diff --git a/cmd/nomos/migrate/configmanagement.go b/cmd/nomos/migrate/configmanagement.go
index 0be276f0f..230265c67 100644
--- a/cmd/nomos/migrate/configmanagement.go
+++ b/cmd/nomos/migrate/configmanagement.go
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ func migrateConfigManagement(ctx context.Context, cc *status.ClusterClient, kube
 		printNotice("The cluster is already running as an OSS installation.")
 		return nil
 	}
+	if isHNCEnabled, err := cc.ConfigManagement.IsHNCEnabled(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	} else if isHNCEnabled {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Hierarchy Controller is enabled on the ConfigManagement object. It must be disabled before migrating.")
+	}
 
 	fmt.Printf("Removing ConfigManagement on cluster %q ...\n", kubeCtx)
 	cmYamlFile, err := saveConfigManagementOperatorYaml(ctx, cc, kubeCtx)
diff --git a/cmd/nomos/util/configmanagement.go b/cmd/nomos/util/configmanagement.go
index b4c26d3d2..bdd4c4cc0 100644
--- a/cmd/nomos/util/configmanagement.go
+++ b/cmd/nomos/util/configmanagement.go
@@ -202,6 +202,15 @@ func (c *ConfigManagementClient) RemoveFinalizers(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+// IsHNCEnabled returns if the ConfigManagement object has HNC enabled.
+func (c *ConfigManagementClient) IsHNCEnabled(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
+	isHNCEnabled, err := c.NestedBool(ctx, "spec", "hierarchyController", "enabled")
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return isHNCEnabled, nil
+}
+
 // IsOssInstallation will check for the existence of ConfigManagement object, Operator deployment, and RootSync CRD
 // If RootSync CRD exist but ConfigManagement and Operator doesn't, it indicates an OSS installation
 func IsOssInstallation(ctx context.Context, c *ConfigManagementClient, cl client.Client, ck *kubernetes.Clientset) (bool, error) {
diff --git a/e2e/testcases/cli_test.go b/e2e/testcases/cli_test.go
index 7a38846ff..831b1de55 100644
--- a/e2e/testcases/cli_test.go
+++ b/e2e/testcases/cli_test.go
@@ -1378,6 +1378,9 @@ func TestNomosMigrate(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			"spec": map[string]interface{}{
 				"enableMultiRepo": true,
+				"hierarchyController": map[string]interface{}{
+					"enabled": true,
+				},
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -1395,6 +1398,33 @@ func TestNomosMigrate(t *testing.T) {
 			),
 		)))
 
+	nt.T.Log("Running nomos migrate should fail when HNC is enabled")
+	out, err := nt.Shell.Command("nomos", "migrate", "--remove-configmanagement").CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
+		nt.T.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	assert.Contains(t, string(out), "Hierarchy Controller is enabled on the ConfigManagement object. It must be disabled before migrating.")
+
+	nt.T.Log("Disabling HNC")
+	cmObj = &unstructured.Unstructured{
+		Object: map[string]interface{}{
+			"apiVersion": "configmanagement.gke.io/v1",
+			"kind":       "ConfigManagement",
+			"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+				"name": "config-management",
+			},
+			"spec": map[string]interface{}{
+				"enableMultiRepo": true,
+				"hierarchyController": map[string]interface{}{
+					"enabled": false,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	nt.Must(nt.KubeClient.Apply(cmObj))
+	nt.Must(nt.Watcher.WatchForNotFound(kinds.Namespace(), "hnc-system", ""))
+	nt.Must(nt.Validate(util.ACMOperatorDeployment, configsync.ControllerNamespace, k8sobjects.DeploymentObject()))
+
 	nt.T.Log("Running nomos migrate to migrate from ConfigManagement to OSS install")
 	nt.Must(nt.Shell.Command("nomos", "migrate", "--remove-configmanagement").CombinedOutput())