diff --git a/cluster/cluster.go b/cluster/cluster.go
index 5a53713c..58d9cda1 100644
--- a/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/rancher/rke/services"
 	"github.com/rancher/types/apis/cluster.cattle.io/v1"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
 	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/util/cert"
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ func ReconcileCluster(kubeCluster, currentCluster *Cluster) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to initialize new kubernetes client: %v", err)
 	}
+	key, _ := checkEncryptedKey(kubeCluster.SSHKeyPath)
 
 	logrus.Infof("[reconcile] Check Control plane hosts to be deleted")
 	cpToDelete := hosts.GetToDeleteHosts(currentCluster.ControlPlaneHosts, kubeCluster.ControlPlaneHosts)
@@ -144,6 +146,11 @@ func ReconcileCluster(kubeCluster, currentCluster *Cluster) error {
 		if err := hosts.DeleteNode(&toDeleteHost, kubeClient); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to delete controlplane node %s from cluster", toDeleteHost.AdvertisedHostname)
 		}
+		// attempting to clean up the host
+		if err := reconcileHostCleaner(toDeleteHost, key, false); err != nil {
+			logrus.Warnf("[reconcile] Couldn't clean up controlplane node [%s]: %v", toDeleteHost.AdvertisedHostname, err)
+			continue
+		}
 	}
 
 	logrus.Infof("[reconcile] Check worker hosts to be deleted")
@@ -152,6 +159,11 @@ func ReconcileCluster(kubeCluster, currentCluster *Cluster) error {
 		if err := hosts.DeleteNode(&toDeleteHost, kubeClient); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to delete worker node %s from cluster", toDeleteHost.AdvertisedHostname)
 		}
+		// attempting to clean up the host
+		if err := reconcileHostCleaner(toDeleteHost, key, true); err != nil {
+			logrus.Warnf("[reconcile] Couldn't clean up worker node [%s]: %v", toDeleteHost.AdvertisedHostname, err)
+			continue
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Rolling update on change for nginx Proxy
@@ -167,6 +179,23 @@ func ReconcileCluster(kubeCluster, currentCluster *Cluster) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func reconcileHostCleaner(toDeleteHost hosts.Host, key ssh.Signer, worker bool) error {
+	if err := toDeleteHost.TunnelUp(key); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Not able to reach the host: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := services.RemoveControlPlane([]hosts.Host{toDeleteHost}); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Couldn't remove control plane: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := services.RemoveWorkerPlane(nil, []hosts.Host{toDeleteHost}); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Couldn't remove worker plane: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := toDeleteHost.CleanUp(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Not able to clean the host: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func rebuildLocalAdminConfig(kubeCluster *Cluster) error {
 	logrus.Infof("[reconcile] Rebuilding and update local kube config")
 	currentKubeConfig := kubeCluster.Certificates[pki.KubeAdminCommonName]
diff --git a/hosts/dialer.go b/hosts/dialer.go
index 4bad4df0..614f8264 100644
--- a/hosts/dialer.go
+++ b/hosts/dialer.go
@@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ func (d *dialer) Dial(network, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
 	// Build SSH client configuration
 	cfg, err := makeSSHConfig(d.host.User, d.signer)
 	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Fatalf("Error configuring SSH: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error configuring SSH: %v", err)
 	}
 	// Establish connection with SSH server
 	conn, err := ssh.Dial("tcp", sshAddr, cfg)
 	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Fatalf("Error establishing SSH connection: %v", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error establishing SSH connection: %v", err)
 	}
 	if len(d.host.DockerSocket) == 0 {
 		d.host.DockerSocket = "/var/run/docker.sock"
 	}
 	remote, err := conn.Dial("unix", d.host.DockerSocket)
 	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Fatalf("Error connecting to Docker socket on host [%s]: %v", d.host.AdvertisedHostname, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error connecting to Docker socket on host [%s]: %v", d.host.AdvertisedHostname, err)
 	}
 	return remote, err
 }
diff --git a/hosts/hosts.go b/hosts/hosts.go
index 64ec538a..f013b065 100644
--- a/hosts/hosts.go
+++ b/hosts/hosts.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func (h *Host) CleanUp() error {
-	logrus.Infof("[down] Cleaning up host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
+	logrus.Infof("[hosts] Cleaning up host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
 	toCleanDirs := []string{
 		ToCleanEtcdDir,
 		ToCleanSSLDir,
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (h *Host) CleanUp() error {
 		ToCleanCNIBin,
 		ToCleanCalicoRun,
 	}
-	logrus.Infof("[down] Running cleaner container on host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
+	logrus.Infof("[hosts] Running cleaner container on host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
 	imageCfg, hostCfg := buildCleanerConfig(h, toCleanDirs)
 	if err := docker.DoRunContainer(h.DClient, imageCfg, hostCfg, CleanerContainerName, h.AdvertisedHostname, CleanerContainerName); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@ func (h *Host) CleanUp() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	logrus.Infof("[down] Removing cleaner container on host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
+	logrus.Infof("[hosts] Removing cleaner container on host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
 	if err := docker.RemoveContainer(h.DClient, h.AdvertisedHostname, CleanerContainerName); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	logrus.Infof("[down] Successfully cleaned up host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
+	logrus.Infof("[hosts] Successfully cleaned up host [%s]", h.AdvertisedHostname)
 	return nil
 }