diff --git a/pkg/work/spoke/apply/server_side_apply.go b/pkg/work/spoke/apply/server_side_apply.go
index 6e67fef60..40b2ea742 100644
--- a/pkg/work/spoke/apply/server_side_apply.go
+++ b/pkg/work/spoke/apply/server_side_apply.go
@@ -95,12 +95,8 @@ func (c *ServerSideApply) Apply(
 			ctx, required.GetName(), metav1.GetOptions{})
 		switch {
 		case errors.IsNotFound(err):
-			// if object is not found, directly apply without removing ignore fields in the object.
-			obj, createErr := c.client.
-				Resource(gvr).
-				Namespace(required.GetNamespace()).
-				Apply(ctx, required.GetName(), requiredOriginal, metav1.ApplyOptions{FieldManager: fieldManager, Force: force})
-			return obj, createErr
+			// if object is not found, use requiredOriginal to apply so the ignore fields are kept when create
+			required = requiredOriginal
 		case err != nil:
 			return nil, err
 		case len(existing.GetAnnotations()) > 0:
diff --git a/test/e2e/work_workload_test.go b/test/e2e/work_workload_test.go
index e3f0c0f2f..82688f454 100644
--- a/test/e2e/work_workload_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/work_workload_test.go
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Work agent", ginkgo.Label("work-agent", "sanity-check")
 							IgnoreFields: []workapiv1.IgnoreField{
 								{
 									Condition: workapiv1.IgnoreFieldsConditionOnSpokeChange,
-									JSONPaths: []string{"spec.replicas"},
+									JSONPaths: []string{".spec.replicas"},
 								},
 							},
 						},
@@ -806,6 +806,9 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Work agent", ginkgo.Label("work-agent", "sanity-check")
 				if *deploy.Spec.Replicas != int32(2) {
 					return fmt.Errorf("expected 2 replicas, got %d", *deploy.Spec.Replicas)
 				}
+				if len(deploy.OwnerReferences) == 0 {
+					return fmt.Errorf("expected owner references, got none")
+				}
 				return nil
 			}).ShouldNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
 
@@ -850,6 +853,22 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Work agent", ginkgo.Label("work-agent", "sanity-check")
 				return err
 			}).ShouldNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
 
+			// wait until the work has been applied
+			gomega.Eventually(func() error {
+				actualWork, err := hub.WorkClient.WorkV1().ManifestWorks(universalClusterName).Get(context.Background(), workName, metav1.GetOptions{})
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				appliedCond := meta.FindStatusCondition(actualWork.Status.Conditions, workapiv1.WorkApplied)
+				if appliedCond == nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("expected a work applied condition")
+				}
+				if appliedCond.ObservedGeneration != actualWork.Generation {
+					return fmt.Errorf("expect work is applied.")
+				}
+				return nil
+			}).ShouldNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
+
 			// Check deployment status, it should not be changed
 			gomega.Eventually(func() error {
 				deploy, err := spoke.KubeClient.AppsV1().Deployments(deployment.Namespace).Get(context.Background(), deployment.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
@@ -861,6 +880,23 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Work agent", ginkgo.Label("work-agent", "sanity-check")
 				}
 				return nil
 			}).ShouldNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
+
+			err = hub.WorkClient.WorkV1().ManifestWorks(universalClusterName).Delete(
+				context.Background(), work.Name, metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+			gomega.Expect(err).ToNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
+
+			// Check deployment is removed
+			gomega.Eventually(func() error {
+				_, err := spoke.KubeClient.AppsV1().Deployments(deployment.Namespace).Get(
+					context.Background(), deployment.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+				if errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+					return nil
+				}
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				return fmt.Errorf("resource still exists")
+			}).ShouldNot(gomega.HaveOccurred())
 		})
 	})
 })