diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerSts.ftl.yaml b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerSts.ftl.yaml
index 707d35e..eebf900 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerSts.ftl.yaml
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerSts.ftl.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ metadata:
     kind: ${ constants.VM_OP_KIND_VM }
     name: ${ cr.metadata.name.asString }
     uid: ${ cr.metadata.uid.asString }
+    blockOwnerDeletion: true
     controller: false
 
 spec:
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/CmReconciler.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/CmReconciler.java
index 7b30213..5475ed3 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/CmReconciler.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/CmReconciler.java
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
-import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager.VmDefChanged.Type;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.LoaderOptions;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.Yaml;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.constructor.SafeConstructor;
@@ -69,18 +68,9 @@ import org.yaml.snakeyaml.constructor.SafeConstructor;
     public DynamicKubernetesObject reconcile(VmDefChanged event,
             Map<String, Object> model, VmChannel channel)
             throws IOException, TemplateException, ApiException {
-        // Get API and check if exists
+        // Get API
         DynamicKubernetesApi cmApi = new DynamicKubernetesApi("", "v1",
             "configmaps", channel.client());
-        var existing = K8s.get(cmApi, event.object().getMetadata());
-
-        // If deleted, delete
-        if (event.type() == Type.DELETED) {
-            if (existing.isPresent()) {
-                K8s.delete(cmApi, existing.get());
-            }
-            return null;
-        }
 
         // Combine template and data and parse result
         var fmTemplate = fmConfig.getTemplate("runnerConfig.ftl.yaml");
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/Reconciler.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/Reconciler.java
index b23a747..e9dffa0 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/Reconciler.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/Reconciler.java
@@ -119,30 +119,27 @@ public class Reconciler extends Component {
     @SuppressWarnings("PMD.ConfusingTernary")
     public void onVmDefChanged(VmDefChanged event, VmChannel channel)
             throws ApiException, TemplateException, IOException {
-        // Get complete VM (CR) definition
+        var defMeta = event.object().getMetadata();
+
+        // Ownership relationships takes care of deletions
+        if (event.type() == Type.DELETED) {
+            logger.fine(() -> "VM \"" + defMeta.getName() + "\" deleted");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Get full definition and associate with channel
         var apiVersion = K8s.version(event.object().getApiVersion());
         DynamicKubernetesApi vmCrApi = new DynamicKubernetesApi(VM_OP_GROUP,
             apiVersion, event.crd().getName(), channel.client());
-        var defMeta = event.object().getMetadata();
-
-        // Update the "buffered" definition, if it still exists.
-        if (event.type() != Type.DELETED) {
-            K8s.get(vmCrApi, defMeta).ifPresent(def -> channel
-                .setVmDefinition(patchCr(def.getRaw().deepCopy())));
-        }
+        K8s.get(vmCrApi, defMeta).ifPresent(def -> channel
+            .setVmDefinition(patchCr(def.getRaw().deepCopy())));
 
         // Reconcile
         Map<String, Object> model = prepareModel(channel.vmDefinition());
-        if (event.type() != Type.DELETED) {
-            var configMap = cmReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
-            model.put("cm", configMap.getRaw());
-            stsReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
-            serviceReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
-        } else {
-            serviceReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
-            stsReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
-            cmReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
-        }
+        var configMap = cmReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
+        model.put("cm", configMap.getRaw());
+        stsReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
+        serviceReconciler.reconcile(event, model, channel);
     }
 
     private Map<String, Object> prepareModel(JsonObject vmDef)
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/ServiceReconciler.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/ServiceReconciler.java
index 0a1c6f9..061ddcc 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/ServiceReconciler.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/ServiceReconciler.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
-import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager.VmDefChanged.Type;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.LoaderOptions;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.Yaml;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.constructor.SafeConstructor;
@@ -63,18 +62,9 @@ import org.yaml.snakeyaml.constructor.SafeConstructor;
     public void reconcile(VmDefChanged event,
             Map<String, Object> model, VmChannel channel)
             throws IOException, TemplateException, ApiException {
-        // Get API and check if exists
+        // Get API
         DynamicKubernetesApi svcApi = new DynamicKubernetesApi("", "v1",
             "services", channel.client());
-        var existing = K8s.get(svcApi, event.object().getMetadata());
-
-        // If deleted, delete
-        if (event.type() == Type.DELETED) {
-            if (existing.isPresent()) {
-                K8s.delete(svcApi, existing.get());
-            }
-            return;
-        }
 
         // Combine template and data and parse result
         var fmTemplate = fmConfig.getTemplate("runnerService.ftl.yaml");
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/StsReconciler.java b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/StsReconciler.java
index a2fb7f1..42fcb23 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/StsReconciler.java
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/src/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/StsReconciler.java
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
-import org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager.VmDefChanged.Type;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.LoaderOptions;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.Yaml;
 import org.yaml.snakeyaml.constructor.SafeConstructor;
@@ -69,22 +68,6 @@ import org.yaml.snakeyaml.constructor.SafeConstructor;
             "statefulsets", channel.client());
         var metadata = event.object().getMetadata();
 
-        // Maybe delete
-        if (event.type() == Type.DELETED) {
-            // First set replicas to 0 ...
-            PatchOptions opts = new PatchOptions();
-            opts.setFieldManager("kubernetes-java-kubectl-apply");
-            stsApi.patch(metadata.getNamespace(), metadata.getName(),
-                V1Patch.PATCH_FORMAT_JSON_PATCH,
-                new V1Patch("[{\"op\": \"replace\", \"path\": "
-                    + "\"/spec/replicas\", \"value\": 0}]"),
-                opts).throwsApiException();
-            // ... then delete
-            stsApi.delete(metadata.getNamespace(), metadata.getName())
-                .throwsApiException();
-            return;
-        }
-
         // Combine template and data and parse result
         var fmTemplate = fmConfig.getTemplate("runnerSts.ftl.yaml");
         StringWriter out = new StringWriter();