diff --git a/api/nvidia/v1alpha1/gpucluster_types.go b/api/nvidia/v1alpha1/gpucluster_types.go
index 1d63db509d..5b6836213e 100644
--- a/api/nvidia/v1alpha1/gpucluster_types.go
+++ b/api/nvidia/v1alpha1/gpucluster_types.go
@@ -26,11 +26,6 @@ const (
 	GPUClusterCRDName = "GPUCluster"
 )
 
-const (
-	// Ignored marks a duplicate GPUCluster that the singleton controller does not reconcile.
-	Ignored State = "ignored"
-)
-
 // NOTE: json tags are required.  Any new fields you add must have json tags for the fields to be serialized.
 
 // GPUClusterSpec defines the desired state of GPUCluster, the DRA-based
@@ -170,7 +165,7 @@ type HostPathsSpec struct {
 
 // GPUClusterStatus defines the observed state of GPUCluster
 type GPUClusterStatus struct {
-	// +kubebuilder:validation:Enum=ignored;ready;notReady;disabled
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:Enum=ready;notReady;disabled
 	// State indicates the status of the GPUCluster instance
 	State State `json:"state"`
 	// Namespace indicates the namespace in which the operator and operands are installed
@@ -186,6 +181,7 @@ type GPUClusterStatus struct {
 //+kubebuilder:resource:scope=Cluster,shortName={"gc"}
 //+kubebuilder:printcolumn:name="Status",type=string,JSONPath=`.status.state`,priority=0
 //+kubebuilder:printcolumn:name="Age",type=date,JSONPath=`.metadata.creationTimestamp`,priority=0
+//+kubebuilder:validation:XValidation:rule="self.metadata.name == 'gpu-cluster'",message="GPUCluster is a singleton, metadata.name must be 'gpu-cluster'"
 
 // GPUCluster is the Schema for the gpuclusters API
 type GPUCluster struct {
diff --git a/bundle/manifests/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml b/bundle/manifests/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
index 66b59a6364..4612cd0356 100644
--- a/bundle/manifests/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
+++ b/bundle/manifests/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
@@ -1027,7 +1027,6 @@ spec:
               state:
                 description: State indicates the status of the GPUCluster instance
                 enum:
-                - ignored
                 - ready
                 - notReady
                 - disabled
@@ -1036,6 +1035,9 @@ spec:
             - state
             type: object
         type: object
+        x-kubernetes-validations:
+        - message: GPUCluster is a singleton, metadata.name must be 'gpu-cluster'
+          rule: self.metadata.name == 'gpu-cluster'
     served: true
     storage: true
     subresources:
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml b/config/crd/bases/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
index 66b59a6364..4612cd0356 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
@@ -1027,7 +1027,6 @@ spec:
               state:
                 description: State indicates the status of the GPUCluster instance
                 enum:
-                - ignored
                 - ready
                 - notReady
                 - disabled
@@ -1036,6 +1035,9 @@ spec:
             - state
             type: object
         type: object
+        x-kubernetes-validations:
+        - message: GPUCluster is a singleton, metadata.name must be 'gpu-cluster'
+          rule: self.metadata.name == 'gpu-cluster'
     served: true
     storage: true
     subresources:
diff --git a/config/samples/nvidia_v1alpha1_gpucluster.yaml b/config/samples/nvidia_v1alpha1_gpucluster.yaml
index 6749b7959b..fc99088dd2 100644
--- a/config/samples/nvidia_v1alpha1_gpucluster.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/nvidia_v1alpha1_gpucluster.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 apiVersion: nvidia.com/v1alpha1
 kind: GPUCluster
 metadata:
-  name: gpucluster-sample
+  name: gpu-cluster
 spec:
   draDriver:
     repository: registry.k8s.io/dra-driver-nvidia
diff --git a/controllers/active_config.go b/controllers/active_config.go
index 3ae1bb9b8f..4489df933f 100644
--- a/controllers/active_config.go
+++ b/controllers/active_config.go
@@ -27,17 +27,39 @@ import (
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/gpu-operator/internal/consts"
 )
 
