diff --git a/cmd/sriov-network-operator-config-cleanup/cleanup_test.go b/cmd/sriov-network-operator-config-cleanup/cleanup_test.go
index 1b756699a..3d7b8395c 100644
--- a/cmd/sriov-network-operator-config-cleanup/cleanup_test.go
+++ b/cmd/sriov-network-operator-config-cleanup/cleanup_test.go
@@ -141,10 +141,11 @@ func newConfigController() *configController {
 	platformHelper.EXPECT().IsHypershift().Return(false).AnyTimes()
 
 	err = (&controllers.SriovOperatorConfigReconciler{
-		Client:         k8sManager.GetClient(),
-		Scheme:         k8sManager.GetScheme(),
-		PlatformHelper: platformHelper,
-		FeatureGate:    featuregate.New(),
+		Client:            k8sManager.GetClient(),
+		Scheme:            k8sManager.GetScheme(),
+		PlatformHelper:    platformHelper,
+		FeatureGate:       featuregate.New(),
+		UncachedAPIReader: k8sManager.GetAPIReader(),
 	}).SetupWithManager(k8sManager)
 	Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 
diff --git a/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go b/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go
index f79614c44..e54679035 100644
--- a/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller.go
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ import (
 // SriovOperatorConfigReconciler reconciles a SriovOperatorConfig object
 type SriovOperatorConfigReconciler struct {
 	client.Client
-	Scheme         *runtime.Scheme
-	PlatformHelper platforms.Interface
-	FeatureGate    featuregate.FeatureGate
+	Scheme            *runtime.Scheme
+	PlatformHelper    platforms.Interface
+	FeatureGate       featuregate.FeatureGate
+	UncachedAPIReader client.Reader
 }
 
 //+kubebuilder:rbac:groups=sriovnetwork.openshift.io,resources=sriovoperatorconfigs,verbs=get;list;watch;create;update;patch;delete
@@ -413,7 +414,8 @@ func (r *SriovOperatorConfigReconciler) syncOpenShiftSystemdService(ctx context.
 
 	if cr.Spec.ConfigurationMode != sriovnetworkv1.SystemdConfigurationMode {
 		obj := &machinev1.MachineConfig{}
-		err := r.Get(context.TODO(), types.NamespacedName{Name: consts.SystemdServiceOcpMachineConfigName}, obj)
+		// use uncached api reader to get machineconfig to reduce memory footprint
+		err := r.UncachedAPIReader.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: consts.SystemdServiceOcpMachineConfigName}, obj)
 		if err != nil {
 			if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 				return nil
@@ -424,7 +426,7 @@ func (r *SriovOperatorConfigReconciler) syncOpenShiftSystemdService(ctx context.
 		}
 
 		logger.Info("Systemd service was deployed but the operator is now operating on daemonset mode, removing the machine config")
-		err = r.Delete(context.TODO(), obj)
+		err = r.Delete(ctx, obj)
 		if err != nil {
 			logger.Error(err, "failed to remove the systemd service machine config")
 			return err
diff --git a/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller_test.go b/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller_test.go
index 5a5b50292..9f6c483a5 100644
--- a/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/sriovoperatorconfig_controller_test.go
@@ -65,10 +65,11 @@ var _ = Describe("SriovOperatorConfig controller", Ordered, func() {
 		platformHelper.EXPECT().IsHypershift().Return(false).AnyTimes()
 
 		err = (&SriovOperatorConfigReconciler{
-			Client:         k8sManager.GetClient(),
-			Scheme:         k8sManager.GetScheme(),
-			PlatformHelper: platformHelper,
-			FeatureGate:    featuregate.New(),
+			Client:            k8sManager.GetClient(),
+			Scheme:            k8sManager.GetScheme(),
+			PlatformHelper:    platformHelper,
+			FeatureGate:       featuregate.New(),
+			UncachedAPIReader: k8sManager.GetAPIReader(),
 		}).SetupWithManager(k8sManager)
 		Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 7195c59c3..639d5ecc2 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -219,10 +219,11 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 	if err = (&controllers.SriovOperatorConfigReconciler{
-		Client:         mgr.GetClient(),
-		Scheme:         mgr.GetScheme(),
-		PlatformHelper: platformsHelper,
-		FeatureGate:    featureGate,
+		Client:            mgr.GetClient(),
+		Scheme:            mgr.GetScheme(),
+		PlatformHelper:    platformsHelper,
+		FeatureGate:       featureGate,
+		UncachedAPIReader: mgr.GetAPIReader(),
 	}).SetupWithManager(mgr); err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to create controller", "controller", "SriovOperatorConfig")
 		os.Exit(1)