diff --git a/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestwork_controller.go b/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go
similarity index 99%
rename from pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestwork_controller.go
rename to pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go
index 9482c095c..3a54de87e 100644
--- a/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestwork_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package controllers
+package manifestcontroller
 
 import (
 	"context"
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ func (m *ManifestWorkController) sync(ctx context.Context, controllerContext fac
 	}
 	manifestWork = manifestWork.DeepCopy()
 
+	// no work to do if we're deleted
+	if !manifestWork.DeletionTimestamp.IsZero() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	errs := []error{}
 	// Apply resources on spoke cluster.
 	resourceResults := m.applyManifest(manifestWork.Spec.Workload.Manifests, controllerContext.Recorder())
diff --git a/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestwork_controller_test.go b/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller_test.go
similarity index 99%
rename from pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestwork_controller_test.go
rename to pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller_test.go
index 0921db7d3..156fa9f7e 100644
--- a/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestwork_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller/manifestwork_controller_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-package controllers
+package manifestcontroller
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
diff --git a/pkg/spoke/spokeagent.go b/pkg/spoke/spokeagent.go
index 8b1202755..bdaeaa600 100644
--- a/pkg/spoke/spokeagent.go
+++ b/pkg/spoke/spokeagent.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/open-cluster-management/work/pkg/spoke/controllers/manifestcontroller"
+
 	"github.com/open-cluster-management/work/pkg/spoke/controllers/finalizercontroller"
 
 	"github.com/openshift/library-go/pkg/controller/controllercmd"
@@ -17,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 
 	workclientset "github.com/open-cluster-management/api/client/work/clientset/versioned"
 	workinformers "github.com/open-cluster-management/api/client/work/informers/externalversions"
-	"github.com/open-cluster-management/work/pkg/spoke/controllers"
 	"github.com/open-cluster-management/work/pkg/spoke/resource"
 )
 
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ func (o *WorkloadAgentOptions) RunWorkloadAgent(ctx context.Context, controllerC
 	restMapper := resource.NewMapper(cachedSpokeDiscoveryClient)
 	go restMapper.Run(ctx.Done())
 
-	manifestWorkController := controllers.NewManifestWorkController(
+	manifestWorkController := manifestcontroller.NewManifestWorkController(
 		ctx,
 		controllerContext.EventRecorder,
 		spokeDynamicClient,