condition on the VMI if the underlying pod is terminating
+	virtv1.PodTerminatingReason: vmcondition.ReasonPodTerminatingReason,
+	// PodNotExistsReason indicates on the Ready condition on the VMI if the underlying pod does not exist
+	virtv1.PodNotExistsReason: vmcondition.ReasonPodNotExistsReason,
+	// PodConditionMissingReason indicates on the Ready condition on the VMI if the underlying pod does not report a Ready condition
+	virtv1.PodConditionMissingReason: vmcondition.ReasonPodConditionMissingReason,
+	// GuestNotRunningReason indicates on the Ready condition on the VMI if the underlying guest VM is not running
+	virtv1.GuestNotRunningReason: vmcondition.ReasonGuestNotRunningReason,
+}
+
 func isPodStartedError(phase virtv1.VirtualMachinePrintableStatus) bool {
 	return slices.Contains([]virtv1.VirtualMachinePrintableStatus{
 		virtv1.VirtualMachineStatusErrImagePull,