diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/kvvm_request.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/kvvm_request.go
index 122f3ea547..3d5124efdc 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/kvvm_request.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/kvvm_request.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package powerstate
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/deckhouse/virtualization-controller/pkg/common/patch"
 )
 
+var ErrChangesAlreadyExist = errors.New("changes already exist in the current status")
+
 // BuildPatch creates a patch to request VM state changing via updating KVVM status.
 //
 // Some combinations lead to an error to not interfere with kvvm controller:
@@ -49,6 +52,10 @@ func BuildPatch(vm *kvv1.VirtualMachine, changes ...kvv1.VirtualMachineStateChan
 			failOnConflict = false
 		}
 		if len(vm.Status.StateChangeRequests) != 0 {
+			if equality.Semantic.DeepEqual(vm.Status.StateChangeRequests, changes) {
+				return nil, ErrChangesAlreadyExist
+			}
+
 			if failOnConflict {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to complete request: stop/start already underway")
 			} else {
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/operations.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/operations.go
index 37fbdda0f4..d15f3c6e8e 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/operations.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/powerstate/operations.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package powerstate
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ func StartVM(ctx context.Context, cl client.Client, kvvm *kvv1.VirtualMachine) e
 	jp, err := BuildPatch(kvvm,
 		kvv1.VirtualMachineStateChangeRequest{Action: kvv1.StartRequest})
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrChangesAlreadyExist) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	return cl.Status().Patch(ctx, kvvm, client.RawPatch(types.JSONPatchType, jp), &client.SubResourcePatchOptions{})
@@ -70,6 +74,9 @@ func RestartVM(ctx context.Context, cl client.Client, kvvm *kvv1.VirtualMachine,
 		kvv1.VirtualMachineStateChangeRequest{Action: kvv1.StopRequest, UID: &kvvmi.UID},
 		kvv1.VirtualMachineStateChangeRequest{Action: kvv1.StartRequest})
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrChangesAlreadyExist) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/sync_power_state.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/sync_power_state.go
index fefa4aaf9f..5c70e48a36 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/sync_power_state.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/controller/vm/internal/sync_power_state.go
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ func (h *SyncPowerStateHandler) Handle(ctx context.Context, s state.VirtualMachi
 	}
 
 	changed := s.VirtualMachine().Changed()
+	if isDeletion(changed) {
+		return reconcile.Result{}, nil
+	}
 
 	kvvm, err := s.KVVM(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -209,6 +212,17 @@ func (h *SyncPowerStateHandler) handleManualPolicy(
 	return Nothing
 }
 
+func (h *SyncPowerStateHandler) isVMRestarting(kvvm *virtv1.VirtualMachine) bool {
+	if kvvm != nil &&
+		len(kvvm.Status.StateChangeRequests) == 2 &&
+		kvvm.Status.StateChangeRequests[0].Action == virtv1.StopRequest &&
+		kvvm.Status.StateChangeRequests[1].Action == virtv1.StartRequest {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 func (h *SyncPowerStateHandler) handleAlwaysOnPolicy(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	s state.VirtualMachineState,
@@ -218,6 +232,10 @@ func (h *SyncPowerStateHandler) handleAlwaysOnPolicy(
 	shutdownInfo powerstate.ShutdownInfo,
 ) (VMAction, error) {
 	if kvvmi == nil {
+		if h.isVMRestarting(kvvm) {
+			return Nothing, nil
+		}
+
 		if isConfigurationApplied {
 			h.recordStartEventf(ctx, s.VirtualMachine().Current(), "Start initiated "+
 				"by controller for AlwaysOn policy")