diff --git a/e2e/aws_helpers.go b/e2e/aws_helpers.go
index 709f3f233..37db468e5 100644
--- a/e2e/aws_helpers.go
+++ b/e2e/aws_helpers.go
@@ -214,6 +214,26 @@ func compareInstances(awsClient *ec2.EC2, mapiMsName, capiMsName string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// verifyCAPIInstanceOwnershipTag asserts that a CAPI-created EC2 instance has the
+// kubernetes.io/cluster/<infraName>=owned tag that openshift-install destroy cluster
+// relies on to identify and clean up cloud resources.
+func verifyCAPIInstanceOwnershipTag(awsClient *ec2.EC2, capiMsName, infraName string) {
+	GinkgoHelper()
+	By("Verifying CAPI-created EC2 instance has cluster ownership tag")
+
+	Expect(awsClient).ToNot(BeNil())
+	Expect(capiMsName).ToNot(BeEmpty())
+	Expect(infraName).ToNot(BeEmpty())
+
+	instance := getCAPICreatedInstance(awsClient, capiMsName)
+
+	expectedTagKey := fmt.Sprintf("kubernetes.io/cluster/%s", infraName)
+	Expect(instance.Tags).To(ContainElement(SatisfyAll(
+		HaveField("Key", HaveValue(Equal(expectedTagKey))),
+		HaveField("Value", HaveValue(Equal("owned"))),
+	)), "expected EC2 instance to have tag %s=owned for cluster destroy to find it", expectedTagKey)
+}
+
 // deleteAWSMachineTemplates deletes the specified AWSMachineTemplates.
 func deleteAWSMachineTemplates(ctx context.Context, cl client.Client, templates ...*awsv1.AWSMachineTemplate) {
 	GinkgoHelper()
diff --git a/e2e/aws_test.go b/e2e/aws_test.go
index cc376d8cb..bf8d832a1 100644
--- a/e2e/aws_test.go
+++ b/e2e/aws_test.go
@@ -79,5 +79,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Cluster API AWS MachineSet", Ordered, func() {
 		framework.WaitForMachineSet(ctx, cl, machineSet.Name, machineSet.Namespace, framework.WaitLong)
 
 		compareInstances(awsClient, mapiDefaultMS.Name, "aws-machineset")
+		verifyCAPIInstanceOwnershipTag(awsClient, "aws-machineset", clusterName)
 	})
 })