diff --git a/templates/_helpers.tpl b/templates/_helpers.tpl
index 4d8a119..555802c 100644
--- a/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ Default always defined top-level variables for helm charts
   value: {{ $.Values.global.privateRepo | quote }}
 - name: global.experimentalCapabilities
   value: {{ $.Values.global.experimentalCapabilities | default "" }}
+- name: global.deletePattern
+  value: {{ $.Values.global.deletePattern }}
+
 {{- end }} {{/* clustergroup.globalvaluesparameters */}}
 
 
diff --git a/templates/plumbing/applications.yaml b/templates/plumbing/applications.yaml
index b111e3d..40a0e1f 100644
--- a/templates/plumbing/applications.yaml
+++ b/templates/plumbing/applications.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{- if ($.Values.global.deletePattern | default "0" | int | ne 1) }} {{- /* When a pattern is deleting applications should be removed */}}
+{{- if ($.Values.global.deletePattern | ne "DeleteChildApps") }} {{- /* When a pattern is deleting applications should be removed */}}
 {{- $namespace := print $.Values.global.pattern "-" $.Values.clusterGroup.name }}
 {{- range .Values.clusterGroup.applications }}
 {{- if . }} {{- /* Skip null applications */}}
diff --git a/tests/application_delete_pattern_test.yaml b/tests/application_delete_pattern_test.yaml
index adf078b..1a02e2a 100644
--- a/tests/application_delete_pattern_test.yaml
+++ b/tests/application_delete_pattern_test.yaml
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ tests:
         isKind:
           of: Application
 
-  - it: should render applications when deletePattern is 0
+  - it: should render applications when deletePattern is none
     set:
       global:
-        deletePattern: 0
+        deletePattern: none
       clusterGroup:
         applications:
           acm:
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ tests:
         isKind:
           of: Application
 
-  - it: should NOT render applications when deletePattern is 1
+  - it: should NOT render applications when deletePattern is DeleteChildApps
     set:
       global:
-        deletePattern: 1
+        deletePattern: DeleteChildApps
       clusterGroup:
         applications:
           acm:
@@ -88,10 +88,10 @@ tests:
       - hasDocuments:
           count: 0
 
-  - it: should NOT render applications when deletePattern is "1" (string)
+  - it: should render applications when deletePattern is set to a different phase, like DeleteSpokeChildApps
     set:
       global:
-        deletePattern: "1"
+        deletePattern: DeleteSpokeChildApps
       clusterGroup:
         applications:
           acm:
@@ -108,33 +108,23 @@ tests:
             chartVersion: 0.1.*
     asserts:
       - hasDocuments:
-          count: 0
-
-  - it: should render applications when deletePattern is "0" (string)
-    set:
-      global:
-        deletePattern: "0"
-      clusterGroup:
-        applications:
-          acm:
-            name: acm
-            namespace: open-cluster-management
-            project: hub
-            chart: acm
-            chartVersion: 0.1.*
-    asserts:
-      - hasDocuments:
-          count: 1
+          count: 2
       - documentSelector:
           path: metadata.name
           value: acm
         isKind:
           of: Application
+      - documentSelector:
+          path: metadata.name
+          value: vault
+        isKind:
+          of: Application
+
 
   - it: should work correctly with deletePattern when some applications are null
     set:
       global:
-        deletePattern: 0
+        deletePattern: none
       clusterGroup:
         applications:
           acm:
@@ -164,10 +154,10 @@ tests:
         isKind:
           of: Application
 
-  - it: should not render any applications even with null apps when deletePattern is 1
+  - it: should not render any applications even with null apps when deletePattern is DeleteChildApps
     set:
       global:
-        deletePattern: 1
+        deletePattern: DeleteChildApps
       clusterGroup:
         applications:
           acm:
diff --git a/tests/application_multi_source_test.yaml b/tests/application_multi_source_test.yaml
index 14f305a..3b2d009 100644
--- a/tests/application_multi_source_test.yaml
+++ b/tests/application_multi_source_test.yaml
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ tests:
           value: acm
         lengthEqual:
           path: spec.sources[1].helm.parameters
-          count: 15
+          count: 16
       - documentSelector:
           path: metadata.name
           value: vault
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ tests:
           path: spec.sources[1].repoURL
           value: https://charts.validatedpatterns.io
 
-  - it: should render a multisource applications and its extraparameters
+  - it: should render a multisource applications and its 2 extraparameters
     set:
       global:
         repoURL: https://github.com/validatedpatterns/multicloud-gitops
@@ -96,4 +96,4 @@ tests:
           value: acm
         lengthEqual:
           path: spec.sources[1].helm.parameters
-          count: 17
+          count: 18
diff --git a/values.schema.json b/values.schema.json
index df8e1d3..ba2ea16 100644
--- a/values.schema.json
+++ b/values.schema.json
@@ -198,17 +198,10 @@
           "$ref": "#/definitions/GlobalSecretStore"
         },
         "deletePattern": {
-          "anyOf": [
-            {
-              "type": "integer"
-            },
-            {
-              "type": "string"
-            }
-          ],
+          "type": "string",
           "readOnly": true,
-          "description": "Flag set by the patterns operator when a pattern CR is being deleted. When set to 1, the clustergroup chart will not render applications, allowing them to be removed before other resources. This prevents applications from becoming impossible to delete if their operators, webhooks, etc. are destroyed in the wrong order. Defaults to 0 (not deleting).",
-          "default": 0
+          "description": "Flag set by the patterns operator when a pattern CR is being deleted. When set to DeleteChildApps, the clustergroup chart will not render applications, allowing them to be removed before other resources. This prevents applications from becoming impossible to delete if their operators, webhooks, etc. are destroyed in the wrong order. Defaults to none (not deleting).",
+          "default": "none"
         }
       },
       "required": [