diff --git a/pkg/controller/statusmanager/machineconfig_status.go b/pkg/controller/statusmanager/machineconfig_status.go
index adc6e13495..e026d4e759 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/statusmanager/machineconfig_status.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/statusmanager/machineconfig_status.go
@@ -140,18 +140,11 @@ func (status *StatusManager) SetFromMachineConfigPool(mcPools []mcfgv1.MachineCo
 	// No degraded pools, so clear degraded status
 	status.setNotDegraded(MachineConfig)
 
-	// Now check for progressing and process machine configs
 	for role, machineConfigs := range status.renderedMachineConfigs {
 		pools, err := status.findMachineConfigPoolsForLabel(mcPools, map[string]string{names.MachineConfigLabelRoleKey: role})
 		if err != nil {
 			klog.Errorf("failed to get machine config pools for the role %s: %v", role, err)
 		}
-
-		progressingPool := status.isAnyMachineConfigPoolProgressing(pools)
-		if progressingPool != "" {
-			status.setProgressing(MachineConfig, "MachineConfig", fmt.Sprintf("%s machine config pool in progressing state", progressingPool))
-			return nil
-		}
 		for _, pool := range pools {
 			if pool.Spec.Paused {
 				// When a machine config pool is in paused state, then it is expected that mco doesn't process any machine configs for the pool.
@@ -250,17 +243,6 @@ func (status *StatusManager) isAnyMachineConfigPoolDegraded(pools []mcfgv1.Machi
 	return degradedPool
 }
 
-func (status *StatusManager) isAnyMachineConfigPoolProgressing(pools []mcfgv1.MachineConfigPool) string {
-	var progressingPool string
-	for _, pool := range pools {
-		if mcomcfgv1.IsMachineConfigPoolConditionTrue(pool.Status.Conditions, mcfgv1.MachineConfigPoolUpdating) {
-			progressingPool = pool.Name
-			break
-		}
-	}
-	return progressingPool
-}
-
 func (status *StatusManager) findMachineConfigPoolsForLabel(mcPools []mcfgv1.MachineConfigPool, mcLabel labels.Set) ([]mcfgv1.MachineConfigPool, error) {
 	var mcps []mcfgv1.MachineConfigPool
 	for _, mcPool := range mcPools {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/statusmanager/pod_status.go b/pkg/controller/statusmanager/pod_status.go
index d548cd4ae1..3714602b7d 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/statusmanager/pod_status.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/statusmanager/pod_status.go
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ func (status *StatusManager) SetFromPods() {
 		} else if ds.Status.UpdatedNumberScheduled < ds.Status.DesiredNumberScheduled {
 			progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("DaemonSet %q update is rolling out (%d out of %d updated)", dsName.String(), ds.Status.UpdatedNumberScheduled, ds.Status.DesiredNumberScheduled))
 			dsProgressing = true
-		} else if ds.Status.NumberUnavailable > 0 {
+		} else if ds.Status.NumberUnavailable > 0 && (ds.Status.DesiredNumberScheduled == 0 || ds.Generation > ds.Status.ObservedGeneration) {
+			// Report Progressing only during initial deployment (DesiredNumberScheduled not set) or active rollout (spec changed)
 			progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("DaemonSet %q is not available (awaiting %d nodes)", dsName.String(), ds.Status.NumberUnavailable))
 			dsProgressing = true
 			// Check for any pods in CrashLoopBackOff state and mark the operator as degraded if so.
@@ -153,8 +154,11 @@ func (status *StatusManager) SetFromPods() {
 			progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("StatefulSet %q update is rolling out (%d out of %d updated)", ssName.String(), ss.Status.UpdatedReplicas, ss.Status.Replicas))
 			ssProgressing = true
 		} else if ss.Status.ReadyReplicas > 0 && ss.Status.ReadyReplicas < ss.Status.Replicas {
-			progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("StatefulSet %q is not available (awaiting %d nodes)", ssName.String(), (ss.Status.Replicas-ss.Status.ReadyReplicas)))
-			ssProgressing = true
+			if ss.Generation == 0 || ss.Status.ObservedGeneration < ss.Generation {
+				// Report Progressing during initial deployment or active rollout (spec changed)
+				progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("StatefulSet %q is not available (awaiting %d nodes)", ssName.String(), (ss.Status.Replicas-ss.Status.ReadyReplicas)))
+				ssProgressing = true
+			}
 			// Check for any pods in CrashLoopBackOff state and mark the operator as degraded if so.
 			if !isNonCritical(ss) {
 				hung = append(hung, status.CheckCrashLoopBackOffPods(ssName, ss.Spec.Selector.MatchLabels, "StatefulSet")...)
@@ -208,8 +212,11 @@ func (status *StatusManager) SetFromPods() {
 			progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("Deployment %q update is rolling out (%d out of %d updated)", depName.String(), dep.Status.UpdatedReplicas, dep.Status.Replicas))
 			depProgressing = true
 		} else if dep.Status.UnavailableReplicas > 0 {
-			progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("Deployment %q is not available (awaiting %d nodes)", depName.String(), dep.Status.UnavailableReplicas))
-			depProgressing = true
+			if dep.Generation == 0 || dep.Status.ObservedGeneration < dep.Generation {
+				// Report Progressing during initial deployment or active rollout (spec changed)
+				progressing = append(progressing, fmt.Sprintf("Deployment %q is not available (awaiting %d nodes)", depName.String(), dep.Status.UnavailableReplicas))
+				depProgressing = true
+			}
 			// Check for any pods in CrashLoopBackOff state and mark the operator as degraded if so.
 			if !isNonCritical(dep) {
 				hung = append(hung, status.CheckCrashLoopBackOffPods(depName, dep.Spec.Selector.MatchLabels, "Deployment")...)