diff --git a/cloud/scope/common.go b/cloud/scope/common.go
index d5ac9554b..3e912f23e 100644
--- a/cloud/scope/common.go
+++ b/cloud/scope/common.go
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ func CreateLinodeClient(apiKey string) (*linodego.Client, error) {
 	}
 	linodeClient := linodego.NewClient(oauth2Client)
 
-	// Disable client retries to rely on controller requeues and unblock the loop.
-	linodeClient.SetRetryCount(0)
-
 	linodeClient.SetUserAgent(fmt.Sprintf("CAPL/%s", version.GetVersion()))
 
 	return &linodeClient, nil
diff --git a/cloud/services/loadbalancers_test.go b/cloud/services/loadbalancers_test.go
index 990af5381..0359201cb 100644
--- a/cloud/services/loadbalancers_test.go
+++ b/cloud/services/loadbalancers_test.go
@@ -458,7 +458,25 @@ func TestAddNodeToNBFullWorkflow(t *testing.T) {
 		expects       func(*mock.MockLinodeMachineClient)
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "Success - Add the node to the NodeBalancer",
+			name: "If the machine is not a control plane node, do nothing",
+			machineScope: &scope.MachineScope{
+				Machine: &clusterv1.Machine{
+					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+						Name: "test-machine",
+						UID:  "test-uid",
+					},
+				},
+				Cluster: &clusterv1.Cluster{
+					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+						Name: "test-cluster",
+						UID:  "test-uid",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expects: func(*mock.MockLinodeMachineClient) {},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Success - If the machine is a control plane node, add the node to the NodeBalancer",
 			machineScope: &scope.MachineScope{
 				Machine: &clusterv1.Machine{
 					ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
diff --git a/util/reconciler/defaults.go b/util/reconciler/defaults.go
index 929441404..d7aa23ca5 100644
--- a/util/reconciler/defaults.go
+++ b/util/reconciler/defaults.go
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ const (
 
 	// DefaultMachineControllerWaitForBootstrapDelay is the default requeue delay if bootstrap data is not ready.
 	DefaultMachineControllerWaitForBootstrapDelay = 5 * time.Second
-	// DefaultMachineControllerWaitForInstanceInitDelay is the default requeue delay during instance pre-boot initialization.
-	DefaultMachineControllerWaitForInstanceInitDelay = 10 * time.Second
 	// DefaultMachineControllerLinodeImage default image.
 	DefaultMachineControllerLinodeImage = "linode/ubuntu22.04"
 	// DefaultMachineControllerWaitForRunningDelay is the default requeue delay if instance is not running.