diff --git a/cmd/crc/cmd/delete.go b/cmd/crc/cmd/delete.go
index 126017cdac..dff81eaa0b 100644
--- a/cmd/crc/cmd/delete.go
+++ b/cmd/crc/cmd/delete.go
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/crc-org/crc/pkg/crc/constants"
 	crcErrors "github.com/crc-org/crc/pkg/crc/errors"
@@ -62,6 +65,9 @@ func deleteMachine(client machine.Client, clearCache bool, cacheDir string, inte
 }
 
 func runDelete(writer io.Writer, client machine.Client, clearCache bool, cacheDir string, interactive, force bool, outputFormat string) error {
+	if err := removeCRCHostEntriesFromKnownHosts(); err != nil {
+		logging.Warn("Unable to clear CRC instance entries from user's known_hosts file")
+	}
 	machineDeleted, err := deleteMachine(client, clearCache, cacheDir, interactive, force)
 	return render(&deleteResult{
 		Success:        err == nil,
@@ -87,3 +93,49 @@ func (s *deleteResult) prettyPrintTo(writer io.Writer) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// TODO: remove it after we do one more upgrade of the podman bundle from 4.4.1
+func removeCRCHostEntriesFromKnownHosts() error {
+	knownHostsPath := filepath.Join(constants.GetHomeDir(), ".ssh", "known_hosts")
+	f, err := os.Open(knownHostsPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to open user's 'known_hosts' file: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	tempHostsFile, err := os.CreateTemp("", "crc")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to create temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		tempHostsFile.Close()
+		os.Remove(tempHostsFile.Name())
+	}()
+
+	if err := tempHostsFile.Chmod(0600); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error trying to change permissions for temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var foundCRCEntries bool
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(f)
+	writer := bufio.NewWriter(tempHostsFile)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		if strings.Contains(scanner.Text(), "[127.0.0.1]:2222") {
+			foundCRCEntries = true
+			continue
+		}
+		_, err := writer.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("%s\n", scanner.Text()))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error while writing hostsfile content to temp file: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if err := writer.Flush(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error while flushing buffered content to temp file: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if foundCRCEntries {
+		return os.Rename(tempHostsFile.Name(), knownHostsPath)
+	}
+	return nil
+}