diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon.go
index 17258a532..8375163e8 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon.go
@@ -1068,7 +1068,16 @@ func (c *Cluster) startDeployments(mons []*monConfig, requireAllInQuorum bool) e
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) checkForExtraMonResources(mons []*monConfig, deployments []apps.Deployment) string {
+	// If there are fewer mon deployments than the desired count, no need to remove an extra.
 	if len(deployments) <= c.spec.Mon.Count || len(deployments) <= len(mons) {
+		logger.Debug("no extra mon deployments to remove")
+		return ""
+	}
+	// If there are fewer mons in the list than expected, either new mons are being created for
+	// a new cluster, or a mon failover is in progress and the list of mons only
+	// includes the single mon that was just started
+	if len(mons) < c.spec.Mon.Count {
+		logger.Debug("new cluster or mon failover in progress, not checking for extra mon deployments")
 		return ""
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon_test.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon_test.go
index e5918745a..b4c5e0f5b 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon_test.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/cluster/mon/mon_test.go
@@ -718,6 +718,24 @@ func TestRemoveExtraMonDeployments(t *testing.T) {
 	c.spec.Mon.Count = 3
 	removed = c.checkForExtraMonResources(mons, deployments)
 	assert.Equal(t, "", removed)
+
+	// Do not remove a mon when it was during failover and only a single mon is in the list, even if extra deployments exist
+	mons = []*monConfig{
+		{ResourceName: "rook-ceph-mon-d", DaemonName: "d"},
+	}
+	deployments = append(deployments, apps.Deployment{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:   "rook-ceph-mon-c",
+			Labels: map[string]string{"ceph_daemon_id": "c"},
+		}})
+	deployments = append(deployments, apps.Deployment{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:   "rook-ceph-mon-d",
+			Labels: map[string]string{"ceph_daemon_id": "d"},
+		}})
+	c.spec.Mon.Count = 3
+	removed = c.checkForExtraMonResources(mons, deployments)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", removed)
 }
 
 func TestStretchMonVolumeClaimTemplate(t *testing.T) {