diff --git a/controller/instance_manager_controller.go b/controller/instance_manager_controller.go
index de52d0dc5d..dcebbae016 100644
--- a/controller/instance_manager_controller.go
+++ b/controller/instance_manager_controller.go
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ func (imc *InstanceManagerController) areDangerZoneSettingsSyncedToIMPod(im *lon
 		}
 	}
 
-	pod, err := imc.ds.GetPod(im.Name)
+	pod, err := imc.ds.GetPodRO(im.Namespace, im.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, false, false, errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot get pod for instance manager %v", im.Name)
 	}
@@ -622,8 +622,8 @@ func (imc *InstanceManagerController) isSettingPriorityClassSynced(setting *long
 
 func (imc *InstanceManagerController) isSettingStorageNetworkSynced(setting *longhorn.Setting, pod *corev1.Pod) (bool, error) {
 	nadAnnot := string(types.CNIAnnotationNetworks)
-
-	return pod.Annotations[nadAnnot] == setting.Value, nil
+	nadAnnotValue := types.CreateCniAnnotationFromSetting(setting)
+	return pod.Annotations[nadAnnot] == nadAnnotValue, nil
 }
 
 func (imc *InstanceManagerController) isSettingDataEngineSynced(settingName types.SettingName, im *longhorn.InstanceManager) (bool, error) {
diff --git a/controller/setting_controller.go b/controller/setting_controller.go
index 0bb811db02..60a4470238 100644
--- a/controller/setting_controller.go
+++ b/controller/setting_controller.go
@@ -820,6 +820,8 @@ func (sc *SettingController) updateCNI() error {
 	}
 
 	nadAnnot := string(types.CNIAnnotationNetworks)
+	nadAnnotValue := types.CreateCniAnnotationFromSetting(storageNetwork)
+
 	imPodList, err := sc.ds.ListInstanceManagerPods()
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to list instance manager Pods for %v setting update", types.SettingNameStorageNetwork)
@@ -832,10 +834,16 @@ func (sc *SettingController) updateCNI() error {
 
 	pods := append(imPodList, bimPodList...)
 	for _, pod := range pods {
-		if pod.Annotations[nadAnnot] == storageNetwork.Value {
+		if pod.Annotations[nadAnnot] == nadAnnotValue {
 			continue
 		}
 
+		logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
+			"pod":      pod.Name,
+			"oldValue": pod.Annotations[nadAnnot],
+			"newValue": nadAnnotValue,
+		}).Infof("Deleting pod to update the %v annotation", nadAnnot)
+
 		if err := sc.ds.DeletePod(pod.Name); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}