diff --git a/controller_manager/src/controller_manager.cpp b/controller_manager/src/controller_manager.cpp
index 35064dc956..ca93c8fd60 100644
--- a/controller_manager/src/controller_manager.cpp
+++ b/controller_manager/src/controller_manager.cpp
@@ -652,7 +652,20 @@ controller_interface::return_type ControllerManager::unload_controller(
   RCLCPP_DEBUG(get_logger(), "Cleanup controller");
   // TODO(destogl): remove reference interface if chainable; i.e., add a separate method for
   // cleaning-up controllers?
-  controller.c->get_node()->cleanup();
+  if (is_controller_inactive(*controller.c))
+  {
+    RCLCPP_DEBUG(
+      get_logger(), "Controller '%s' is cleaned-up before unloading!", controller_name.c_str());
+    // TODO(destogl): remove reference interface if chainable; i.e., add a separate method for
+    // cleaning-up controllers?
+    const auto new_state = controller.c->get_node()->cleanup();
+    if (new_state.id() != lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_UNCONFIGURED)
+    {
+      RCLCPP_WARN(
+        get_logger(), "Failed to clean-up the controller '%s' before unloading!",
+        controller_name.c_str());
+    }
+  }
   executor_->remove_node(controller.c->get_node()->get_node_base_interface());
   to.erase(found_it);
 
diff --git a/controller_manager/test/test_controller_manager_srvs.cpp b/controller_manager/test/test_controller_manager_srvs.cpp
index b129c95e0e..6b04063f7b 100644
--- a/controller_manager/test/test_controller_manager_srvs.cpp
+++ b/controller_manager/test/test_controller_manager_srvs.cpp
@@ -461,6 +461,8 @@ TEST_F(TestControllerManagerSrvs, unload_controller_srv)
 
   result = call_service_and_wait(*client, request, srv_executor, true);
   ASSERT_TRUE(result->ok);
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+    lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_UNCONFIGURED, test_controller->get_state().id());
   EXPECT_EQ(0u, cm_->get_loaded_controllers().size());
 }
 
@@ -472,6 +474,9 @@ TEST_F(TestControllerManagerSrvs, configure_controller_srv)
   rclcpp::Client<controller_manager_msgs::srv::ConfigureController>::SharedPtr client =
     srv_node->create_client<controller_manager_msgs::srv::ConfigureController>(
       "test_controller_manager/configure_controller");
+  rclcpp::Client<controller_manager_msgs::srv::UnloadController>::SharedPtr unload_client =
+    srv_node->create_client<controller_manager_msgs::srv::UnloadController>(
+      "test_controller_manager/unload_controller");
 
   auto request = std::make_shared<controller_manager_msgs::srv::ConfigureController::Request>();
   request->name = test_controller::TEST_CONTROLLER_NAME;
@@ -490,6 +495,15 @@ TEST_F(TestControllerManagerSrvs, configure_controller_srv)
   EXPECT_EQ(
     lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE,
     cm_->get_loaded_controllers()[0].c->get_state().id());
+  EXPECT_EQ(lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_INACTIVE, test_controller->get_state().id());
+
+  // now unload the controller and check the state
+  auto unload_request = std::make_shared<controller_manager_msgs::srv::UnloadController::Request>();
+  unload_request->name = test_controller::TEST_CONTROLLER_NAME;
+  ASSERT_TRUE(call_service_and_wait(*unload_client, unload_request, srv_executor, true)->ok);
+  EXPECT_EQ(
+    lifecycle_msgs::msg::State::PRIMARY_STATE_UNCONFIGURED, test_controller->get_state().id());
+  EXPECT_EQ(0u, cm_->get_loaded_controllers().size());
 }
 
 TEST_F(TestControllerManagerSrvs, list_sorted_chained_controllers)