diff --git a/internal/events/handler.go b/internal/events/handler.go
index f324d09658..6bbfc90f76 100644
--- a/internal/events/handler.go
+++ b/internal/events/handler.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	apiv1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	discoveryV1 "k8s.io/api/discovery/v1"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api/apis/v1beta1"
 
 	"github.com/nginxinc/nginx-kubernetes-gateway/internal/nginx/config"
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ type EventHandlerConfig struct {
 	StatusUpdater status.Updater
 	// Logger is the logger to be used by the EventHandler.
 	Logger logr.Logger
+	// ControllerName is the name of this controller.
+	ControllerName string
 }
 
 // EventHandlerImpl implements EventHandler.
@@ -121,7 +124,11 @@ func (h *EventHandlerImpl) updateNginx(ctx context.Context, conf dataplane.Confi
 func (h *EventHandlerImpl) propagateUpsert(e *UpsertEvent) {
 	switch r := e.Resource.(type) {
 	case *v1beta1.GatewayClass:
-		h.cfg.Processor.CaptureUpsertChange(r)
+		if string(r.Spec.ControllerName) != h.cfg.ControllerName {
+			h.cfg.Processor.CaptureDeleteChange(r, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(r))
+		} else {
+			h.cfg.Processor.CaptureUpsertChange(r)
+		}
 	case *v1beta1.Gateway:
 		h.cfg.Processor.CaptureUpsertChange(r)
 	case *v1beta1.HTTPRoute:
diff --git a/internal/manager/manager.go b/internal/manager/manager.go
index 994e0e40a2..34ba05a604 100644
--- a/internal/manager/manager.go
+++ b/internal/manager/manager.go
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ func Start(cfg config.Config) error {
 		NginxFileMgr:        nginxFileMgr,
 		NginxRuntimeMgr:     nginxRuntimeMgr,
 		StatusUpdater:       statusUpdater,
+		ControllerName:      cfg.GatewayCtlrName,
 	})
 
 	objects, objectLists := prepareFirstEventBatchPreparerArgs(cfg.GatewayClassName, cfg.GatewayNsName)
diff --git a/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass.go b/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass.go
index 13f07e27c2..56a792d259 100644
--- a/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass.go
+++ b/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass.go
@@ -29,14 +29,19 @@ func (gcp GatewayClassPredicate) Create(e event.CreateEvent) bool {
 
 // Update implements default UpdateEvent filter for validating a GatewayClass controllerName.
 func (gcp GatewayClassPredicate) Update(e event.UpdateEvent) bool {
-	if e.ObjectNew == nil {
-		return false
+	if e.ObjectOld != nil {
+		gcOld, ok := e.ObjectOld.(*v1beta1.GatewayClass)
+		if ok {
+			return string(gcOld.Spec.ControllerName) == gcp.ControllerName
+		}
 	}
 
-	gc, ok := e.ObjectNew.(*v1beta1.GatewayClass)
-	if !ok {
-		return false
+	if e.ObjectNew != nil {
+		gcNew, ok := e.ObjectNew.(*v1beta1.GatewayClass)
+		if ok {
+			return string(gcNew.Spec.ControllerName) == gcp.ControllerName
+		}
 	}
 
-	return string(gc.Spec.ControllerName) == gcp.ControllerName
+	return false
 }
diff --git a/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass_test.go b/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass_test.go
index 3413baaa32..febcdc0089 100644
--- a/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/predicate/gatewayclass_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ func TestGatewayClassPredicate(t *testing.T) {
 	g.Expect(p.Create(event.CreateEvent{Object: gc})).To(BeTrue())
 	g.Expect(p.Update(event.UpdateEvent{ObjectNew: gc})).To(BeTrue())
 
-	gc.Spec.ControllerName = "unknown"
-	g.Expect(p.Create(event.CreateEvent{Object: gc})).To(BeFalse())
-	g.Expect(p.Update(event.UpdateEvent{ObjectNew: gc})).To(BeFalse())
+	gc2 := &v1beta1.GatewayClass{
+		Spec: v1beta1.GatewayClassSpec{
+			ControllerName: "unknown",
+		},
+	}
+	g.Expect(p.Create(event.CreateEvent{Object: gc2})).To(BeFalse())
+	g.Expect(p.Update(event.UpdateEvent{ObjectOld: gc, ObjectNew: gc2})).To(BeTrue())
 }
diff --git a/internal/state/graph/gatewayclass.go b/internal/state/graph/gatewayclass.go
index 15c002a3a5..8c932939c2 100644
--- a/internal/state/graph/gatewayclass.go
+++ b/internal/state/graph/gatewayclass.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ type processedGatewayClasses struct {
 // processGatewayClasses returns the "Winner" GatewayClass, which is defined in
 // the command-line argument and references this controller, and a list of "Ignored" GatewayClasses
 // that reference this controller, but are not named in the command-line argument.
-// Also returns a boolean that says whether or not the GatewayClasa defined
+// Also returns a boolean that says whether or not the GatewayClass defined
 // in the command-line argument exists, regardless of which controller it references.
 func processGatewayClasses(
 	gcs map[types.NamespacedName]*v1beta1.GatewayClass,