diff --git a/pkg/services/vmoperator/vmopmachine.go b/pkg/services/vmoperator/vmopmachine.go
index 57fa610339..de72429b9b 100644
--- a/pkg/services/vmoperator/vmopmachine.go
+++ b/pkg/services/vmoperator/vmopmachine.go
@@ -417,11 +417,13 @@ func (v *VmopMachineService) reconcileVMOperatorVM(ctx context.Context, supervis
 			vmOperatorVM.Spec.StorageClass = supervisorMachineCtx.VSphereMachine.Spec.StorageClass
 		}
 		vmOperatorVM.Spec.PowerState = vmoprv1.VirtualMachinePowerStateOn
-		if vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved == nil && supervisorMachineCtx.VSphereCluster.Status.ResourcePolicyName != "" {
-			vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved = &vmoprv1.VirtualMachineReservedSpec{}
-		}
-		if vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved.ResourcePolicyName == "" {
-			vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved.ResourcePolicyName = supervisorMachineCtx.VSphereCluster.Status.ResourcePolicyName
+		if supervisorMachineCtx.VSphereCluster.Status.ResourcePolicyName != "" {
+			if vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved == nil {
+				vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved = &vmoprv1.VirtualMachineReservedSpec{}
+			}
+			if vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved.ResourcePolicyName == "" {
+				vmOperatorVM.Spec.Reserved.ResourcePolicyName = supervisorMachineCtx.VSphereCluster.Status.ResourcePolicyName
+			}
 		}
 		if vmOperatorVM.Spec.Bootstrap == nil {
 			vmOperatorVM.Spec.Bootstrap = &vmoprv1.VirtualMachineBootstrapSpec{}