diff --git a/baremetal/metal3machine_manager.go b/baremetal/metal3machine_manager.go
index 94ac7290ee..538b2e7a1e 100644
--- a/baremetal/metal3machine_manager.go
+++ b/baremetal/metal3machine_manager.go
@@ -474,9 +474,6 @@ func (m *MachineManager) Delete(ctx context.Context) error {
 		if !consumerRefMatches(host.Spec.ConsumerRef, m.Metal3Machine) {
 			m.Log.Info("host already associated with another metal3 machine",
 				"host", host.Name)
-			// Remove the ownerreference to this machine, even if the consumer ref
-			// references another machine.
-			host.OwnerReferences, err = m.DeleteOwnerRef(host.OwnerReferences)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -660,8 +657,6 @@ func (m *MachineManager) Delete(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 		host.Spec.ConsumerRef = nil
 
-		// Remove the ownerreference to this machine.
-		host.OwnerReferences, err = m.DeleteOwnerRef(host.OwnerReferences)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -712,12 +707,6 @@ func (m *MachineManager) Update(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// ensure that the BMH specs are correctly set.
-	err = m.setHostSpec(ctx, host)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	err = helper.Patch(ctx, host)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -1122,13 +1111,6 @@ func (m *MachineManager) setHostConsumerRef(_ context.Context, host *bmov1alpha1
 		APIVersion: m.Metal3Machine.APIVersion,
 	}
 
-	// Set OwnerReferences.
-	hostOwnerReferences, err := m.SetOwnerRef(host.OwnerReferences, true)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	host.OwnerReferences = hostOwnerReferences
-
 	// Delete nodeReuseLabelName from host.
 	m.Log.Info("Deleting nodeReuseLabelName from host, if any")
 
@@ -1397,46 +1379,6 @@ func (m *MachineManager) SetProviderID(providerID string) {
 	m.SetConditionMetal3MachineToTrue(infrav1.KubernetesNodeReadyCondition)
 }
 
-// SetOwnerRef adds an ownerreference to this Metal3Machine.
-func (m *MachineManager) SetOwnerRef(refList []metav1.OwnerReference, controller bool) ([]metav1.OwnerReference, error) {
-	return setOwnerRefInList(refList, controller, m.Metal3Machine.TypeMeta,
-		m.Metal3Machine.ObjectMeta,
-	)
-}
-
-// DeleteOwnerRef removes the ownerreference to this Metal3Machine.
-func (m *MachineManager) DeleteOwnerRef(refList []metav1.OwnerReference) ([]metav1.OwnerReference, error) {
-	return deleteOwnerRefFromList(refList, m.Metal3Machine.TypeMeta,
-		m.Metal3Machine.ObjectMeta,
-	)
-}
-
-// DeleteOwnerRefFromList removes the ownerreference to this Metal3Machine.
-func deleteOwnerRefFromList(refList []metav1.OwnerReference,
-	objType metav1.TypeMeta, objMeta metav1.ObjectMeta,
-) ([]metav1.OwnerReference, error) {
-	if len(refList) == 0 {
-		return refList, nil
-	}
-	index, err := findOwnerRefFromList(refList, objType, objMeta)
-	if err != nil {
-		if ok := errors.As(err, &notFoundErr); !ok {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		return refList, nil
-	}
-	if len(refList) == 1 {
-		return []metav1.OwnerReference{}, nil
-	}
-	refListLen := len(refList) - 1
-	refList[index] = refList[refListLen]
-	refList, err = deleteOwnerRefFromList(refList[:refListLen], objType, objMeta)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return refList, nil
-}
-
 // FindOwnerRef checks if an ownerreference to this Metal3Machine exists
 // and returns the index.
 func (m *MachineManager) FindOwnerRef(refList []metav1.OwnerReference) (int, error) {
diff --git a/baremetal/metal3machine_manager_test.go b/baremetal/metal3machine_manager_test.go
index 71c9e50ac2..60e5df5844 100644
--- a/baremetal/metal3machine_manager_test.go
+++ b/baremetal/metal3machine_manager_test.go
@@ -3396,144 +3396,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Metal3Machine manager", func() {
 		Controller bool
 	}
 
-	DescribeTable("Test DeleteOwnerRef",
-		func(tc testCaseOwnerRef) {
-			machineMgr, err := NewMachineManager(nil, nil, nil, nil, &tc.M3Machine,
-				logr.Discard(),
-			)
-			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-
-			refList, err := machineMgr.DeleteOwnerRef(tc.OwnerRefs)
-			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-			_, err = machineMgr.FindOwnerRef(refList)
-			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
-		},
-		Entry("Empty list", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{},
-		}),
-		Entry("Absent", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					APIVersion: "abc.com/v1",
-					Kind:       "def",
-					Name:       "ghi",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-		Entry("Present 0", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					Kind:       "M3Machine",
-					APIVersion: infrav1.GroupVersion.String(),
-					Name:       "myName",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-				{
-					APIVersion: "abc.com/v1",
-					Kind:       "def",
-					Name:       "ghi",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-		Entry("Present 1", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					APIVersion: "abc.com/v1",
-					Kind:       "def",
-					Name:       "ghi",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-				{
-					Kind:       "M3Machine",
-					APIVersion: infrav1.GroupVersion.String(),
-					Name:       "myName",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-		Entry("Present", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					Kind:       "M3Machine",
-					APIVersion: infrav1.GroupVersion.String(),
-					Name:       "myName",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-	)
-
-	DescribeTable("Test SetOwnerRef",
-		func(tc testCaseOwnerRef) {
-			machineMgr, err := NewMachineManager(nil, nil, nil, nil, &tc.M3Machine,
-				logr.Discard(),
-			)
-			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
-
-			refList, err := machineMgr.SetOwnerRef(tc.OwnerRefs, tc.Controller)
-			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-			index, err := machineMgr.FindOwnerRef(refList)
-			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
-			Expect(*refList[index].Controller).To(BeEquivalentTo(tc.Controller))
-		},
-		Entry("Empty list", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{},
-		}),
-		Entry("Absent", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					APIVersion: "abc.com/v1",
-					Kind:       "def",
-					Name:       "ghi",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-		Entry("Present 0", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					Kind:       "M3Machine",
-					APIVersion: infrav1.GroupVersion.String(),
-					Name:       "myName",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-				{
-					APIVersion: "abc.com/v1",
-					Kind:       "def",
-					Name:       "ghi",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-		Entry("Present 1", testCaseOwnerRef{
-			M3Machine: *newMetal3Machine("myName", nil, nil, nil),
-			OwnerRefs: []metav1.OwnerReference{
-				{
-					APIVersion: "abc.com/v1",
-					Kind:       "def",
-					Name:       "ghi",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-				{
-					Kind:       "M3Machine",
-					APIVersion: infrav1.GroupVersion.String(),
-					Name:       "myName",
-					UID:        "adfasdf",
-				},
-			},
-		}),
-	)
-
 	type testCaseM3MetaData struct {
 		M3Machine                            *infrav1.Metal3Machine
 		Machine                              *clusterv1.Machine