diff --git a/pkg/manifests/manifests.go b/pkg/manifests/manifests.go
index f7fe2db289..c090b74b87 100644
--- a/pkg/manifests/manifests.go
+++ b/pkg/manifests/manifests.go
@@ -57,10 +57,6 @@ const (
 	// until the operator has ensured it's safe for deletion to proceed.
 	IngressControllerFinalizer = "ingresscontroller.operator.openshift.io/finalizer-ingresscontroller"
 
-	// LoadBalancerServiceFinalizer is used to block deletion of LoadBalancer
-	// services until the operator has ensured it's safe for deletion to proceed.
-	LoadBalancerServiceFinalizer = "ingress.openshift.io/operator"
-
 	// DNSRecordFinalizer is used to block deletion of dnsrecords until the
 	// operator has ensured it's safe for deletion to proceeed.
 	DNSRecordFinalizer = "operator.openshift.io/ingress-dns"
diff --git a/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/controller.go b/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/controller.go
index afc2ea17cc..b987eadb27 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/controller.go
@@ -665,11 +665,6 @@ func validateClientTLS(ic *operatorv1.IngressController) error {
 // the finalizer.
 func (r *reconciler) ensureIngressDeleted(ingress *operatorv1.IngressController) error {
 	errs := []error{}
-	if svcExists, err := r.finalizeLoadBalancerService(ingress); err != nil {
-		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to finalize load balancer service for ingress %s/%s: %v", ingress.Namespace, ingress.Name, err))
-	} else if svcExists {
-		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("load balancer service exists for ingress %s/%s", ingress.Namespace, ingress.Name))
-	}
 
 	// Delete the wildcard DNS record, and block ingresscontroller finalization
 	// until the dnsrecord has been finalized.
diff --git a/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/load_balancer_service.go b/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/load_balancer_service.go
index 7aa5392ccc..d37704ac37 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/load_balancer_service.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/controller/ingress/load_balancer_service.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/openshift/cluster-ingress-operator/pkg/manifests"
 	"github.com/openshift/cluster-ingress-operator/pkg/operator/controller"
 	oputil "github.com/openshift/cluster-ingress-operator/pkg/util"
-	"github.com/openshift/cluster-ingress-operator/pkg/util/slice"
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 
@@ -265,14 +264,6 @@ func (r *reconciler) ensureLoadBalancerService(ci *operatorv1.IngressController,
 	case !wantLBS && !haveLBS:
 		return false, nil, nil
 	case !wantLBS && haveLBS:
-		if deletedFinalizer, err := r.deleteLoadBalancerServiceFinalizer(currentLBService); err != nil {
-			return true, currentLBService, fmt.Errorf("failed to remove finalizer from load balancer service: %v", err)
-		} else if deletedFinalizer {
-			haveLBS, currentLBService, err = r.currentLoadBalancerService(ci)
-			if err != nil {
-				return haveLBS, currentLBService, err
-			}
-		}
 		if err := r.deleteLoadBalancerService(currentLBService, &crclient.DeleteOptions{}); err != nil {
 			return true, currentLBService, err
 		}
@@ -283,14 +274,6 @@ func (r *reconciler) ensureLoadBalancerService(ci *operatorv1.IngressController,
 		}
 		return r.currentLoadBalancerService(ci)
 	case wantLBS && haveLBS:
-		if deletedFinalizer, err := r.deleteLoadBalancerServiceFinalizer(currentLBService); err != nil {
-			return true, currentLBService, fmt.Errorf("failed to remove finalizer from load balancer service: %v", err)
-		} else if deletedFinalizer {
-			haveLBS, currentLBService, err = r.currentLoadBalancerService(ci)
-			if err != nil {
-				return haveLBS, currentLBService, err
-			}
-		}
 		if updated, err := r.normalizeLoadBalancerServiceAnnotations(currentLBService); err != nil {
 			return true, currentLBService, fmt.Errorf("failed to normalize annotations for load balancer service: %w", err)
 		} else if updated {
@@ -468,30 +451,6 @@ func (r *reconciler) currentLoadBalancerService(ci *operatorv1.IngressController
 	return true, service, nil
 }
 
-// deleteLoadBalancerServiceFinalizer removes the
-// "ingress.openshift.io/operator" finalizer from the provided load balancer
-// service.  This finalizer used to be needed for helping with DNS cleanup, but
-// that's no longer necessary.  We just need to clear the finalizer which might
-// exist on existing resources.
-// TODO: Delete this method and all calls to it after 4.8.
-func (r *reconciler) deleteLoadBalancerServiceFinalizer(service *corev1.Service) (bool, error) {
-	if !slice.ContainsString(service.Finalizers, manifests.LoadBalancerServiceFinalizer) {
-		return false, nil
-	}
-
-	// Mutate a copy to avoid assuming we know where the current one came from
-	// (i.e. it could have been from a cache).
-	updated := service.DeepCopy()
-	updated.Finalizers = slice.RemoveString(updated.Finalizers, manifests.LoadBalancerServiceFinalizer)
-	if err := r.client.Update(context.TODO(), updated); err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to remove finalizer from service %s/%s: %v", service.Namespace, service.Name, err)
-	}
-
-	log.Info("removed finalizer from load balancer service", "namespace", service.Namespace, "name", service.Name)
-
-	return true, nil
-}
-
 // normalizeLoadBalancerServiceAnnotations normalizes annotations for the
 // provided LoadBalancer-type service.
 func (r *reconciler) normalizeLoadBalancerServiceAnnotations(service *corev1.Service) (bool, error) {
@@ -520,22 +479,6 @@ func (r *reconciler) normalizeLoadBalancerServiceAnnotations(service *corev1.Ser
 	return false, nil
 }
 
-// finalizeLoadBalancerService removes the "ingress.openshift.io/operator" finalizer
-// from the load balancer service of ci. This was for helping with DNS cleanup, but
-// that's no longer necessary. We just need to clear the finalizer which might exist
-// on existing resources.
-func (r *reconciler) finalizeLoadBalancerService(ci *operatorv1.IngressController) (bool, error) {
-	haveLBS, service, err := r.currentLoadBalancerService(ci)
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, err
-	}
-	if !haveLBS {
-		return false, nil
-	}
-	_, err = r.deleteLoadBalancerServiceFinalizer(service)
-	return true, err
-}
-
 // createLoadBalancerService creates a load balancer service.
 func (r *reconciler) createLoadBalancerService(service *corev1.Service) error {
 	if err := r.client.Create(context.TODO(), service); err != nil {