diff --git a/bootstrap/bootstrap-pod.yaml b/bootstrap/bootstrap-pod.yaml
index 580eebd49b..c9fffbdad4 100644
--- a/bootstrap/bootstrap-pod.yaml
+++ b/bootstrap/bootstrap-pod.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# The Pod is deployed as a static Pod during cluster bootstrap by the installer. Static Pods have some notable details,
+# such as the fact that the spec cannot refer to API objects, like ServiceAccount and ConfigMap.
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Pod
 metadata:
diff --git a/cmd/cluster-version-operator/render.go b/cmd/cluster-version-operator/render.go
index 068c9a1e3f..2502241c3c 100644
--- a/cmd/cluster-version-operator/render.go
+++ b/cmd/cluster-version-operator/render.go
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ import (
 var (
 	renderCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "render",
-		Short: "Renders the UpdatePayload to disk.",
-		Long:  "",
-		Run:   runRenderCmd,
+		Short: "Renders and filters release payload manifests for cluster bootstrap.",
+		Long: `Renders and filters CVO manifests and specific release payload manifests.
+
+Called by the installer as part of cluster bootstrap to generate the initial manifests related to the CVO.`,
+		Run: runRenderCmd,
 	}
 
 	renderOpts struct {
diff --git a/install/0000_00_cluster-version-operator_03_roles-default.yaml b/install/0000_00_cluster-version-operator_90_roles-default.yaml
similarity index 90%
rename from install/0000_00_cluster-version-operator_03_roles-default.yaml
rename to install/0000_00_cluster-version-operator_90_roles-default.yaml
index 34c14b4602..83cfa5fed4 100644
--- a/install/0000_00_cluster-version-operator_03_roles-default.yaml
+++ b/install/0000_00_cluster-version-operator_90_roles-default.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ metadata:
   name: cluster-version-operator
   annotations:
     include.release.openshift.io/self-managed-high-availability: "true"
+    release.openshift.io/delete: "true"
 roleRef:
   kind: ClusterRole
   name: cluster-admin
diff --git a/pkg/payload/render.go b/pkg/payload/render.go
index fc075a6e5c..5fae362ebf 100644
--- a/pkg/payload/render.go
+++ b/pkg/payload/render.go
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/openshift/api/config"
 	configv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
 	"github.com/openshift/library-go/pkg/manifest"
+
+	"github.com/openshift/cluster-version-operator/lib/resourcedelete"
 )
 
 // Render renders critical manifests from /manifests to outputDir.
@@ -148,6 +150,10 @@ func renderDir(renderConfig manifestRenderConfig, idir, odir string, overrides [
 				klog.Infof("excluding %s because we do not render that group/kind", manifest.String())
 			} else if err := manifest.Include(nil, requiredFeatureSet, clusterProfile, nil, overrides, enabledFeatureGates, majorVersion); err != nil {
 				klog.Infof("excluding %s: %v", manifest.String(), err)
+			} else if found, err := resourcedelete.ValidDeleteAnnotation(manifest.Obj.GetAnnotations()); err != nil {
+				errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("invalid delete annotation in %s from %s: %w", manifest.String(), file.Name(), err))
+			} else if found {
+				klog.Infof("excluding %s because we do not render manifests with the delete annotation", manifest.String())
 			} else {
 				filteredManifests = append(filteredManifests, string(manifest.Raw))
 				klog.Infof("including %s", manifest.String())
diff --git a/pkg/payload/render_test.go b/pkg/payload/render_test.go
index 10882dd798..1b22866f32 100644
--- a/pkg/payload/render_test.go
+++ b/pkg/payload/render_test.go
@@ -65,13 +65,14 @@ func TestRenderManifest(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestRenderDirWithMajorVersionFiltering(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRenderDirFiltering(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name               string
 		manifests          []testManifest
 		majorVersion       *uint64
 		expectedInclusions []string // Names of manifests that should be included
 		expectedExclusions []string // Names of manifests that should be excluded
+		expectError        bool     // Whether an error is expected
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "major version 4 includes version 4 manifests",
@@ -183,6 +184,49 @@ func TestRenderDirWithMajorVersionFiltering(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedInclusions: []string{"version4-or-5-manifest", "exclude-version3-manifest"},
 			expectedExclusions: []string{"version6-only-manifest"},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "delete annotation excludes manifests",
+			manifests: []testManifest{
+				{
+					name:        "normal-manifest",
+					annotations: map[string]string{},
+				},
+				{
+					name: "deleted-manifest",
+					annotations: map[string]string{
+						"release.openshift.io/delete": "true",
+					},
+				},
+				{
+					name: "another-normal-manifest",
+					annotations: map[string]string{
+						"some.other.annotation": "value",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			majorVersion:       ptr.To(uint64(4)),
+			expectedInclusions: []string{"normal-manifest", "another-normal-manifest"},
+			expectedExclusions: []string{"deleted-manifest"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid delete annotation value returns error but continues rendering",
+			manifests: []testManifest{
+				{
+					name:        "normal-manifest",
+					annotations: map[string]string{},
+				},
+				{
+					name: "invalid-delete-manifest",
+					annotations: map[string]string{
+						"release.openshift.io/delete": "false",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			majorVersion:       ptr.To(uint64(4)),
+			expectedInclusions: []string{"normal-manifest"},
+			expectedExclusions: []string{"invalid-delete-manifest"},
+			expectError:        true,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -233,8 +277,14 @@ func TestRenderDirWithMajorVersionFiltering(t *testing.T) {
 				sets.Set[schema.GroupKind]{}, // filterGroupKind
 			)
 
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("renderDir failed: %v", err)
+			if tt.expectError {
+				if err == nil {
+					t.Errorf("expected error but got none")
+				}
+			} else {
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("renderDir failed: %v", err)
+				}
 			}
 
 			// Check which manifests were included in output