diff --git a/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler.go b/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler.go
index 88f051baa..dcf8bb868 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler.go
@@ -408,8 +408,10 @@ func (h *nmcReconcilerHelperImpl) ProcessUnconfiguredModuleStatus(
 	   it also fixes the scenario when node's kernel was upgraded, so unload pod will fail anyway
 	*/
 	if h.nodeAPI.NodeBecomeReadyAfter(node, status.LastTransitionTime) {
-		logger.Info("node was rebooted, no need to unload kernel module that is not present in kernel, will wait until NMC spec is updated")
-		return nil
+		logger.Info("node was rebooted and spec is missing: delete the status to allow Module CR unload, if needed")
+		patchFrom := client.MergeFrom(nmcObj.DeepCopy())
+		nmc.RemoveModuleStatus(&nmcObj.Status.Modules, status.Namespace, status.Name)
+		return h.client.Status().Patch(ctx, nmcObj, patchFrom)
 	}
 
 	pod, err := h.pm.GetWorkerPod(ctx, podName, status.Namespace)
diff --git a/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler_test.go b/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler_test.go
index d6cd8c7e9..08499b686 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler_test.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/nmc_reconciler_test.go
@@ -793,6 +793,8 @@ var _ = Describe("nmcReconcilerHelperImpl_ProcessUnconfiguredModuleStatus", func
 		podName = workerPodName(nmcName, name)
 
 		client *testclient.MockClient
+		sw     *testclient.MockStatusWriter
+
 		pm     *MockpodManager
 		nm     *node.MockNode
 		helper nmcReconcilerHelper
@@ -801,6 +803,7 @@ var _ = Describe("nmcReconcilerHelperImpl_ProcessUnconfiguredModuleStatus", func
 	BeforeEach(func() {
 		ctrl := gomock.NewController(GinkgoT())
 		client = testclient.NewMockClient(ctrl)
+		sw = testclient.NewMockStatusWriter(ctrl)
 		pm = NewMockpodManager(ctrl)
 		nm = node.NewMockNode(ctrl)
 		helper = newNMCReconcilerHelper(client, pm, nil, nm)
@@ -820,7 +823,11 @@ var _ = Describe("nmcReconcilerHelperImpl_ProcessUnconfiguredModuleStatus", func
 	node := v1.Node{}
 
 	It("should do nothing , if the node has been rebooted/ready lately", func() {
-		nm.EXPECT().NodeBecomeReadyAfter(&node, status.LastTransitionTime).Return(true)
+		gomock.InOrder(
+			nm.EXPECT().NodeBecomeReadyAfter(&node, status.LastTransitionTime).Return(true),
+			client.EXPECT().Status().Return(sw),
+			sw.EXPECT().Patch(ctx, nmc, gomock.Any()),
+		)
 
 		Expect(
 			helper.ProcessUnconfiguredModuleStatus(ctx, nmc, status, &node),