diff --git a/deployment/base/rbac/worker-role.yaml b/deployment/base/rbac/worker-role.yaml
index 2b299c7973..70ee649ab4 100644
--- a/deployment/base/rbac/worker-role.yaml
+++ b/deployment/base/rbac/worker-role.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ rules:
   - create
   - get
   - update
+  - delete
 - apiGroups:
   - ""
   resources:
diff --git a/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/templates/role.yaml b/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/templates/role.yaml
index 52c69eb197..ed12ef2c03 100644
--- a/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/templates/role.yaml
+++ b/deployment/helm/node-feature-discovery/templates/role.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ rules:
   - create
   - get
   - update
+  - delete
 - apiGroups:
   - ""
   resources:
diff --git a/pkg/nfd-worker/nfd-worker.go b/pkg/nfd-worker/nfd-worker.go
index 21ececf152..e709c6d6e4 100644
--- a/pkg/nfd-worker/nfd-worker.go
+++ b/pkg/nfd-worker/nfd-worker.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation"
 	k8sclient "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
+	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 	klogutils "sigs.k8s.io/node-feature-discovery/pkg/utils/klog"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 
@@ -280,7 +281,10 @@ func (w *nfdWorker) setOwnerReference() error {
 				klog.ErrorS(err, "failed to get self pod, cannot inherit ownerReference for NodeFeature")
 				return err
 			} else {
-				ownerReference = append(ownerReference, selfPod.OwnerReferences...)
+				for _, owner := range selfPod.OwnerReferences {
+					owner.BlockOwnerDeletion = ptr.To(false)
+					ownerReference = append(ownerReference, owner)
+				}
 			}
 
 			podUID := os.Getenv("POD_UID")
diff --git a/test/e2e/utils/rbac.go b/test/e2e/utils/rbac.go
index 561cbf353e..49c9b34366 100644
--- a/test/e2e/utils/rbac.go
+++ b/test/e2e/utils/rbac.go
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func createRoleWorker(ctx context.Context, cs clientset.Interface, ns string) (*
 			{
 				APIGroups: []string{"nfd.k8s-sigs.io"},
 				Resources: []string{"nodefeatures"},
-				Verbs:     []string{"create", "get", "update"},
+				Verbs:     []string{"create", "get", "update", "delete"},
 			},
 			{
 				APIGroups: []string{""},