diff --git a/pkg/controller/machine/controller.go b/pkg/controller/machine/controller.go
index 840853f0c1..67ddb4eff2 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/machine/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/machine/controller.go
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ const (
 
 	// Machine has a deletion timestamp
 	phaseDeleting = "Deleting"
+
+	skipWaitForDeleteTimeoutSeconds = 60 * 5
 )
 
 var DefaultActuator Actuator
@@ -344,6 +346,10 @@ func (r *ReconcileMachine) drainNode(machine *machinev1.Machine) error {
 		DryRun: false,
 	}
 
+	if nodeIsUnreachable(node) {
+		drainer.SkipWaitForDeleteTimeoutSeconds = skipWaitForDeleteTimeoutSeconds
+	}
+
 	if err := drain.RunCordonOrUncordon(drainer, node, true); err != nil {
 		// Can't cordon a node
 		klog.Warningf("cordon failed for node %q: %v", node.Name, err)
@@ -429,6 +435,16 @@ func machineIsFailed(machine *machinev1.Machine) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func nodeIsUnreachable(node *corev1.Node) bool {
+	for _, condition := range node.Status.Conditions {
+		if condition.Type == corev1.NodeReady && condition.Status == corev1.ConditionUnknown {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 // writer implements io.Writer interface as a pass-through for klog.
 type writer struct {
 	logFunc func(args ...interface{})
diff --git a/pkg/controller/machine/controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/machine/controller_test.go
index 2c99555213..97dffe159d 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/machine/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/machine/controller_test.go
@@ -497,3 +497,56 @@ func TestMachineIsFailed(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNodeIsUnreachable(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name     string
+		node     *corev1.Node
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Node should be unreachable",
+			node: &corev1.Node{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "Node",
+					Namespace: "test",
+				},
+				Status: corev1.NodeStatus{
+					Conditions: []corev1.NodeCondition{
+						corev1.NodeCondition{
+							Type:   corev1.NodeReady,
+							Status: corev1.ConditionUnknown,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Node should not be unreachable",
+			node: &corev1.Node{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      "Node",
+					Namespace: "test",
+				},
+				Status: corev1.NodeStatus{
+					Conditions: []corev1.NodeCondition{
+						corev1.NodeCondition{
+							Type:   corev1.NodeReady,
+							Status: corev1.ConditionTrue,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if actual := nodeIsUnreachable(tc.node); actual != tc.expected {
+				t.Errorf("Expected: %v, got: %v", actual, tc.expected)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}