diff --git a/controllers/kustomization_controller.go b/controllers/kustomization_controller.go
index dc6f519..60d047b 100644
--- a/controllers/kustomization_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/kustomization_controller.go
@@ -922,13 +922,12 @@ func (r *KustomizationReconciler) finalize(ctx context.Context, kustomization ku
 		objects, _ := ListObjectsInInventory(kustomization.Status.Inventory)
 
 		impersonation := NewKustomizeImpersonation(kustomization, r.Client, r.StatusPoller, r.DefaultServiceAccount)
-		kubeClient, _, err := impersonation.GetClient(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			// when impersonation fails, log the stale objects and continue with the finalization
-			msg := fmt.Sprintf("unable to prune objects: \n%s", ssa.FmtUnstructuredList(objects))
-			log.Error(fmt.Errorf("failed to build kube client: %w", err), msg)
-			r.event(ctx, kustomization, kustomization.Status.LastAppliedRevision, events.EventSeverityError, msg, nil)
-		} else {
+		if impersonation.CanFinalize(ctx) {
+			kubeClient, _, err := impersonation.GetClient(ctx)
+			if err != nil {
+				return ctrl.Result{}, err
+			}
+
 			resourceManager := ssa.NewResourceManager(kubeClient, nil, ssa.Owner{
 				Field: r.ControllerName,
 				Group: kustomizev1.GroupVersion.Group,
@@ -953,6 +952,11 @@ func (r *KustomizationReconciler) finalize(ctx context.Context, kustomization ku
 			if changeSet != nil && len(changeSet.Entries) > 0 {
 				r.event(ctx, kustomization, kustomization.Status.LastAppliedRevision, events.EventSeverityInfo, changeSet.String(), nil)
 			}
+		} else {
+			// when the account to impersonate is gone, log the stale objects and continue with the finalization
+			msg := fmt.Sprintf("unable to prune objects: \n%s", ssa.FmtUnstructuredList(objects))
+			log.Error(fmt.Errorf("skiping pruning, failed to find account to impersonate"), msg)
+			r.event(ctx, kustomization, kustomization.Status.LastAppliedRevision, events.EventSeverityError, msg, nil)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/controllers/kustomization_impersonation.go b/controllers/kustomization_impersonation.go
index 8b64696..a5e75c1 100644
--- a/controllers/kustomization_impersonation.go
+++ b/controllers/kustomization_impersonation.go
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
@@ -69,6 +71,33 @@ func (ki *KustomizeImpersonation) GetClient(ctx context.Context) (client.Client,
 	}
 }
 
+// CanFinalize asserts if the given Kustomization can be finalized using impersonation.
+func (ki *KustomizeImpersonation) CanFinalize(ctx context.Context) bool {
+	name := ki.defaultServiceAccount
+	if sa := ki.kustomization.Spec.ServiceAccountName; sa != "" {
+		name = sa
+	}
+	if name == "" {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	sa := &corev1.ServiceAccount{
+		TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
+			Kind:       "ServiceAccount",
+			APIVersion: "v1",
+		},
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      name,
+			Namespace: ki.kustomization.Namespace,
+		},
+	}
+	if err := ki.Client.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(sa), sa); err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
 func (ki *KustomizeImpersonation) setImpersonationConfig(restConfig *rest.Config) {
 	name := ki.defaultServiceAccount
 	if sa := ki.kustomization.Spec.ServiceAccountName; sa != "" {
diff --git a/controllers/kustomization_impersonation_test.go b/controllers/kustomization_impersonation_test.go
index 02abf4a..50341a9 100644
--- a/controllers/kustomization_impersonation_test.go
+++ b/controllers/kustomization_impersonation_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	rbacv1 "k8s.io/api/rbac/v1"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	apimeta "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ data:
 				Kind:      sourcev1.GitRepositoryKind,
 			},
 			TargetNamespace: id,
+			Prune:           true,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -187,4 +189,22 @@ data:
 
 		g.Expect(readyCondition.Reason).To(Equal(meta.ReconciliationSucceededReason))
 	})
+
+	t.Run("can finalize impersonating service account", func(t *testing.T) {
+		saK := &kustomizev1.Kustomization{}
+		err = k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), client.ObjectKeyFromObject(kustomization), saK)
+		g.Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+		err = k8sClient.Delete(context.Background(), saK)
+		g.Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+		g.Eventually(func() bool {
+			err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), client.ObjectKeyFromObject(kustomization), resultK)
+			return apierrors.IsNotFound(err)
+		}, timeout, time.Second).Should(BeTrue())
+
+		resultConfig := &corev1.ConfigMap{}
+		err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), types.NamespacedName{Name: id, Namespace: id}, resultConfig)
+		g.Expect(apierrors.IsNotFound(err)).To(BeTrue())
+	})
 }