-// TODO: with multiple CRs of a kind, the tie-breaker is list order, which is not
-// guaranteed. Resolve the singleton the reconcilers actually selected instead.
-func resolveActiveConfig(ctx context.Context, c client.Client) (*gpuv1.ClusterPolicy, *nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster, error) {
-	var clusterPolicy *gpuv1.ClusterPolicy
+// getSingletonClusterPolicy returns the ClusterPolicy treated as the cluster-wide
+// singleton: oldest creationTimestamp first, lowest name as the tie-breaker. This
+// selection is a heuristic: ideally the operator would hold a reference to the
+// singleton ClusterPolicy globally throughout its lifetime, and until it does,
+// picking the oldest is the next-best approach. Unlike a first-reconciled-wins claim
+// held in controller memory, the result is stable across operator restarts and
+// derivable by every controller. Returns nil for an empty list.
+// GPUCluster needs no selection: its CRD pins metadata.name, enforcing the singleton
+// at admission.
+func getSingletonClusterPolicy(items []gpuv1.ClusterPolicy) *gpuv1.ClusterPolicy {
+	var active *gpuv1.ClusterPolicy
+	for i := range items {
+		candidate := &items[i]
+		if active == nil {
+			active = candidate
+			continue
+		}
+		candidateCreated, activeCreated := candidate.CreationTimestamp, active.CreationTimestamp
+		if candidateCreated.Before(&activeCreated) ||
+			(candidateCreated.Equal(&activeCreated) && candidate.Name < active.Name) {
+			active = candidate
+		}
+	}
+	return active
+}
+
+// resolveActiveConfig returns the active ClusterPolicy, selected with the same
+// getSingletonClusterPolicy rule the ClusterPolicy controller uses, and the GPUCluster.
+func resolveActiveConfig(ctx context.Context, c client.Reader) (*gpuv1.ClusterPolicy, *nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster, error) {
 	clusterPolicies := &gpuv1.ClusterPolicyList{}
 	if err := c.List(ctx, clusterPolicies); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to list ClusterPolicy: %w", err)
 	}
-	if len(clusterPolicies.Items) > 0 {
-		clusterPolicy = &clusterPolicies.Items[0]
-	}
 
 	var gpuCluster *nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster
 	gpuClusters := &nvidiav1alpha1.GPUClusterList{}
@@ -48,7 +70,7 @@ func resolveActiveConfig(ctx context.Context, c client.Client) (*gpuv1.ClusterPo
 		gpuCluster = &gpuClusters.Items[0]
 	}
 
-	return clusterPolicy, gpuCluster, nil
+	return getSingletonClusterPolicy(clusterPolicies.Items), gpuCluster, nil
 }
 
 // resolveDefaultMode returns the nvidia.com/gpu-operator.resource-allocation.mode value for a GPU node that
diff --git a/controllers/active_config_test.go b/controllers/active_config_test.go
index 35f706d66c..19946fde93 100644
--- a/controllers/active_config_test.go
+++ b/controllers/active_config_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -76,6 +77,21 @@ func TestResolveActiveConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, "cluster-config", gc.Name)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("oldest ClusterPolicy is the singleton, name breaks ties", func(t *testing.T) {
+		oldTime := metav1.Date(2026, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+		zOlder := &gpuv1.ClusterPolicy{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "z-older", CreationTimestamp: oldTime}}
+		bOlder := &gpuv1.ClusterPolicy{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "b-older", CreationTimestamp: oldTime}}
+		aNewer := &gpuv1.ClusterPolicy{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name: "a-newer", CreationTimestamp: metav1.Date(2026, 1, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)}}
+		c := fake.NewClientBuilder().WithScheme(scheme).
+			WithObjects(zOlder, bOlder, aNewer).Build()
+
+		cp, _, err := resolveActiveConfig(context.Background(), c)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.NotNil(t, cp)
+		assert.Equal(t, "b-older", cp.Name)
+	})
+
 	t.Run("neither CR present returns all nil", func(t *testing.T) {
 		c := fake.NewClientBuilder().WithScheme(scheme).Build()
 
diff --git a/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller.go b/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller.go
index 98ea9b29b8..b89cbe3354 100644
--- a/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller.go
@@ -117,9 +117,14 @@ func (r *ClusterPolicyReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Reques
 		return reconcile.Result{}, err
 	}
 
