diff --git a/controllers/clusterwidenetworkpolicy_controller.go b/controllers/clusterwidenetworkpolicy_controller.go
index c003f4b8..b9f52a37 100644
--- a/controllers/clusterwidenetworkpolicy_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/clusterwidenetworkpolicy_controller.go
@@ -239,6 +239,11 @@ func (r *ClusterwideNetworkPolicyReconciler) allowedCWNPs(ctx context.Context, c
 }
 
 func (r *ClusterwideNetworkPolicyReconciler) updateCWNPState(ctx context.Context, cwnp firewallv1.ClusterwideNetworkPolicy, state firewallv1.PolicyDeploymentState, msg string) error {
+	// do nothing if message and state already have the desired values
+	if cwnp.Status.Message == msg && cwnp.Status.State == state {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	cwnp.Status.Message = msg
 	cwnp.Status.State = state