diff --git a/src/runboat/api.py b/src/runboat/api.py
index ffb8c99..47e84de 100644
--- a/src/runboat/api.py
+++ b/src/runboat/api.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ class Status(BaseModel):
     to_initialize: int
     initializing: int
     max_initializing: int
+    undeploying: int
 
     class Config:
         orm_mode = True
diff --git a/src/runboat/controller.py b/src/runboat/controller.py
index 11bb74e..3b01979 100644
--- a/src/runboat/controller.py
+++ b/src/runboat/controller.py
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ class Controller:
     def max_deployed(self) -> int:
         return settings.max_deployed
 
+    @property
+    def undeploying(self) -> int:
+        return self.db.count_by_status(BuildStatus.undeploying)
+
     async def deploy_or_delay_start(
         self, repo: str, target_branch: str, pr: int | None, git_commit: str
     ) -> None:
@@ -117,7 +121,7 @@ class Controller:
         self.reset()  # empty the local db each time we start watching
         async for event_type, deployment in k8s.watch_deployments():
             _logger.debug(
-                "%s %s %s dr=%s/rr=%s",
+                "Event %s %s %s dr=%s/rr=%s",
                 event_type,
                 deployment.metadata.name,
                 deployment.metadata.resource_version,
@@ -129,7 +133,14 @@ class Controller:
                 continue
             should_wakeup = False
             if event_type in (None, "ADDED", "MODIFIED"):
-                should_wakeup = self.db.add(Build.from_deployment(deployment))
+                prev_build = self.db.get(build_name)
+                build = Build.from_deployment(deployment)
+                should_wakeup = self.db.add(build)
+                if build.status == BuildStatus.undeploying and (
+                    prev_build is None or prev_build.status != BuildStatus.undeploying
+                ):
+                    _logger.info(f"{build} has deletionTimestamp. Undeploying.")
+                    await build.cleanup()
             elif event_type == "DELETED":
                 should_wakeup = self.db.remove(build_name)
             else:
@@ -140,7 +151,7 @@ class Controller:
     async def job_watcher(self) -> None:
         async for event_type, job in k8s.watch_jobs():
             _logger.debug(
-                "%s %s %s a=%s/s=%s/f=%s",
+                "Event %s %s %s a=%s/s=%s/f=%s",
                 event_type,
                 job.metadata.name,
                 job.metadata.resource_version,
diff --git a/src/runboat/k8s.py b/src/runboat/k8s.py
index 79fa151..579c927 100644
--- a/src/runboat/k8s.py
+++ b/src/runboat/k8s.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from typing import Any, Generator, Optional
 import urllib3
 from jinja2 import Template
 from kubernetes import client, config, watch
-from kubernetes.client.api_client import ApiClient
+from kubernetes.client.exceptions import ApiException
 from kubernetes.client.models.v1_deployment import V1Deployment
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
@@ -36,24 +36,37 @@ def load_kube_config() -> None:
 
 @sync_to_async
 def read_deployment(name: str) -> Optional[V1Deployment]:
-    with ApiClient() as api:
-        appsv1 = client.AppsV1Api(api)
-        items = appsv1.list_namespaced_deployment(
-            namespace=settings.build_namespace,
-            label_selector=f"runboat/build={name}",
-        ).items
-        return items[0] if items else None
+    appsv1 = client.AppsV1Api()
+    items = appsv1.list_namespaced_deployment(
+        namespace=settings.build_namespace,
+        label_selector=f"runboat/build={name}",
+    ).items
+    return items[0] if items else None
 
 
 @sync_to_async
-def patch_deployment(deployment_name: str, ops: list[dict["str", Any]]) -> None:
-    with ApiClient() as api:
-        appsv1 = client.AppsV1Api(api)
+def delete_deployment(deployment_name: str) -> None:
+    appsv1 = client.AppsV1Api()
+    appsv1.delete_namespaced_deployment(
+        deployment_name, namespace=settings.build_namespace
+    )
+
+
+@sync_to_async
+def patch_deployment(
+    deployment_name: str, ops: list[dict["str", Any]], not_found_ok: bool
+) -> None:
+    appsv1 = client.AppsV1Api()
+    try:
         appsv1.patch_namespaced_deployment(
             name=deployment_name,
             namespace=settings.build_namespace,
             body=ops,
         )
+    except ApiException as e:
+        if e.status == 404 and not_found_ok:
+            return
+        raise
 
 
 def _watch(list_method, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/src/runboat/kubefiles/deployment.yaml b/src/runboat/kubefiles/deployment.yaml
index 917b7be..e46afc6 100644
--- a/src/runboat/kubefiles/deployment.yaml
+++ b/src/runboat/kubefiles/deployment.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ metadata:
   name: odoo
   annotations:
     runboat/init-status: "todo"  # ask controller to initialize when there is capacity
+  finalizers:
+    - runboat/cleanup
 spec:
   replicas: 0  # deploy idle
   selector:
diff --git a/src/runboat/kubefiles/runboat-initialize.sh b/src/runboat/kubefiles/runboat-initialize.sh
index c1e6cc0..1e056cf 100755
--- a/src/runboat/kubefiles/runboat-initialize.sh
+++ b/src/runboat/kubefiles/runboat-initialize.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ bash /runboat/runboat-clone-and-install.sh
 
 oca_wait_for_postgres
 
-# Drop database, in case we are reinitializing after failure.
+# Drop database, in case we are reinitializing.
 dropdb --if-exists $PGDATABASE
 
