diff --git a/pkg/background/update_request_controller.go b/pkg/background/update_request_controller.go
index 6839675cb6..d1a924587d 100644
--- a/pkg/background/update_request_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/background/update_request_controller.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
+	kyvernov1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1"
 	kyvernov1beta1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v1beta1"
 	common "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/background/common"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/background/generate"
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/dclient"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/event"
+	kubeutils "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/pkg/utils/kube"
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
@@ -90,12 +92,12 @@ func NewController(
 		DeleteFunc: c.deleteUR,
 	})
 	cpolInformer.Informer().AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
-		UpdateFunc: c.updatePolicy, // We only handle updates to policy
-		// Deletion of policy will be handled by cleanup controller
+		UpdateFunc: c.updatePolicy,
+		DeleteFunc: c.deletePolicy,
 	})
 	polInformer.Informer().AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
-		UpdateFunc: c.updatePolicy, // We only handle updates to policy
-		// Deletion of policy will be handled by cleanup controller
+		UpdateFunc: c.updatePolicy,
+		DeleteFunc: c.deletePolicy,
 	})
 	return &c
 }
@@ -188,6 +190,22 @@ func (c *controller) syncUpdateRequest(key string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
+	// try to get the linked policy
+	if _, err := c.getPolicy(ur.Spec.Policy); err != nil {
+		if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			// here only takes care of mutateExisting policies
+			// generate cleanup controller handles policy deletion
+			selector := &metav1.LabelSelector{
+				MatchLabels: common.MutateLabelsSet(ur.Spec.Policy, nil),
+			}
+			return c.kyvernoClient.KyvernoV1beta1().UpdateRequests(config.KyvernoNamespace()).DeleteCollection(
+				context.TODO(),
+				metav1.DeleteOptions{},
+				metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: metav1.FormatLabelSelector(selector)},
+			)
+		}
+		return err
+	}
 	// if in pending state, try to acquire ur and eventually process it
 	if ur.Status.State == kyvernov1beta1.Pending {
 		ur, ok, err := c.acquireUR(ur)
@@ -242,6 +260,24 @@ func (c *controller) updatePolicy(_, obj interface{}) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *controller) deletePolicy(obj interface{}) {
+	key, err := cache.MetaNamespaceKeyFunc(kubeutils.GetObjectWithTombstone(obj))
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err, "failed to compute policy key")
+	} else {
+		logger.V(4).Info("updating policy", "key", key)
+		urs, err := c.urLister.GetUpdateRequestsForClusterPolicy(key)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Error(err, "failed to list update requests for policy", "key", key)
+			return
+		}
+		// re-evaluate the UR as the policy was updated
+		for _, ur := range urs {
+			c.enqueueUpdateRequest(ur)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *controller) addUR(obj interface{}) {
 	ur := obj.(*kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRequest)
 	c.enqueueUpdateRequest(ur)
@@ -330,3 +366,14 @@ func (c *controller) cleanUR(ur *kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRequest) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (c *controller) getPolicy(key string) (kyvernov1.PolicyInterface, error) {
+	namespace, name, err := cache.SplitMetaNamespaceKey(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if namespace == "" {
+		return c.cpolLister.Get(name)
+	}
+	return c.polLister.Policies(namespace).Get(key)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/policy/policy_controller.go b/pkg/policy/policy_controller.go
index a5760d61ab..4760f547bc 100644
--- a/pkg/policy/policy_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/policy/policy_controller.go
@@ -483,10 +483,6 @@ func (pc *PolicyController) syncPolicy(key string) error {
 	policy, err := pc.getPolicy(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-			// here only takes care of mutateExisting policies
-			// generate cleanup controller handles policy deletion
-			mutateURs := pc.listMutateURs(key, nil)
-			deleteUR(pc.kyvernoClient, key, mutateURs, logger)
 			return nil
 		}
 		return err
@@ -496,23 +492,16 @@ func (pc *PolicyController) syncPolicy(key string) error {
 			logger.Error(err, "failed to updateUR on Policy update")
 		}
 	}
-
 	pc.processExistingResources(policy)
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (pc *PolicyController) getPolicy(key string) (policy kyvernov1.PolicyInterface, err error) {
+func (pc *PolicyController) getPolicy(key string) (kyvernov1.PolicyInterface, error) {
 	namespace, key, isNamespacedPolicy := ParseNamespacedPolicy(key)
 	if !isNamespacedPolicy {
 		return pc.pLister.Get(key)
 	}
-
-	nsPolicy, err := pc.npLister.Policies(namespace).Get(key)
-	if err == nil && nsPolicy != nil {
-		policy = nsPolicy
-	}
-
-	return
+	return pc.npLister.Policies(namespace).Get(key)
 }
 
 func generateTriggers(client dclient.Interface, rule kyvernov1.Rule, log logr.Logger) []*unstructured.Unstructured {
@@ -530,17 +519,6 @@ func generateTriggers(client dclient.Interface, rule kyvernov1.Rule, log logr.Lo
 	return convertlist(list.Items)
 }
 
-func deleteUR(kyvernoClient kyvernoclient.Interface, policyKey string, grList []*kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRequest, logger logr.Logger) {
-	for _, v := range grList {
-		if policyKey == v.Spec.Policy {
-			err := kyvernoClient.KyvernoV1beta1().UpdateRequests(config.KyvernoNamespace()).Delete(context.TODO(), v.GetName(), metav1.DeleteOptions{})
-			if err != nil && !errors.IsNotFound(err) {
-				logger.Error(err, "failed to delete ur", "name", v.GetName())
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func updateUR(kyvernoClient kyvernoclient.Interface, urLister kyvernov1beta1listers.UpdateRequestNamespaceLister, policyKey string, urList []*kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRequest, logger logr.Logger) {
 	for _, ur := range urList {
 		if policyKey == ur.Spec.Policy {