diff --git a/internal/controller/drplacementcontrol_controller.go b/internal/controller/drplacementcontrol_controller.go
index bfd8a862b..f3399490a 100644
--- a/internal/controller/drplacementcontrol_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/drplacementcontrol_controller.go
@@ -724,15 +724,15 @@ func (r *DRPlacementControlReconciler) cleanupVRGs(
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve VRGs. We'll retry later. Error (%w)", err)
 	}
 
-	if !ensureVRGsManagedByDRPC(r.Log, mwu, vrgs, drpc, vrgNamespace) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("VRG adoption in progress")
+	// We have to ensure the secondary VRG is deleted before deleting the primary VRG. This will fail until there
+	// is no secondary VRG in the vrgs list.
+	if err := r.ensureVRGsDeleted(mwu, vrgs, drpc, vrgNamespace, rmn.Secondary); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	// delete VRG manifestwork
-	for _, drClusterName := range rmnutil.DRPolicyClusterNames(drPolicy) {
-		if err := mwu.DeleteManifestWork(mwu.BuildManifestWorkName(rmnutil.MWTypeVRG), drClusterName); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%w", err)
-		}
+	// This will fail until there is no primary VRG in the vrgs list.
+	if err := r.ensureVRGsDeleted(mwu, vrgs, drpc, vrgNamespace, rmn.Primary); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if len(vrgs) != 0 {
@@ -747,6 +747,38 @@ func (r *DRPlacementControlReconciler) cleanupVRGs(
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ensureVRGsDeleted ensure that secondary or primary VRGs are deleted. Return an error if a vrg could not be deleted,
+// or deletion is in progress. Return nil if vrg of specified type was not found.
+func (r *DRPlacementControlReconciler) ensureVRGsDeleted(
+	mwu rmnutil.MWUtil,
+	vrgs map[string]*rmn.VolumeReplicationGroup,
+	drpc *rmn.DRPlacementControl,
+	vrgNamespace string,
+	replicationState rmn.ReplicationState,
+) error {
+	var inProgress bool
+
+	for cluster, vrg := range vrgs {
+		if vrg.Spec.ReplicationState == replicationState {
+			if !ensureVRGsManagedByDRPC(r.Log, mwu, vrgs, drpc, vrgNamespace) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s VRG adoption in progress", replicationState)
+			}
+
+			if err := mwu.DeleteManifestWork(mwu.BuildManifestWorkName(rmnutil.MWTypeVRG), cluster); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete %s VRG manifestwork for cluster %q: %w", replicationState, cluster, err)
+			}
+
+			inProgress = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if inProgress {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s VRG manifestwork deletion in progress", replicationState)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (r *DRPlacementControlReconciler) deleteAllManagedClusterViews(
 	drpc *rmn.DRPlacementControl, clusterNames []string,
 ) error {