diff --git a/pkg/controller/delay.go b/pkg/controller/delay.go
index c1443a9b0..da671a0f0 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/delay.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/delay.go
@@ -46,9 +46,12 @@ func checkScalingDelay(ctx context.Context, logger log.Logger, sts *v1.StatefulS
 	}
 
 	delay, prepareURL, err := parseDelayedDownscaleAnnotations(sts.GetAnnotations())
-	if delay == 0 || prepareURL == nil || err != nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return currentReplicas, err
 	}
+	if delay == 0 || prepareURL == nil {
+		return desiredReplicas, err
+	}
 
 	if desiredReplicas >= currentReplicas {
 		callCancelDelayedDownscale(ctx, logger, httpClient, createPrepareDownscaleEndpoints(sts.Namespace, sts.GetName(), 0, int(currentReplicas), prepareURL))