diff --git a/controller/appcontroller.go b/controller/appcontroller.go
index 734a7fe6d6379..028deb09c67e6 100644
--- a/controller/appcontroller.go
+++ b/controller/appcontroller.go
@@ -1410,8 +1410,7 @@ func (ctrl *ApplicationController) processRequestedAppOperation(app *appv1.Appli
 	}
 	ts.AddCheckpoint("initial_operation_stage_ms")
 
-	destCluster, err := argo.GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), app.Spec.Destination, ctrl.db)
-	if err != nil {
+	if destCluster, err := argo.GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), app.Spec.Destination, ctrl.db); err != nil {
 		state.Phase = synccommon.OperationFailed
 		state.Message = err.Error()
 	} else {
@@ -1420,7 +1419,7 @@ func (ctrl *ApplicationController) processRequestedAppOperation(app *appv1.Appli
 	ts.AddCheckpoint("validate_and_sync_app_state_ms")
 
 	// Check whether application is allowed to use project
-	_, err = ctrl.getAppProj(app)
+	_, err := ctrl.getAppProj(app)
 	ts.AddCheckpoint("get_app_proj_ms")
 	if err != nil {
 		state.Phase = synccommon.OperationError
@@ -2324,11 +2323,8 @@ func (ctrl *ApplicationController) newApplicationInformerAndLister() (cache.Shar
 						// log an error.
 						if _, err := ctrl.getAppProj(app); err != nil {
 							ctrl.setAppCondition(app, ctrl.projectErrorToCondition(err, app))
-						} else {
-							// If the cluster can't be found, log an error as an App Condition.
-							if _, err := argo.GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), app.Spec.Destination, ctrl.db); err != nil {
-								ctrl.setAppCondition(app, appv1.ApplicationCondition{Type: appv1.ApplicationConditionInvalidSpecError, Message: err.Error()})
-							}
+						} else if _, err = argo.GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), app.Spec.Destination, ctrl.db); err != nil {
+							ctrl.setAppCondition(app, appv1.ApplicationCondition{Type: appv1.ApplicationConditionInvalidSpecError, Message: err.Error()})
 						}
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/util/argo/argo.go b/util/argo/argo.go
index 3a251965eecb9..26b97749953fc 100644
--- a/util/argo/argo.go
+++ b/util/argo/argo.go
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ func ValidateRepo(
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting permitted repo creds: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	cluster, err := GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), spec.Destination, db)
+	destCluster, err := GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), spec.Destination, db)
 	if err != nil {
 		conditions = append(conditions, argoappv1.ApplicationCondition{
 			Type:    argoappv1.ApplicationConditionInvalidSpecError,
@@ -331,12 +331,12 @@ func ValidateRepo(
 		})
 		return conditions, nil
 	}
-	config, err := cluster.RESTConfig()
+	config, err := destCluster.RESTConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting cluster REST config: %w", err)
 	}
 	// nolint:staticcheck
-	cluster.ServerVersion, err = kubectl.GetServerVersion(config)
+	destCluster.ServerVersion, err = kubectl.GetServerVersion(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting k8s server version: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ func ValidateRepo(
 		repoClient,
 		permittedHelmRepos,
 		helmOptions,
-		cluster,
+		destCluster,
 		apiGroups,
 		proj,
 		permittedHelmCredentials,
@@ -949,6 +949,10 @@ type ClusterGetter interface {
 	GetClusterServersByName(ctx context.Context, server string) ([]string, error)
 }
 
+// GetDestinationCluster returns the cluster object based on the destination server or name. If both are provided or
+// both are empty, an error is returned. If the destination server is provided, the cluster is fetched by the server
+// URL. If the destination name is provided, the cluster is fetched by the name. If multiple clusters have the specified
+// name, an error is returned.
 func GetDestinationCluster(ctx context.Context, destination argoappv1.ApplicationDestination, db ClusterGetter) (*argoappv1.Cluster, error) {
 	if destination.Name != "" && destination.Server != "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("application destination can't have both name and server defined: %s %s", destination.Name, destination.Server)
diff --git a/util/argo/argo_test.go b/util/argo/argo_test.go
index 866acfa8c7f1e..aaaba5c8554d3 100644
--- a/util/argo/argo_test.go
+++ b/util/argo/argo_test.go
@@ -937,10 +937,10 @@ func TestGetDestinationCluster(t *testing.T) {
 		db := &dbmocks.ArgoDB{}
 		db.On("GetCluster", context.Background(), "https://127.0.0.1:6443").Return(expectedCluster, nil)
 
-		cluster, err := GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), dest, db)
+		destCluster, err := GetDestinationCluster(context.Background(), dest, db)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		require.NotNil(t, expectedCluster)
-		assert.Equal(t, expectedCluster, cluster)
+		assert.Equal(t, expectedCluster, destCluster)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("Validate destination with server name", func(t *testing.T) {