diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller.go
index 3a27a7c77da3..8670644649a9 100644
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller.go
+++ b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	expv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/exp/api/v1alpha4"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/feature"
 	"time"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/collections"
@@ -423,8 +425,16 @@ func (r *KubeadmControlPlaneReconciler) reconcileDelete(ctx context.Context, clu
 	// all the machines are deleted in parallel.
 	conditions.SetAggregate(kcp, controlplanev1.MachinesReadyCondition, ownedMachines.ConditionGetters(), conditions.AddSourceRef(), conditions.WithStepCounterIf(false))
 
+	allMachinePools := &expv1.MachinePoolList{}
+	// Get all machine pools.
+	if feature.Gates.Enabled(feature.MachinePool) {
+		allMachinePools, err = r.managementCluster.GetMachinePoolsForCluster(ctx, cluster)
+		if err != nil {
+			return ctrl.Result{}, err
+		}
+	}
 	// Verify that only control plane machines remain
-	if len(allMachines) != len(ownedMachines) {
+	if len(allMachines) != len(ownedMachines) || len(allMachinePools.Items) != 0 {
 		log.Info("Waiting for worker nodes to be deleted first")
 		conditions.MarkFalse(kcp, controlplanev1.ResizedCondition, clusterv1.DeletingReason, clusterv1.ConditionSeverityInfo, "Waiting for worker nodes to be deleted first")
 		return ctrl.Result{RequeueAfter: deleteRequeueAfter}, nil
diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller_test.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller_test.go
index 1558c2a6a0e3..8f41e4427963 100644
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller_test.go
+++ b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/controller_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	expv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/exp/api/v1alpha4"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/feature"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -1232,6 +1234,55 @@ func TestKubeadmControlPlaneReconciler_reconcileDelete(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Expect(controlPlaneMachines.Items).To(HaveLen(3))
 	})
 
+	t.Run("does not remove any control plane Machines if MachinePools exist", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_ = feature.MutableGates.Set("MachinePool=true")
+		g := NewWithT(t)
+
+		cluster, kcp, _ := createClusterWithControlPlane()
+		controllerutil.AddFinalizer(kcp, controlplanev1.KubeadmControlPlaneFinalizer)
+
+		workerMachinePool := &expv1.MachinePool{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "worker",
+				Namespace: cluster.Namespace,
+				Labels: map[string]string{
+					clusterv1.ClusterLabelName: cluster.Name,
+				},
+			},
+		}
+
+		initObjs := []client.Object{cluster.DeepCopy(), kcp.DeepCopy(), workerMachinePool.DeepCopy()}
+
+		for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+			m, _ := createMachineNodePair(fmt.Sprintf("test-%d", i), cluster, kcp, true)
+			initObjs = append(initObjs, m)
+		}
+
+		fakeClient := newFakeClient(g, initObjs...)
+
+		r := &KubeadmControlPlaneReconciler{
+			Client: fakeClient,
+			managementCluster: &fakeManagementCluster{
+				Management: &internal.Management{Client: fakeClient},
+				Workload:   fakeWorkloadCluster{},
+			},
+			recorder: record.NewFakeRecorder(32),
+		}
+
+		result, err := r.reconcileDelete(ctx, cluster, kcp)
+		g.Expect(result).To(Equal(ctrl.Result{RequeueAfter: deleteRequeueAfter}))
+		g.Expect(err).To(BeNil())
+
+		g.Expect(kcp.Finalizers).To(ContainElement(controlplanev1.KubeadmControlPlaneFinalizer))
+
+		controlPlaneMachines := clusterv1.MachineList{}
+		labels := map[string]string{
+			clusterv1.MachineControlPlaneLabelName: "",
+		}
+		g.Expect(fakeClient.List(ctx, &controlPlaneMachines, client.MatchingLabels(labels))).To(Succeed())
+		g.Expect(controlPlaneMachines.Items).To(HaveLen(3))
+	})
+
 	t.Run("removes the finalizer if no control plane Machines exist", func(t *testing.T) {
 		g := NewWithT(t)
 
diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/fakes_test.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/fakes_test.go
index a42f3fce2ee1..980ed366f474 100644
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/fakes_test.go
+++ b/controlplane/kubeadm/controllers/fakes_test.go
@@ -21,16 +21,18 @@ import (
 	"github.com/blang/semver"
 	clusterv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/api/v1alpha4"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/controlplane/kubeadm/internal"
+	expv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/exp/api/v1alpha4"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/collections"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 )
 
 type fakeManagementCluster struct {
 	// TODO: once all client interactions are moved to the Management cluster this can go away
-	Management *internal.Management
-	Machines   collections.Machines
-	Workload   fakeWorkloadCluster
-	Reader     client.Reader
+	Management   *internal.Management
+	Machines     collections.Machines
+	MachinePools *expv1.MachinePoolList
+	Workload     fakeWorkloadCluster
+	Reader       client.Reader
 }
 
 func (f *fakeManagementCluster) Get(ctx context.Context, key client.ObjectKey, obj client.Object) error {
@@ -52,6 +54,13 @@ func (f *fakeManagementCluster) GetMachinesForCluster(c context.Context, cluster
 	return f.Machines, nil
 }
 
+func (f *fakeManagementCluster) GetMachinePoolsForCluster(c context.Context, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster) (*expv1.MachinePoolList, error) {
+	if f.Management != nil {
+		return f.Management.GetMachinePoolsForCluster(c, cluster)
+	}
+	return f.MachinePools, nil
+}
+
 type fakeWorkloadCluster struct {
 	*internal.Workload
 	Status            internal.ClusterStatus
diff --git a/controlplane/kubeadm/internal/cluster.go b/controlplane/kubeadm/internal/cluster.go
index a99f1dd9d023..419bea8f9ceb 100644
--- a/controlplane/kubeadm/internal/cluster.go
+++ b/controlplane/kubeadm/internal/cluster.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"fmt"
+	expv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/exp/api/v1alpha4"
 	"time"
 
 	clusterv1 "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/api/v1alpha4"
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ type ManagementCluster interface {
 	ctrlclient.Reader
 
 	GetMachinesForCluster(ctx context.Context, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster, filters ...collections.Func) (collections.Machines, error)
+	GetMachinePoolsForCluster(ctx context.Context, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster) (*expv1.MachinePoolList, error)
 	GetWorkloadCluster(ctx context.Context, clusterKey client.ObjectKey) (WorkloadCluster, error)
 }
 
@@ -78,6 +80,19 @@ func (m *Management) GetMachinesForCluster(ctx context.Context, cluster *cluster
 	return collections.GetFilteredMachinesForCluster(ctx, m.Client, cluster, filters...)
 }
 
+// GetMachinePoolsForCluster returns a list of machine pools owned by the cluster.
+func (m *Management) GetMachinePoolsForCluster(ctx context.Context, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster) (*expv1.MachinePoolList, error) {
+	selectors := []client.ListOption{
+		client.InNamespace(cluster.GetNamespace()),
+		client.MatchingLabels{
+			clusterv1.ClusterLabelName: cluster.GetName(),
+		},
+	}
+	machinePoolList := &expv1.MachinePoolList{}
+	err := m.Client.List(ctx, machinePoolList, selectors...)
+	return machinePoolList, err
+}
+
 // GetWorkloadCluster builds a cluster object.
 // The cluster comes with an etcd client generator to connect to any etcd pod living on a managed machine.
 func (m *Management) GetWorkloadCluster(ctx context.Context, clusterKey client.ObjectKey) (WorkloadCluster, error) {