diff --git a/internal/controllers/cluster/cluster_controller_phases.go b/internal/controllers/cluster/cluster_controller_phases.go
index 0b0c77df517d..31329659f13b 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/cluster/cluster_controller_phases.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/cluster/cluster_controller_phases.go
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ func ensureOwnerRefAndLabel(ctx context.Context, c client.Client, obj *unstructu
 		APIVersion: clusterv1.GroupVersion.String(),
 		Kind:       "Cluster",
 		Name:       cluster.Name,
+		UID:        cluster.UID,
 		Controller: ptr.To(true),
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go
index 7f8f01d12a51..1bad559d8ade 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/clusterclass/clusterclass_controller.go
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) reconcileExternal(ctx context.Context, clusterClass *cluste
 		APIVersion: clusterv1.GroupVersion.String(),
 		Kind:       "ClusterClass",
 		Name:       clusterClass.Name,
+		UID:        clusterClass.UID,
 	}
 
 	if util.HasExactOwnerRef(obj.GetOwnerReferences(), desiredOwnerRef) {
diff --git a/internal/controllers/machine/machine_controller_phases.go b/internal/controllers/machine/machine_controller_phases.go
index 402caa2ba03f..88925e279299 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/machine/machine_controller_phases.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/machine/machine_controller_phases.go
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) ensureExternalOwnershipAndWatch(ctx context.Context, cluste
 		APIVersion: clusterv1.GroupVersion.String(),
 		Kind:       "Machine",
 		Name:       m.Name,
+		UID:        m.UID,
 		Controller: ptr.To(true),
 	}
 
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
index cc1a16030b7f..dfe38100ef8e 100644
--- a/util/util.go
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ func HasExactOwnerRef(ownerReferences []metav1.OwnerReference, ref metav1.OwnerR
 		if r.APIVersion == ref.APIVersion &&
 			r.Kind == ref.Kind &&
 			r.Name == ref.Name &&
+			r.UID == ref.UID &&
 			ptr.Deref(r.Controller, false) == ptr.Deref(ref.Controller, false) {
 			return true
 		}