diff --git a/internal/store/deployment.go b/internal/store/deployment.go
index 02a1d0e6..7169d7e6 100644
--- a/internal/store/deployment.go
+++ b/internal/store/deployment.go
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func deploymentMetricFamilies(allowAnnotationsList, allowLabelsList []string) []
 
 						reason := c.Reason
 						if _, ok := allowedDeploymentReasons[reason]; !ok {
-							reason = ""
+							reason = "unknown"
 						}
 
 						metric.LabelKeys = []string{"reason", "condition", "status"}
diff --git a/internal/store/deployment_test.go b/internal/store/deployment_test.go
index 3d65a666..24c60727 100644
--- a/internal/store/deployment_test.go
+++ b/internal/store/deployment_test.go
@@ -212,12 +212,12 @@ func TestDeploymentStore(t *testing.T) {
 		kube_deployment_metadata_generation{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3"} 0
 		kube_deployment_spec_paused{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3"} 0
 		kube_deployment_spec_replicas{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3"} 1
-		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="",condition="Available",status="true"} 0
-		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="",condition="Available",status="false"} 1
-		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="",condition="Available",status="unknown"} 0
-		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="",condition="Progressing",status="true"} 1
-		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="",condition="Progressing",status="false"} 0
-		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="",condition="Progressing",status="unknown"} 0
+		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="unknown",condition="Available",status="true"} 0
+		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="unknown",condition="Available",status="false"} 1
+		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="unknown",condition="Available",status="unknown"} 0
+		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="unknown",condition="Progressing",status="true"} 1
+		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="unknown",condition="Progressing",status="false"} 0
+		kube_deployment_status_condition{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3",reason="unknown",condition="Progressing",status="unknown"} 0
 		kube_deployment_status_observed_generation{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3"} 0
 		kube_deployment_status_replicas_available{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3"} 0
 		kube_deployment_status_replicas_ready{deployment="depl3",namespace="ns3"} 0