 ADDONS=$(addons --addons-dir ${ADDONS_DIR} --include "${INCLUDE}" --exclude "${EXCLUDE}" list)
diff --git a/src/runboat/models.py b/src/runboat/models.py
index 2023e03..6b1b572 100644
--- a/src/runboat/models.py
+++ b/src/runboat/models.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class BuildStatus(str, Enum):
     starting = "starting"  # to initialize or initializing or scaling up
     started = "started"  # running
     failed = "failed"  # initialization failed
-    cleaning = "cleaning"  # cleaning up, will be undeployed soon
+    undeploying = "undeploying"  # undeploying, will be deleted after cleanup
 
 
 class BuildInitStatus(str, Enum):
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ class BuildInitStatus(str, Enum):
     started = "started"  # initialization job running
     succeeded = "succeeded"  # initialization job succeeded
     failed = "failed"  # initialization job failed
-    cleaning = "cleaning"  # cleanup job running
 
 
 class Build(BaseModel):
@@ -92,11 +91,11 @@ class Build(BaseModel):
 
     @classmethod
     def _status_from_deployment(cls, deployment: V1Deployment) -> BuildStatus:
+        if deployment.metadata.deletion_timestamp:
+            return BuildStatus.undeploying
         init_status = deployment.metadata.annotations["runboat/init-status"]
         if init_status in (BuildInitStatus.todo, BuildInitStatus.started):
             return BuildStatus.starting
-        elif init_status == BuildInitStatus.cleaning:
-            return BuildStatus.cleaning
         elif init_status == BuildInitStatus.failed:
             return BuildStatus.failed
         elif init_status == BuildInitStatus.succeeded:
@@ -157,6 +156,9 @@ class Build(BaseModel):
                 "that is already started or starting."
             )
             return
+        elif self.status == BuildStatus.undeploying:
+            _logger.info(f"Ignoring start command for {self} that is undeploying.")
+            return
         elif self.status == BuildStatus.failed:
             _logger.info(f"Marking failed {self} for reinitialization.")
             await k8s.delete_job(self.name, job_kind=k8s.DeploymentMode.initialize)
@@ -172,8 +174,16 @@ class Build(BaseModel):
         else:
             _logger.info(f"Ignoring stop command for {self} that is not started.")
 
+    async def undeploy(self) -> None:
+        # To undeploy, we delete the deployment. Due to the finalizer, the deletion
+        # will not be immediate, but the controller will notice the deletionTimestamp
+        # and launch the cleanup job. When the cleanup job succeeds, the controller
+        # removes all resources, and also removes the finalizer which allows kubernetes
+        # to remove the deployment.
+        await k8s.delete_deployment(self.deployment_name)
+
     async def initialize(self) -> None:
-        """Initialize a build."""
+        """Launch the initialization job."""
         # Start initizalization job. on_initialize_{started,succeeded,failed} callbacks
         # will follow from job events.
         _logger.info(f"Deploying initialize job for {self}.")
@@ -189,12 +199,12 @@ class Build(BaseModel):
         )
         await k8s.deploy(deployment_vars)
 
-    async def undeploy(self) -> None:
-        """Undeploy a build."""
+    async def cleanup(self) -> None:
+        """Launch the clenaup job."""
         # Delete the initialization job to reduce conflict with the cleanup job.
         await k8s.delete_job(self.name, job_kind=k8s.DeploymentMode.initialize)
-        # Be sure it is stopped.
-        await self._patch(desired_replicas=0)
+        # Be sure the deployment is stopped.
+        await self._patch(desired_replicas=0, not_found_ok=True)
         # Start cleanup job. on_cleanup_{started,succeeded,failed} callbacks will follow
         # from job events.
         _logger.info(f"Deploying cleanup job for {self}.")
@@ -233,24 +243,23 @@ class Build(BaseModel):
         await self._patch(init_status=BuildInitStatus.failed, desired_replicas=0)
 
     async def on_cleanup_started(self) -> None:
-        if self.init_status == BuildInitStatus.cleaning:
-            return
         _logger.info(f"Cleanup job started for {self}.")
-        await self._patch(init_status=BuildInitStatus.cleaning, desired_replicas=0)
 
     async def on_cleanup_succeeded(self) -> None:
         _logger.info(f"Cleanup job succeeded for {self}, deleting resources.")
         await k8s.delete_resources(self.name)
+        _logger.debug("Removing finalizer for %s.", self)
+        await self._patch(remove_finalizers=True, not_found_ok=True)
 
     async def on_cleanup_failed(self) -> None:
-        _logger.error(
-            f"Cleanup job failed for {self}, " f"manual intervention required."
-        )
+        _logger.error(f"Cleanup job failed for {self}, manual intervention required.")
 
     async def _patch(
         self,
         init_status: BuildInitStatus | None = None,
         desired_replicas: int | None = None,
+        remove_finalizers: bool = False,
+        not_found_ok: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         ops = []
         if init_status is not None and init_status != self.init_status:
@@ -281,7 +290,14 @@ class Build(BaseModel):
                     },
                 ]
             )
-        await k8s.patch_deployment(self.deployment_name, ops)
+        if remove_finalizers:
+            ops.append(
+                {
+                    "op": "remove",
+                    "path": "/metadata/finalizers",
+                }
+            )
+        await k8s.patch_deployment(self.deployment_name, ops, not_found_ok)
 
 
 class Repo(BaseModel):