diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/10292-samay43 b/changelogs/unreleased/10292-samay43
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b688ea86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/10292-samay43
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix nil pointer dereference in EnsureDeleteVS and EnsureDeleteVSC when the API call times out before the object is retrieved
diff --git a/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot.go b/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot.go
index bda9d2796..49152ffdc 100644
--- a/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot.go
+++ b/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot.go
@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ func EnsureDeleteVS(ctx context.Context, snapshotClient snapshotter.SnapshotV1In
 
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			// updated is only set once the VS has been retrieved successfully, so it
+			// is still nil when the deadline is exceeded before that happens, e.g.
+			// when the first Get times out. No finalizers are available to report.
+			if updated == nil {
+				return errors.Errorf("timeout to assure VolumeSnapshot %s is deleted", vsName)
+			}
 			return errors.Errorf("timeout to assure VolumeSnapshot %s is deleted, finalizers in VS %v", vsName, updated.Finalizers)
 		} else {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "error to assure VolumeSnapshot is deleted, %s", vsName)
@@ -246,6 +252,12 @@ func EnsureDeleteVSC(ctx context.Context, snapshotClient snapshotter.SnapshotV1I
 
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			// updated is only set once the VSC has been retrieved successfully, so it
+			// is still nil when the deadline is exceeded before that happens, e.g.
+			// when the first Get times out. No finalizers are available to report.
+			if updated == nil {
+				return errors.Errorf("timeout to assure VolumeSnapshotContent %s is deleted", vscName)
+			}
 			return errors.Errorf("timeout to assure VolumeSnapshotContent %s is deleted, finalizers in VSC %v", vscName, updated.Finalizers)
 		} else {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "error to assure VolumeSnapshotContent is deleted, %s", vscName)
diff --git a/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot_test.go b/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot_test.go
index 61e76302b..d25de47b1 100644
--- a/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/csi/volume_snapshot_test.go
@@ -377,6 +377,29 @@ func TestEnsureDeleteVS(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			err: "timeout to assure VolumeSnapshot fake-vs is deleted, finalizers in VS []",
 		},
+		{
+			name:      "wait timeout before the VS is ever retrieved",
+			vsName:    "fake-vs",
+			namespace: "fake-ns",
+			clientObj: []runtime.Object{vsObjWithFinalizer},
+			reactors: []reactor{
+				{
+					verb:     "delete",
+					resource: "volumesnapshots",
+					reactorFunc: func(action clientTesting.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+						return true, nil, nil
+					},
+				},
+				{
+					verb:     "get",
+					resource: "volumesnapshots",
+					reactorFunc: func(action clientTesting.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+						return true, nil, context.DeadlineExceeded
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			err: "timeout to assure VolumeSnapshot fake-vs is deleted",
+		},
 		{
 			name:      "success",
 			vsName:    "fake-vs",
@@ -488,6 +511,28 @@ func TestEnsureDeleteVSC(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			err: "timeout to assure VolumeSnapshotContent fake-vsc is deleted, finalizers in VSC []",
 		},
+		{
+			name:      "wait timeout before the VSC is ever retrieved",
+			vscName:   "fake-vsc",
+			clientObj: []runtime.Object{vscObjWithFinalizer},
+			reactors: []reactor{
+				{
+					verb:     "delete",
+					resource: "volumesnapshotcontents",
+					reactorFunc: func(action clientTesting.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+						return true, nil, nil
+					},
+				},
+				{
+					verb:     "get",
+					resource: "volumesnapshotcontents",
+					reactorFunc: func(action clientTesting.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+						return true, nil, context.DeadlineExceeded
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			err: "timeout to assure VolumeSnapshotContent fake-vsc is deleted",
+		},
 		{
 			name:      "success",
 			vscName:   "fake-vsc",