diff --git a/pkg/controllers/dnspolicy/dnspolicy_controller.go b/pkg/controllers/dnspolicy/dnspolicy_controller.go
index 334217e2..ddf59880 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/dnspolicy/dnspolicy_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/dnspolicy/dnspolicy_controller.go
@@ -191,11 +191,7 @@ func (r *DNSPolicyReconciler) reconcileResources(ctx context.Context, dnsPolicy
 func (r *DNSPolicyReconciler) deleteResources(ctx context.Context, dnsPolicy *v1alpha1.DNSPolicy, targetNetworkObject client.Object) error {
 	// delete based on gateway diffs
 
-	gatewayDiffObj, err := r.ComputeGatewayDiffs(ctx, dnsPolicy, targetNetworkObject, &DNSPolicyRefsConfig{})
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	if err = r.deleteDNSRecords(ctx, dnsPolicy); err != nil {
+	if err := r.deleteDNSRecords(ctx, dnsPolicy); err != nil {
 		log.V(3).Info("error reconciling DNS records from delete, returning", "error", err)
 		return err
 	}
@@ -211,7 +207,7 @@ func (r *DNSPolicyReconciler) deleteResources(ctx context.Context, dnsPolicy *v1
 		}
 	}
 
-	gatewayDiffObj, err = r.ComputeGatewayDiffs(ctx, dnsPolicy, targetNetworkObject, &DNSPolicyRefsConfig{})
+	gatewayDiffObj, err := r.ComputeGatewayDiffs(ctx, dnsPolicy, targetNetworkObject, &DNSPolicyRefsConfig{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controllers/tlspolicy/tlspolicy_certmanager_certificates.go b/pkg/controllers/tlspolicy/tlspolicy_certmanager_certificates.go
index 5fe84d76..9ff50df5 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/tlspolicy/tlspolicy_certmanager_certificates.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/tlspolicy/tlspolicy_certmanager_certificates.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package tlspolicy
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"reflect"
 
 	certmanv1 "github.com/jetstack/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1"
 
@@ -190,21 +189,3 @@ func gatewayTLSCertificateLabels(gwKey client.ObjectKey) map[string]string {
 		"gateway":           gwKey.Name,
 	}
 }
-
-func alwaysUpdateCertificate(existingObj, desiredObj client.Object) (bool, error) {
-	existing, ok := existingObj.(*certmanv1.Certificate)
-	if !ok {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("%T is not a *certmanv1.Certificate", existingObj)
-	}
-	desired, ok := desiredObj.(*certmanv1.Certificate)
-	if !ok {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("%T is not an *certmanv1.Certificate", desiredObj)
-	}
-
-	if reflect.DeepEqual(existing.Spec, desired.Spec) {
-		return false, nil
-	}
-	existing.Spec = desired.Spec
-
-	return true, nil
-}