diff --git a/controllers/helmrelease_controller.go b/controllers/helmrelease_controller.go
index 9e3bdbd5e..d4b313c5a 100644
--- a/controllers/helmrelease_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/helmrelease_controller.go
@@ -341,19 +341,26 @@ func (r *HelmReleaseReconciler) release(log logr.Logger, hr v2.HelmRelease, sour
 
 	// Determine and execute deployment action.
 	var remediation v2.Remediation
-	var deployAction string
 	switch {
 	case rel == nil:
 		remediation = hr.Spec.Install.Remediation
-		deployAction = "install"
-		if !remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) {
-			rel, err = install(cfg, loadedChart, hr, values)
-			err = r.handleHelmActionResult(&hr, revision, err, deployAction, v2.InstalledCondition, v2.InstallSucceededReason, v2.InstallFailedReason)
+		deployAction := "install"
+		if remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) {
+			// Retries exhausted, retain status from prior attempt.
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%s retries exhausted", deployAction)
+			return hr, err
 		}
+		rel, err = install(cfg, loadedChart, hr, values)
+		err = r.handleHelmActionResult(&hr, revision, err, deployAction, v2.InstalledCondition, v2.InstallSucceededReason, v2.InstallFailedReason)
 	default:
 		remediation = hr.Spec.Upgrade.Remediation
-		deployAction = "upgrade"
-		if !hr.Spec.Install.Remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) && !remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) {
+		deployAction := "upgrade"
+		if hr.Spec.Install.Remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) || remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) {
+			// Retries exhausted, retain status from prior attempt.
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%s retries exhausted", deployAction)
+			return hr, err
+		}
+		if len(hr.Status.Conditions) == 0 {
 			rel, err = upgrade(cfg, loadedChart, hr, values)
 			err = r.handleHelmActionResult(&hr, revision, err, deployAction, v2.UpgradedCondition, v2.UpgradeSucceededReason, v2.UpgradeFailedReason)
 		}
@@ -373,8 +380,7 @@ func (r *HelmReleaseReconciler) release(log logr.Logger, hr v2.HelmRelease, sour
 	if err != nil {
 		// Increment failure count for deployment action.
 		remediation.IncrementFailureCount(&hr)
-		switch {
-		case !remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) || remediation.GetRemediateLastFailure():
+		if !remediation.RetriesExhausted(hr) || remediation.GetRemediateLastFailure() {
 			switch remediation.GetStrategy() {
 			case v2.RollbackRemediationStrategy:
 				// Only rollback upgrade if new revision was actually created.
@@ -392,10 +398,6 @@ func (r *HelmReleaseReconciler) release(log logr.Logger, hr v2.HelmRelease, sour
 					err = uninstallConditionErr
 				}
 			}
-		default:
-			// Retries exhausted, retain status from prior attempt.
-			err = fmt.Errorf("%s retries exhausted", deployAction)
-			return hr, err
 		}
 	}