diff --git a/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotController.java b/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotController.java
index 8c36dc0efd..57626c7865 100644
--- a/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotController.java
+++ b/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotController.java
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ public UpdateControl<FlinkStateSnapshot> reconcile(
     @Override
     public DeleteControl cleanup(
             FlinkStateSnapshot flinkStateSnapshot, Context<FlinkStateSnapshot> josdkContext) {
+        if (flinkStateSnapshot.getStatus() == null) {
+            LOG.info(
+                    "Snapshot {} has no status, was never reconciled. Removing finalizer.",
+                    flinkStateSnapshot.getMetadata().getName());
+            return DeleteControl.defaultDelete();
+        }
         var ctx = ctxFactory.getFlinkStateSnapshotContext(flinkStateSnapshot, josdkContext);
         try {
             metricManager.onRemove(flinkStateSnapshot);
diff --git a/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotControllerTest.java b/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotControllerTest.java
index cfe6947343..68b979625a 100644
--- a/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotControllerTest.java
+++ b/flink-kubernetes-operator/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/kubernetes/operator/controller/FlinkStateSnapshotControllerTest.java
@@ -704,6 +704,20 @@ public void testMetrics() {
         assertSnapshotMetrics(listener, TestUtils.TEST_NAMESPACE, Map.of(), Map.of());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCleanupWithNullStatus() {
+        var deployment = createDeployment();
+        context = TestUtils.createSnapshotContext(client, deployment);
+
+        var savepoint = createSavepoint(deployment);
+        savepoint.setStatus(null);
+        assertDeleteControl(controller.cleanup(savepoint, context), true, null);
+
+        var checkpoint = createCheckpoint(deployment, CheckpointType.FULL, 0);
+        checkpoint.setStatus(null);
+        assertDeleteControl(controller.cleanup(checkpoint, context), true, null);
+    }
+
     private FlinkStateSnapshot createSavepoint(FlinkDeployment deployment) {
         return createSavepoint(deployment, false, 7);
     }