diff --git a/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/ParticipantDeregistrationStage.java b/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/ParticipantDeregistrationStage.java
index 1cd7d34ec6..e2817d4037 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/ParticipantDeregistrationStage.java
+++ b/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/ParticipantDeregistrationStage.java
@@ -40,16 +40,17 @@ public void execute(ClusterEvent event) throws Exception {
     long deregisterDelay = clusterConfig.getParticipantDeregistrationTimeout();
     long stageStartTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
     Set<String> participantsToDeregister = new HashSet<>();
-    long earliestDeregisterTime = Long.MAX_VALUE;
+    long nextDeregisterTime = Long.MAX_VALUE;
 
 
     for (Map.Entry<String, Long> entry : offlineTimeMap.entrySet()) {
       String instanceName = entry.getKey();
       Long offlineTime = entry.getValue();
       long deregisterTime = offlineTime + deregisterDelay;
+      cache.getLiveInstances().get(instanceName);
 
       // Skip if instance is still online
-      if (offlineTime == ParticipantHistory.ONLINE) {
+      if (cache.getLiveInstances().containsKey(instanceName)) {
         continue;
       }
 
@@ -58,9 +59,7 @@ public void execute(ClusterEvent event) throws Exception {
         participantsToDeregister.add(instanceName);
       } else {
         // Otherwise, find the next earliest deregister time
-        if (deregisterTime < earliestDeregisterTime) {
-          earliestDeregisterTime = deregisterTime;
-        }
+        nextDeregisterTime = Math.min(nextDeregisterTime, deregisterTime);
       }
     }
 
@@ -73,8 +72,8 @@ public void execute(ClusterEvent event) throws Exception {
       }
     }
     // Schedule the next deregister task
-    if (earliestDeregisterTime != Long.MAX_VALUE) {
-      long delay = earliestDeregisterTime - stageStartTime;
+    if (nextDeregisterTime != Long.MAX_VALUE) {
+      long delay = nextDeregisterTime - System.currentTimeMillis();
       scheduleOnDemandPipeline(manager.getClusterName(), delay);
     }
   }
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ private Set<String> deregisterParticipants(HelixManager manager, ResourceControl
         manager.getClusterManagmentTool().dropInstance(cache.getClusterName(), instanceConfig);
         successfullyDeregisteredInstances.add(instanceName);
       } catch (HelixException e) {
-        LOG.error("Failed to deregister instance {} from cluster {}", instanceName, cache.getClusterName(), e);
+        LOG.warn("Failed to deregister instance {} from cluster {}", instanceName, cache.getClusterName(), e);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/model/ClusterConfig.java b/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/model/ClusterConfig.java
index fc8a5b34c5..56cde31430 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/model/ClusterConfig.java
+++ b/helix-core/src/main/java/org/apache/helix/model/ClusterConfig.java
@@ -166,7 +166,6 @@ public enum ClusterConfigProperty {
 
     // List of Preferred scoring keys used in evenness score computation
     PREFERRED_SCORING_KEYS,
-    PARTICIPANT_DEREGISTRATION_ENABLED,
     PARTICIPANT_DEREGISTRATION_TIMEOUT
   }
 
@@ -1258,15 +1257,6 @@ public void setPreferredScoringKeys(List<String> preferredScoringKeys) {
         preferredScoringKeys);
   }
 
-  public boolean isParticipantDeregistrationEnabled() {
-    return _record.getBooleanField(ClusterConfigProperty.PARTICIPANT_DEREGISTRATION_ENABLED.name(),
-        false);
-  }
-
-  public void setParticipantDeregistrationEnabled(boolean enabled) {
-    _record.setBooleanField(ClusterConfigProperty.PARTICIPANT_DEREGISTRATION_ENABLED.name(), enabled);
-  }
-
   public long getParticipantDeregistrationTimeout() {
     return _record.getLongField(ClusterConfigProperty.PARTICIPANT_DEREGISTRATION_TIMEOUT.name(),
         -1);
@@ -1275,4 +1265,8 @@ public long getParticipantDeregistrationTimeout() {
   public void setParticipantDeregistrationTimeout(long timeout) {
     _record.setLongField(ClusterConfigProperty.PARTICIPANT_DEREGISTRATION_TIMEOUT.name(), timeout);
   }
+
+  public boolean isParticipantDeregistrationEnabled() {
+    return getParticipantDeregistrationTimeout() > -1;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/helix-core/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/TestParticipantDeregistrationStage.java b/helix-core/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/TestParticipantDeregistrationStage.java
index 5512b66712..7e9bfabca2 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/TestParticipantDeregistrationStage.java
+++ b/helix-core/src/test/java/org/apache/helix/controller/stages/TestParticipantDeregistrationStage.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public void beforeClass() {
     _admin = _gSetupTool.getClusterManagementTool();
     _dataAccessor = _controller.getHelixDataAccessor();
 
-    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, true, DEREGISTER_TIMEOUT);
+    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, DEREGISTER_TIMEOUT);
   }
 
   // Asserts that a node will be removed from the cluster after it exceedsthe deregister timeout set in the cluster config
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public void testDeregisterAfterConfigEnabled() throws Exception {
 
     // Set to deregister to disabled
     long testDeregisterTimeout = 1000;
-    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, false, testDeregisterTimeout);
+    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, -1);
 
     // Create and immediately kill participants
     List<MockParticipantManager> killedParticipants = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ public void testDeregisterAfterConfigEnabled() throws Exception {
     // Sleep so that participant offline time exceeds deregister timeout
     Thread.sleep(testDeregisterTimeout);
     // Trigger on disable --> enable deregister
-    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, true, testDeregisterTimeout);
+    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, DEREGISTER_TIMEOUT);
 
     // Assert participants have been deregistered
     boolean result = TestHelper.verify(() -> {
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public void testDeregisterAfterConfigTimeoutShortened() throws Exception {
         + new Date(System.currentTimeMillis()));
     long longDeregisterTimeout = 1000*60*60*24;
     long shortDeregisterTimeout = 1000;
-    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, true, longDeregisterTimeout);
+    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, DEREGISTER_TIMEOUT);
 
     // Create and immediately kill participants
     List<MockParticipantManager> killedParticipants = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ public void testDeregisterAfterConfigTimeoutShortened() throws Exception {
     Thread.sleep(shortDeregisterTimeout);
 
     // Trigger on shorten deregister timeout
-    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, true, shortDeregisterTimeout);
+    setAutoDeregisterConfigs(CLUSTER_NAME, DEREGISTER_TIMEOUT);
 
     // Assert participants have been deregistered
     boolean result = TestHelper.verify(() -> {
@@ -253,9 +253,8 @@ public MockParticipantManager addParticipant(String clusterName, String instance
     return toAddParticipant;
   }
 
-  private void setAutoDeregisterConfigs(String clusterName, boolean enabled, long timeout) {
+  private void setAutoDeregisterConfigs(String clusterName, long timeout) {
     ClusterConfig clusterConfig = _configAccessor.getClusterConfig(clusterName);
-    clusterConfig.setParticipantDeregistrationEnabled(enabled);
     clusterConfig.setParticipantDeregistrationTimeout(timeout);
     _configAccessor.setClusterConfig(clusterName, clusterConfig);
     // Allow participant to ensure compatibility with nodes re-joining when they re-establish connection