diff --git a/pkg/mgmt/snapshot/snapshot.go b/pkg/mgmt/snapshot/snapshot.go
index e793f7c..7378d1a 100644
--- a/pkg/mgmt/snapshot/snapshot.go
+++ b/pkg/mgmt/snapshot/snapshot.go
@@ -77,14 +77,20 @@ func (c *SnapController) syncSnap(snap *apis.ZFSSnapshot) error {
 	var err error
 	// ZFSSnapshot should be deleted. Check if deletion timestamp is set
 	if c.isDeletionCandidate(snap) {
-		err = zfs.DestroySnapshot(snap)
-		if err == nil {
-			zfs.RemoveSnapFinalizer(snap)
+		userFin := zfs.GetUserFinalizers(snap.Finalizers)
+		if len(userFin) == 0 {
+			// destroy only if other finalizers have been removed
+			err = zfs.DestroySnapshot(snap)
+			if err == nil {
+				err = zfs.RemoveSnapFinalizer(snap)
+			}
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf("snapshot: can not destroy, waiting for finalizers to be removed %v", userFin)
 		}
 	} else {
-		// if finalizer is not set then it means we are creating
+		// if status is not Ready then it means we are creating
 		// the zfs snapshot.
-		if snap.Finalizers == nil {
+		if snap.Status.State != zfs.ZFSStatusReady {
 			err = zfs.CreateSnapshot(snap)
 			if err == nil {
 				err = zfs.UpdateSnapInfo(snap)
diff --git a/pkg/mgmt/volume/volume.go b/pkg/mgmt/volume/volume.go
index 0edc219..997812b 100644
--- a/pkg/mgmt/volume/volume.go
+++ b/pkg/mgmt/volume/volume.go
@@ -78,15 +78,20 @@ func (c *ZVController) syncZV(zv *apis.ZFSVolume) error {
 	var err error
 	// ZFS Volume should be deleted. Check if deletion timestamp is set
 	if c.isDeletionCandidate(zv) {
-		err = zfs.DestroyVolume(zv)
-		if err == nil {
-			zfs.RemoveZvolFinalizer(zv)
+		userFin := zfs.GetUserFinalizers(zv.Finalizers)
+		if len(userFin) == 0 {
+			// destroy only if other finalizers have been removed
+			err = zfs.DestroyVolume(zv)
+			if err == nil {
+				err = zfs.RemoveVolumeFinalizer(zv)
+			}
+		} else {
+			return fmt.Errorf("volume: can not destroy, waiting for finalizers to be removed %v", userFin)
 		}
 	} else {
-		// if finalizer is not set then it means we are creating
-		// the volume. And if it is set then volume has already been
-		// created and this event is for property change only.
-		if zv.Finalizers != nil {
+		// if volume has already been created and its state is Ready
+		// then this event is for property change only.
+		if zfs.IsVolumeReady(zv) {
 			err = zfs.SetVolumeProp(zv)
 		} else {
 			if len(zv.Spec.SnapName) > 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/zfs/mount.go b/pkg/zfs/mount.go
index 943ba38..9aee842 100644
--- a/pkg/zfs/mount.go
+++ b/pkg/zfs/mount.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func verifyMountRequest(vol *apis.ZFSVolume, mountpath string) (bool, error) {
 		vol.Spec.OwnerNodeID != NodeID {
 		return false, status.Error(codes.Internal, "verifyMount: volume is owned by different node")
 	}
-	if vol.Finalizers == nil {
+	if !IsVolumeReady(vol) {
 		return false, status.Error(codes.Internal, "verifyMount: volume is not ready to be mounted")
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/zfs/volume.go b/pkg/zfs/volume.go
index 27ec350..dcca9d7 100644
--- a/pkg/zfs/volume.go
+++ b/pkg/zfs/volume.go
@@ -233,10 +233,6 @@ func UpdateZvolInfo(vol *apis.ZFSVolume, status string) error {
 	finalizers := []string{}
 	labels := map[string]string{ZFSNodeKey: NodeID}
 
-	if vol.Finalizers != nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	switch status {
 	case ZFSStatusReady:
 		finalizers = append(finalizers, ZFSFinalizer)
@@ -255,8 +251,8 @@ func UpdateZvolInfo(vol *apis.ZFSVolume, status string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-// RemoveZvolFinalizer adds finalizer to ZFSVolume CR
-func RemoveZvolFinalizer(vol *apis.ZFSVolume) error {
+// RemoveVolumeFinalizer removes finalizer from ZFSVolume CR
+func RemoveVolumeFinalizer(vol *apis.ZFSVolume) error {
 	vol.Finalizers = nil
 
 	_, err := volbuilder.NewKubeclient().WithNamespace(OpenEBSNamespace).Update(vol)
@@ -290,10 +286,6 @@ func UpdateSnapInfo(snap *apis.ZFSSnapshot) error {
 	finalizers := []string{ZFSFinalizer}
 	labels := map[string]string{ZFSNodeKey: NodeID}
 
-	if snap.Finalizers != nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	newSnap, err := snapbuilder.BuildFrom(snap).
 		WithFinalizer(finalizers).
 		WithLabels(labels).Build()
@@ -310,7 +302,7 @@ func UpdateSnapInfo(snap *apis.ZFSSnapshot) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-// RemoveSnapFinalizer adds finalizer to ZFSSnapshot CR
+// RemoveSnapFinalizer removes finalizer from ZFSSnapshot CR
 func RemoveSnapFinalizer(snap *apis.ZFSSnapshot) error {
 	snap.Finalizers = nil
 
@@ -358,3 +350,34 @@ func UpdateRestoreInfo(rstr *apis.ZFSRestore, status apis.ZFSRestoreStatus) erro
 	_, err = restorebuilder.NewKubeclient().WithNamespace(OpenEBSNamespace).Update(newRstr)
 	return err
 }
+
+// GetUserFinalizers returns all the finalizers present on the ZFSVolume object
+// execpt the one owned by ZFS node daemonset. We also need to ignore the foregroundDeletion
+// finalizer as this will be present becasue of the foreground cascading deletion
+func GetUserFinalizers(finalizers []string) []string {
+	var userFin []string
+	for _, fin := range finalizers {
+		if fin != ZFSFinalizer &&
+			fin != "foregroundDeletion" {
+			userFin = append(userFin, fin)
+		}
+	}
+	return userFin
+}
+
+// IsVolumeReady returns true if volume is Ready
+func IsVolumeReady(vol *apis.ZFSVolume) bool {
+
+	if vol.Status.State == ZFSStatusReady {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// For older volumes, there was no Status field
+	// so checking the node finalizer to make sure volume is Ready
+	for _, fin := range vol.Finalizers {
+		if fin == ZFSFinalizer {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}