-	// TODO: Handle deletion of the main ClusterPolicy and cycle to the next one.
-	// We already have a main Clusterpolicy
-	if clusterPolicyCtrl.singleton != nil && clusterPolicyCtrl.singleton.Name != instance.Name {
+	// The ClusterPolicy with the oldest creationTimestamp (name as tie-breaker) is
+	// treated as the singleton, so the choice is stable across operator restarts and
+	// derivable by other controllers (see getSingletonClusterPolicy).
+	clusterPolicies := &gpuv1.ClusterPolicyList{}
+	if err := r.List(ctx, clusterPolicies); err != nil {
+		return ctrl.Result{}, fmt.Errorf("error listing ClusterPolicy objects: %w", err)
+	}
+	if active := getSingletonClusterPolicy(clusterPolicies.Items); active != nil && active.Name != instance.Name {
 		instance.SetStatus(gpuv1.Ignored, clusterPolicyCtrl.operatorNamespace)
 		// do not change `clusterPolicyCtrl.operatorMetrics.reconciliationStatus` here,
 		// spurious reconciliation
diff --git a/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller_test.go b/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller_test.go
index dfa6f85e13..d50f3e4e90 100644
--- a/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/clusterpolicy_controller_test.go
@@ -419,6 +419,31 @@ func clusterPolicyForUpgradeTest(useNvidiaDriverCRD bool) *gpuv1.ClusterPolicy {
 	}
 }
 
+// The ClusterPolicy with the oldest creationTimestamp is the singleton regardless of
+// reconcile order; any other instance is skipped without running any states.
+func TestClusterPolicyReconcileSkipsNonSingleton(t *testing.T) {
+	older := clusterPolicyForUpgradeTest(true)
+	older.Name = "older"
+	older.CreationTimestamp = metav1.Date(2026, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	r, c, _ := newClusterPolicyUpgradeTestReconciler(t, older)
+
+	newer := clusterPolicyForUpgradeTest(true)
+	newer.Name = "newer"
+	newer.CreationTimestamp = metav1.Date(2026, 1, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	require.NoError(t, c.Create(t.Context(), newer))
+
+	// The newer instance reconciles first but is not the singleton: no error, no
+	// requeue, and no state is persisted since its states never run.
+	result, err := r.Reconcile(t.Context(), ctrl.Request{NamespacedName: client.ObjectKeyFromObject(newer)})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Zero(t, result)
+	require.Empty(t, clusterPolicyState(t, c, newer.Name))
+
+	_, err = r.Reconcile(t.Context(), ctrl.Request{NamespacedName: client.ObjectKeyFromObject(older)})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, gpuv1.Ready, clusterPolicyState(t, c, older.Name))
+}
+
 func newClusterPolicyUpgradeTestReconciler(t *testing.T, cp *gpuv1.ClusterPolicy, nodes ...*corev1.Node) (*ClusterPolicyReconciler, client.Client, *OperatorMetrics) {
 	t.Helper()
 	scheme := runtime.NewScheme()
diff --git a/controllers/gpucluster_controller.go b/controllers/gpucluster_controller.go
index 0c14736107..d63df64b51 100644
--- a/controllers/gpucluster_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/gpucluster_controller.go
@@ -66,10 +66,6 @@ type GPUClusterReconciler struct {
 	stateManager     state.Manager
 	conditionUpdater conditions.Updater
 	recorder         events.EventRecorder
-
-	// singleton is the GPUCluster that owns reconciliation; the first instance to
-	// reconcile claims it (first-wins), mirroring ClusterPolicy.
-	singleton *nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster
 }
 
 //+kubebuilder:rbac:groups=nvidia.com,resources=gpuclusters,verbs=get;list;watch;create;update;patch;delete
@@ -108,18 +104,8 @@ func (r *GPUClusterReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 	// stack): every operand DaemonSet of both stacks gates on the per-node
 	// nvidia.com/gpu-operator.resource-allocation.mode label, so each node is served by exactly one stack.
 
-	// Singleton, first-wins (mirroring ClusterPolicy): the first instance to reconcile
-	// claims ownership; any other instance is marked Ignored and skipped. The owner is
-	// held in memory, so the choice resets on operator restart.
-	if r.singleton != nil && r.singleton.Name != instance.Name {
-		logger.V(consts.LogLevelWarning).Info("Multiple GPUCluster instances found, ignoring this one",
-			"name", instance.Name, "owner", r.singleton.Name)
-		if err := r.updateCRStatus(ctx, instance, nvidiav1alpha1.Ignored); err != nil {
-			return ctrl.Result{}, err
-		}
-		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
-	}
-	r.singleton = instance
+	// No singleton claim is needed: the CRD's CEL rule pins metadata.name, so at most
+	// one GPUCluster can exist.
 
