diff --git a/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller.go b/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller.go
index c409dc500..4b1415c6a 100644
--- a/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller.go
+++ b/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller.go
@@ -409,6 +409,33 @@ func ensureFinalizers(ctx context.Context, cl client.Client, pgBackup *v2.Percon
 func deleteBackupFinalizer(c client.Client, pg *v2.PerconaPGCluster) func(ctx context.Context, pgBackup *v2.PerconaPGBackup) error {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, pgBackup *v2.PerconaPGBackup) error {
 		if pg == nil {
+			// If the cluster was previously deleted, we cannot call finishBackup to remove
+			// annotations from the PGCluster. In that case, we no longer need the job to
+			// exist and we can remove the keep-job finalizer.
+			job, err := findBackupJob(ctx, c, pgBackup)
+			if errors.Is(err, ErrBackupJobNotFound) || k8serrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+				return nil
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "find backup job")
+			}
+
+			if !controllerutil.ContainsFinalizer(job, pNaming.FinalizerKeepJob) {
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			if err := retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() error {
+				j := new(batchv1.Job)
+				if err := c.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(job), j); err != nil {
+					return client.IgnoreNotFound(err)
+				}
+
+				controllerutil.RemoveFinalizer(j, pNaming.FinalizerKeepJob)
+				return c.Update(ctx, j)
+			}); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "remove keep-job finalizer")
+			}
+
 			return nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller_test.go b/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller_test.go
index 7af6c0838..37a64d93d 100644
--- a/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller_test.go
+++ b/percona/controller/pgbackup/controller_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	batchv1 "k8s.io/api/batch/v1"
 	coordinationv1 "k8s.io/api/coordination/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	k8serrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/fake"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller/controllerutil"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/reconcile"
 
 	"github.com/percona/percona-postgresql-operator/v2/internal/feature"
@@ -80,7 +82,10 @@ func TestReconcileFailsBackupWhenClusterIsUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
 					PGCluster: cluster.Name,
 					RepoName:  new("repo1"),
 				},
-				Status: v2.PerconaPGBackupStatus{State: v2.BackupRunning},
+				Status: v2.PerconaPGBackupStatus{
+					State:   v2.BackupRunning,
+					JobName: "test-backup-job",
+				},
 			}
 			if tt.snapshot {
 				backup.Spec.Method = new(v2.BackupMethodVolumeSnapshot)
@@ -93,6 +98,13 @@ func TestReconcileFailsBackupWhenClusterIsUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			objects := []client.Object{backup}
+			if !tt.snapshot {
+				objects = append(objects, &batchv1.Job{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:       backup.Status.JobName,
+					Namespace:  backup.Namespace,
+					Finalizers: []string{pNaming.FinalizerKeepJob},
+				}})
+			}
 			if tt.snapshot {
 				holder := backupLeaseHolder(backup)
 				objects = append(objects, &coordinationv1.Lease{
@@ -134,6 +146,12 @@ func TestReconcileFailsBackupWhenClusterIsUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.True(t, k8serrors.IsNotFound(err))
 			} else {
 				assert.NotContains(t, updated.Finalizers, pNaming.FinalizerDeleteBackup)
+
+				job := new(batchv1.Job)
+				require.NoError(t, cl.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKey{
+					Name: backup.Status.JobName, Namespace: backup.Namespace,
+				}, job))
+				assert.False(t, controllerutil.ContainsFinalizer(job, pNaming.FinalizerKeepJob))
 			}
 		})
 	}