diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7d109bea..ec4ea562 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ create-ns:
 # Run against the current locally configured Kubernetes cluster
 .PHONY: run
 run:
-	WATCH_NAMESPACE=$(WATCH_NAMESPACE) go run ./main.go --leader-elect=false
+	WATCH_NAMESPACE=$(WATCH_NAMESPACE) go run ./main.go controller --leader-elect=false
 
 ############################################################
 # clean section
diff --git a/controllers/configurationpolicy_controller.go b/controllers/configurationpolicy_controller.go
index 7ff6f940..fbc5404a 100644
--- a/controllers/configurationpolicy_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/configurationpolicy_controller.go
@@ -1575,7 +1575,6 @@ func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) handleSingleObj(
 ) {
 	objLog := log.WithValues("object", obj.name, "policy", obj.policy.Name, "index", obj.index)
 
-	var err error
 	var compliant bool
 
 	compliantObject := map[string]map[string]interface{}{
@@ -1588,18 +1587,20 @@ func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) handleSingleObj(
 		// it is a musthave and it does not exist, so it must be created
 		if strings.EqualFold(string(remediation), string(policyv1.Enforce)) {
 			var uid string
-			statusUpdateNeeded, uid, err = r.enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj)
+			completed, reason, msg, uid, err := r.enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj)
 
 			if err != nil {
 				// violation created for handling error
 				objLog.Error(err, "Could not handle missing musthave object")
+
+				statusUpdateNeeded = addConditionToStatus(obj.policy, obj.index, completed, reason, msg)
 			} else {
 				// object is missing and will be created, so send noncompliant "does not exist" event first
 				// (this check has already happened, but we send the event here to avoid the status flipping on an
 				// error)
 				_ = createStatus("", obj.gvr.Resource, compliantObject, obj.namespaced, obj.policy,
 					obj.index, false, true)
-				obj.policy.Status.ComplianceState = policyv1.NonCompliant
+
 				statusStr := convertPolicyStatusToString(obj.policy)
 				objLog.Info("Sending a noncompliant status event (object missing)", "policy", obj.policy.Name, "status",
 					statusStr)
@@ -1608,6 +1609,8 @@ func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) handleSingleObj(
 				// update parent policy status
 				r.addForUpdate(obj.policy, true)
 
+				statusUpdateNeeded = addConditionToStatus(obj.policy, obj.index, completed, reason, msg)
+
 				created := true
 				creationInfo = &policyv1.ObjectProperties{
 					CreatedByPolicy: &created,
@@ -1623,10 +1626,12 @@ func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) handleSingleObj(
 	if exists && !obj.shouldExist {
 		// it is a mustnothave but it exist, so it must be deleted
 		if strings.EqualFold(string(remediation), string(policyv1.Enforce)) {
-			statusUpdateNeeded, _, err = r.enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj)
+			completed, reason, msg, _, err := r.enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj)
 			if err != nil {
 				objLog.Error(err, "Could not handle existing mustnothave object")
 			}
+
+			statusUpdateNeeded = addConditionToStatus(obj.policy, obj.index, completed, reason, msg)
 		} else { // inform
 			compliant = false
 		}
@@ -1980,7 +1985,7 @@ func getNamesOfKind(
 // mustnothave object does exist. Eg, it does not handle the case where a targeted update would need
 // to be made to an object.
 func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj singleObject) (
-	result bool, uid string, erro error,
+	result bool, reason string, msg string, uid string, erro error,
 ) {
 	log := log.WithValues(
 		"object", obj.name,
@@ -1998,7 +2003,6 @@ func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj singleOb
 	}
 
 	var completed bool
-	var reason, msg string
 	var err error
 
 	if obj.shouldExist {
@@ -2034,7 +2038,7 @@ func (r *ConfigurationPolicyReconciler) enforceByCreatingOrDeleting(obj singleOb
 		}
 	}
 
-	return addConditionToStatus(obj.policy, obj.index, completed, reason, msg), uid, err
+	return completed, reason, msg, uid, err
 }
 
 // checkMessageSimilarity decides whether to append a new condition to a configurationPolicy status
diff --git a/test/e2e/case15_event_format_test.go b/test/e2e/case15_event_format_test.go
index d6e66ad9..b1772632 100644
--- a/test/e2e/case15_event_format_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/case15_event_format_test.go
@@ -166,8 +166,13 @@ var _ = Describe("Testing compliance event formatting", func() {
 		compPlcEvents := utils.GetMatchingEvents(clientManaged, testNamespace,
 			case15BecomesCompliantName, "", "Policy status is: Compliant", defaultTimeoutSeconds)
 		Expect(compPlcEvents).NotTo(BeEmpty())
+		compParentEventsPreCreation := utils.GetMatchingEvents(clientManaged, testNamespace,
+			case15BecomesCompliantParentName, "policy: "+testNamespace+"/"+case15BecomesCompliantName,
+			"^NonCompliant;.*No instances of.*found as specified", defaultTimeoutSeconds)
+		Expect(compParentEventsPreCreation).NotTo(BeEmpty())
 		compParentEvents := utils.GetMatchingEvents(clientManaged, testNamespace, case15BecomesCompliantParentName,
-			"policy: "+testNamespace+"/"+case15BecomesCompliantName, "^Compliant;", defaultTimeoutSeconds)
+			"policy: "+testNamespace+"/"+case15BecomesCompliantName,
+			"^Compliant;.*and was created successfully$", defaultTimeoutSeconds)
 		Expect(compParentEvents).NotTo(BeEmpty())
 	})
 	It("Records events for a policy that becomes noncompliant", func() {