 	// DRA requires all driver management through NVIDIADriver CRs: surface an unmet
 	// prerequisite on this CR's status and hold off deploying operands until it is met.
@@ -185,12 +171,10 @@ func (r *GPUClusterReconciler) validatePrerequisites(ctx context.Context) (strin
 	if err := r.List(ctx, clusterPolicies); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("error listing ClusterPolicy objects: %w", err)
 	}
-	// TODO: check only the active singleton ClusterPolicy once the singleton
-	// selection is resolvable across controllers (see resolveActiveConfig).
-	for _, clusterPolicy := range clusterPolicies.Items {
-		if !clusterPolicy.Spec.Driver.UseNvidiaDriverCRDType() {
-			return fmt.Sprintf("ClusterPolicy %s does not have driver.useNvidiaDriverCRD enabled; migrate driver management to NVIDIADriver CRs before enabling DRA", clusterPolicy.Name), nil
-		}
+	// Only the active singleton ClusterPolicy matters here: an Ignored instance
+	// deploys nothing, so it cannot own driver daemonsets.
+	if active := getSingletonClusterPolicy(clusterPolicies.Items); active != nil && !active.Spec.Driver.UseNvidiaDriverCRDType() {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("ClusterPolicy %s does not have driver.useNvidiaDriverCRD enabled; migrate driver management to NVIDIADriver CRs before enabling DRA", active.Name), nil
 	}
 	return "", nil
 }
diff --git a/controllers/gpucluster_controller_test.go b/controllers/gpucluster_controller_test.go
index 2351c79ff3..cfd82ad36b 100644
--- a/controllers/gpucluster_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/gpucluster_controller_test.go
@@ -267,37 +267,6 @@ func TestGPUClusterClusterPolicyDriverPrerequisite(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, nvidiav1alpha1.Ready, gccState(t, c, cfg.Name))
 }
 
-// First-reconciled wins (mirroring ClusterPolicy): whichever instance reconciles first
-// claims ownership, regardless of name or creationTimestamp.
-func TestGPUClusterSingleton(t *testing.T) {
-	first := &nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "first"}}
-	second := &nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "second"}}
-	r, c := newGPUClusterReconciler(t, first, second)
-
-	gccReconcile(t, r, first.Name)
-	require.Equal(t, nvidiav1alpha1.Ready, gccState(t, c, first.Name))
-
-	gccReconcile(t, r, second.Name)
-	require.Equal(t, nvidiav1alpha1.Ignored, gccState(t, c, second.Name))
-}
-
-// Matching ClusterPolicy, an ignored duplicate carries no status condition.
-func TestGPUClusterDuplicateNoCondition(t *testing.T) {
-	owner := &nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "owner"}}
-	duplicate := &nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "duplicate"}}
-	r, c := newGPUClusterReconciler(t, owner, duplicate)
-	r.conditionUpdater = conditions.NewGPUClusterUpdater(c)
-
-	gccReconcile(t, r, owner.Name)     // owner reconciles first, claiming ownership
-	gccReconcile(t, r, duplicate.Name) // duplicate is ignored
-
-	instance := &nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster{}
-	require.NoError(t, c.Get(t.Context(), types.NamespacedName{Name: duplicate.Name}, instance))
-	require.Equal(t, nvidiav1alpha1.Ignored, instance.Status.State)
-	require.Nil(t, meta.FindStatusCondition(instance.Status.Conditions, conditions.Error))
-	require.Nil(t, meta.FindStatusCondition(instance.Status.Conditions, conditions.Ready))
-}
-
 func TestEnqueueAllGPUClusters(t *testing.T) {
 	r, _ := newGPUClusterReconciler(t,
 		&nvidiav1alpha1.GPUCluster{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "config-a"}},
diff --git a/deployments/gpu-operator/crds/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml b/deployments/gpu-operator/crds/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
index 66b59a6364..4612cd0356 100644
--- a/deployments/gpu-operator/crds/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
+++ b/deployments/gpu-operator/crds/nvidia.com_gpuclusters.yaml
@@ -1027,7 +1027,6 @@ spec:
               state:
                 description: State indicates the status of the GPUCluster instance
                 enum:
-                - ignored
                 - ready
                 - notReady
                 - disabled
@@ -1036,6 +1035,9 @@ spec:
             - state
             type: object
         type: object
+        x-kubernetes-validations:
+        - message: GPUCluster is a singleton, metadata.name must be 'gpu-cluster'
+          rule: self.metadata.name == 'gpu-cluster'
     served: true
     storage: true
     subresources: