diff --git a/azure/services/async/async.go b/azure/services/async/async.go
index 9c211a561bc..5977d7c375e 100644
--- a/azure/services/async/async.go
+++ b/azure/services/async/async.go
@@ -85,16 +85,14 @@ func CreateResource(ctx context.Context, scope FutureScope, client Creator, spec
 	// No long running operation is active, so create the resource.
 	scope.V(2).Info("creating resource", "service", serviceName, "resource", resourceName, "resourceGroup", rgName)
 	result, sdkFuture, err := client.CreateOrUpdateAsync(ctx, spec)
-	if err != nil {
-		if sdkFuture != nil {
-			future, err := converters.SDKToFuture(sdkFuture, infrav1.PutFuture, serviceName, resourceName, rgName)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create resource %s/%s (service: %s)", rgName, resourceName, serviceName)
-			}
-			scope.SetLongRunningOperationState(future)
-			return nil, azure.WithTransientError(azure.NewOperationNotDoneError(future), retryAfter(sdkFuture))
+	if sdkFuture != nil {
+		future, err := converters.SDKToFuture(sdkFuture, infrav1.PutFuture, serviceName, resourceName, rgName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create resource %s/%s (service: %s)", rgName, resourceName, serviceName)
 		}
-
+		scope.SetLongRunningOperationState(future)
+		return nil, azure.WithTransientError(azure.NewOperationNotDoneError(future), retryAfter(sdkFuture))
+	} else if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to create resource %s/%s (service: %s)", rgName, resourceName, serviceName)
 	}
 
@@ -120,19 +118,18 @@ func DeleteResource(ctx context.Context, scope FutureScope, client Deleter, spec
 	// No long running operation is active, so delete the resource.
 	scope.V(2).Info("deleting resource", "service", serviceName, "resource", resourceName, "resourceGroup", rgName)
 	sdkFuture, err := client.DeleteAsync(ctx, spec)
-	if err != nil {
+	if sdkFuture != nil {
+		future, err := converters.SDKToFuture(sdkFuture, infrav1.DeleteFuture, serviceName, resourceName, rgName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete resource %s/%s (service: %s)", rgName, resourceName, serviceName)
+		}
+		scope.SetLongRunningOperationState(future)
+		return azure.WithTransientError(azure.NewOperationNotDoneError(future), retryAfter(sdkFuture))
+	} else if err != nil {
 		if azure.ResourceNotFound(err) {
 			// already deleted
 			return nil
-		} else if sdkFuture != nil {
-			future, err := converters.SDKToFuture(sdkFuture, infrav1.DeleteFuture, serviceName, resourceName, rgName)
-			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete resource %s/%s (service: %s)", rgName, resourceName, serviceName)
-			}
-			scope.SetLongRunningOperationState(future)
-			return azure.WithTransientError(azure.NewOperationNotDoneError(future), retryAfter(sdkFuture))
 		}
-
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete resource %s/%s (service: %s)", rgName, resourceName, serviceName)
 	}
 
diff --git a/azure/services/virtualmachines/client.go b/azure/services/virtualmachines/client.go
index 8140413f10c..d4400f02c4c 100644
--- a/azure/services/virtualmachines/client.go
+++ b/azure/services/virtualmachines/client.go
@@ -78,15 +78,29 @@ func (ac *AzureClient) CreateOrUpdateAsync(ctx context.Context, spec azure.Resou
 	ctx, _, done := tele.StartSpanWithLogger(ctx, "virtualmachines.AzureClient.CreateOrUpdate")
 	defer done()
 
-	vm, err := ac.vmParams(ctx, spec)
+	var existingVM interface{}
+
+	if existing, err := ac.Get(ctx, spec.ResourceGroupName(), spec.ResourceName()); err != nil && !azure.ResourceNotFound(err) {
+		return nil, nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get virtual machine %s in %s", spec.ResourceName(), spec.ResourceGroupName())
+	} else if err == nil {
+		existingVM = existing
+	}
+
+	params, err := spec.Parameters(existingVM)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get desired parameters for virtual machine %s", spec.ResourceName())
-	} else if vm == nil {
-		// nothing to do here.
-		return nil, nil, nil
 	}
 
-	future, err := ac.virtualmachines.CreateOrUpdate(ctx, spec.ResourceGroupName(), spec.ResourceName(), *vm)
+	vm, ok := params.(compute.VirtualMachine)
+	if !ok {
+		if params == nil {
+			// nothing to do here.
+			return existingVM, nil, nil
+		}
+		return nil, nil, errors.Errorf("%T is not a compute.VirtualMachine", params)
+	}
+
+	future, err := ac.virtualmachines.CreateOrUpdate(ctx, spec.ResourceGroupName(), spec.ResourceName(), vm)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
@@ -186,35 +200,3 @@ func (ac *AzureClient) Result(ctx context.Context, futureData azureautorest.Futu
 
 	return result(ac.virtualmachines)
 }
-
-// vmParams creates a VirtualMachine object from the given spec.
-func (ac *AzureClient) vmParams(ctx context.Context, spec azure.ResourceSpecGetter) (*compute.VirtualMachine, error) {
-	ctx, span := tele.Tracer().Start(ctx, "virtualmachines.AzureClient.vmParams")
-	defer span.End()
-
-	var params interface{}
-	var existing interface{}
-
-	if existingVM, err := ac.Get(ctx, spec.ResourceGroupName(), spec.ResourceName()); err != nil && !azure.ResourceNotFound(err) {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get virtual machine %s in %s", spec.ResourceName(), spec.ResourceGroupName())
-	} else if err == nil {
-		// virtual machine already exists
-		existing = existingVM
-	}
-
-	params, err := spec.Parameters(existing)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	vm, ok := params.(compute.VirtualMachine)
-	if !ok {
-		if params == nil {
-			// nothing to do here.
-			return nil, nil
-		}
-		return nil, errors.Errorf("%T is not a compute.VirtualMachine", params)
-	}
-
-	return &vm, nil
-}