diff --git a/pkg/operator/network_policy_drift_test.go b/pkg/operator/network_policy_drift_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d67323c1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/operator/network_policy_drift_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package operator
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	mcfgv1 "github.com/openshift/api/machineconfiguration/v1"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+
+	ctrlcommon "github.com/openshift/machine-config-operator/pkg/controller/common"
+)
+
+func TestSyncNetworkPolicies_DriftProtection(t *testing.T) {
+	optr := testOperatorForNetworkPolicies(t, nil)
+	config := testRenderConfig()
+
+	err := optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policy, err := optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Get(
+		context.TODO(), "allow-machine-config-operator", metav1.GetOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policy.Spec.Ingress = nil
+	_, err = optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Update(
+		context.TODO(), policy, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	modified, err := optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Get(
+		context.TODO(), "allow-machine-config-operator", metav1.GetOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Empty(t, modified.Spec.Ingress, "ingress should be empty after manual modification")
+
+	err = optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	restored, err := optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Get(
+		context.TODO(), "allow-machine-config-operator", metav1.GetOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, restored.Spec.Ingress, 1, "ingress rules should be restored after resync")
+}
+
+func TestSyncNetworkPolicies_Idempotent(t *testing.T) {
+	optr := testOperatorForNetworkPolicies(t, nil)
+	config := testRenderConfig()
+
+	err := optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	firstCount := len(listNetworkPolicies(t, optr))
+
+	err = optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	secondCount := len(listNetworkPolicies(t, optr))
+
+	err = optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	thirdCount := len(listNetworkPolicies(t, optr))
+
+	assert.Equal(t, firstCount, secondCount, "policy count should be stable across syncs")
+	assert.Equal(t, secondCount, thirdCount, "policy count should be stable across syncs")
+	assert.Equal(t, 3, thirdCount, "should have exactly 3 static policies without layered pools")
+}
+
+func TestSyncNetworkPolicies_DeletionRecreation(t *testing.T) {
+	optr := testOperatorForNetworkPolicies(t, nil)
+	config := testRenderConfig()
+
+	err := optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, listNetworkPolicies(t, optr), 3, "should start with 3 static policies")
+
+	err = optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Delete(
+		context.TODO(), "allow-machine-config-operator", metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policies := listNetworkPolicies(t, optr)
+	require.Len(t, policies, 2, "should have 2 policies after deletion")
+	assert.Nil(t, findPolicy(policies, "allow-machine-config-operator"), "deleted policy should be gone")
+
+	err = optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policies = listNetworkPolicies(t, optr)
+	require.Len(t, policies, 3, "deleted policy should be re-created after resync")
+
+	recreated := findPolicy(policies, "allow-machine-config-operator")
+	require.NotNil(t, recreated, "allow-machine-config-operator must be re-created")
+	assert.Equal(t, "machine-config-operator", recreated.Spec.PodSelector.MatchLabels["k8s-app"])
+	require.Len(t, recreated.Spec.Ingress, 1, "re-created policy should have ingress rule")
+	require.Len(t, recreated.Spec.Ingress[0].Ports, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, int32(9001), recreated.Spec.Ingress[0].Ports[0].Port.IntVal, "re-created policy should have metrics port")
+	require.Len(t, recreated.Spec.Egress, 1, "re-created policy should have egress rule")
+}
+
+func TestSyncNetworkPolicies_AllDeletedRecreation(t *testing.T) {
+	optr := testOperatorForNetworkPolicies(t, nil)
+	config := testRenderConfig()
+
+	err := optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, listNetworkPolicies(t, optr), 3)
+
+	staticPolicies := []string{"default-deny", "allow-machine-config-operator", "allow-machine-config-controller"}
+	for _, name := range staticPolicies {
+		err = optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Delete(
+			context.TODO(), name, metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+	require.Empty(t, listNetworkPolicies(t, optr), "all policies should be deleted")
+
+	err = optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policies := listNetworkPolicies(t, optr)
+	require.Len(t, policies, 3, "all static policies should be re-created after resync")
+
+	names := make([]string, len(policies))
+	for i, p := range policies {
+		names[i] = p.Name
+	}
+	for _, expected := range staticPolicies {
+		assert.Contains(t, names, expected, "policy %s should be re-created", expected)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSyncNetworkPolicies_MOBDeletionRecreation(t *testing.T) {
+	pools := []*mcfgv1.MachineConfigPool{layeredPool("layered-worker")}
+	optr := testOperatorForNetworkPolicies(t, pools)
+	config := testRenderConfig()
+
+	err := optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policies := listNetworkPolicies(t, optr)
+	require.Len(t, policies, 4, "should have 4 policies with layered pools")
+	require.NotNil(t, findPolicy(policies, "allow-machine-os-builder"), "MOB policy should exist")
+
+	err = optr.kubeClient.NetworkingV1().NetworkPolicies(ctrlcommon.MCONamespace).Delete(
+		context.TODO(), "allow-machine-os-builder", metav1.DeleteOptions{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, listNetworkPolicies(t, optr), 3, "MOB policy should be deleted")
+
+	err = optr.syncNetworkPolicies(config, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	policies = listNetworkPolicies(t, optr)
+	require.Len(t, policies, 4, "MOB policy should be re-created after resync")
+
+	mobPolicy := findPolicy(policies, "allow-machine-os-builder")
+	require.NotNil(t, mobPolicy, "allow-machine-os-builder must be re-created")
+	assert.Equal(t, "machine-os-builder", mobPolicy.Spec.PodSelector.MatchLabels["k8s-app"])
+	require.Len(t, mobPolicy.Spec.Ingress, 1, "re-created MOB policy should have ingress rule")
+	require.Len(t, mobPolicy.Spec.Egress, 1, "re-created MOB policy should have egress rule")
+}