diff --git a/pkg/daemon/update.go b/pkg/daemon/update.go
index 8d28c6592f..c2e645c3bb 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/update.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/update.go
@@ -1733,8 +1733,11 @@ func generateKargs(oldKernelArguments, newKernelArguments []string) []string {
 	// kernel arguments which have been applied by MCO previously and append all of the
 	// kernel arguments present in the new rendered MachineConfig.
 	// See https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1866546#c10.
+	// Use --delete-if-present instead of --delete to tolerate drift between
+	// the old MachineConfig spec and the actual state.
+	// See https://issues.redhat.com/browse/OCPBUGS-75894.
 	for _, arg := range oldKargs {
-		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--delete="+arg)
+		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--delete-if-present="+arg)
 	}
 	for _, arg := range newKargs {
 		cmdArgs = append(cmdArgs, "--append="+arg)
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/update_test.go b/pkg/daemon/update_test.go
index aa5e0c7d20..84d1e8ef14 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/update_test.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/update_test.go
@@ -301,29 +301,29 @@ func TestKernelAguments(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			oldKargs: []string{"hello=world"},
 			newKargs: nil,
-			out:      []string{"--delete=hello=world"},
+			out:      []string{"--delete-if-present=hello=world"},
 		},
 		{
 			oldKargs: []string{"foo", "bar=1", "hello=world"},
 			newKargs: []string{"hello=world"},
-			out:      []string{"--delete=foo", "--delete=bar=1", "--delete=hello=world", "--append=hello=world"},
+			out:      []string{"--delete-if-present=foo", "--delete-if-present=bar=1", "--delete-if-present=hello=world", "--append=hello=world"},
 		},
 		{
 			oldKargs: []string{"foo", "bar=1 hello=world", "baz"},
 			newKargs: []string{"foo", "bar=1", "hello=world"},
-			out: []string{"--delete=foo", "--delete=bar=1", "--delete=hello=world", "--delete=baz",
+			out: []string{"--delete-if-present=foo", "--delete-if-present=bar=1", "--delete-if-present=hello=world", "--delete-if-present=baz",
 				"--append=foo", "--append=bar=1", "--append=hello=world"},
 		},
 		{
 			oldKargs: []string{" baz=test bar=\"hello world\""},
 			newKargs: []string{" baz=test bar=\"hello world\"", "foo"},
-			out: []string{"--delete=baz=test", "--delete=bar=\"hello world\"",
+			out: []string{"--delete-if-present=baz=test", "--delete-if-present=bar=\"hello world\"",
 				"--append=baz=test", "--append=bar=\"hello world\"", "--append=foo"},
 		},
 		{
 			oldKargs: []string{"hugepagesz=1G hugepages=4", "hugepagesz=2M hugepages=4"},
 			newKargs: []string{"hugepagesz=1G hugepages=4", "hugepagesz=2M hugepages=6"},
-			out: []string{"--delete=hugepagesz=1G", "--delete=hugepages=4", "--delete=hugepagesz=2M", "--delete=hugepages=4",
+			out: []string{"--delete-if-present=hugepagesz=1G", "--delete-if-present=hugepages=4", "--delete-if-present=hugepagesz=2M", "--delete-if-present=hugepages=4",
 				"--append=hugepagesz=1G", "--append=hugepages=4", "--append=hugepagesz=2M", "--append=hugepages=6"},
 		},
 	}