diff --git a/cns/NetworkContainerContract.go b/cns/NetworkContainerContract.go
index afb7978b9b..3d7530dac2 100644
--- a/cns/NetworkContainerContract.go
+++ b/cns/NetworkContainerContract.go
@@ -529,10 +529,11 @@ func (p PublishNetworkContainerResponse) String() string {
 
 // UnpublishNetworkContainerRequest specifies request to unpublish network container via NMAgent.
 type UnpublishNetworkContainerRequest struct {
-	NetworkID                 string
-	NetworkContainerID        string
-	JoinNetworkURL            string
-	DeleteNetworkContainerURL string
+	NetworkID                         string
+	NetworkContainerID                string
+	JoinNetworkURL                    string
+	DeleteNetworkContainerURL         string
+	DeleteNetworkContainerRequestBody []byte
 }
 
 // UnpublishNetworkContainerResponse specifies the response to unpublish network container request.
diff --git a/cns/fakes/wireserverproxyfake.go b/cns/fakes/wireserverproxyfake.go
index 2e8bd3195a..e6e52e7c54 100644
--- a/cns/fakes/wireserverproxyfake.go
+++ b/cns/fakes/wireserverproxyfake.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 type WireserverProxyFake struct {
 	JoinNetworkFunc func(context.Context, string) (*http.Response, error)
 	PublishNCFunc   func(context.Context, cns.NetworkContainerParameters, []byte) (*http.Response, error)
-	UnpublishNCFunc func(context.Context, cns.NetworkContainerParameters) (*http.Response, error)
+	UnpublishNCFunc func(context.Context, cns.NetworkContainerParameters, []byte) (*http.Response, error)
 }
 
 const defaultResponseBody = `{"httpStatusCode":"200"}`
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ func (w *WireserverProxyFake) PublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.Networ
 	return defaultResponse(), nil
 }
 
-func (w *WireserverProxyFake) UnpublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters) (*http.Response, error) {
+func (w *WireserverProxyFake) UnpublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters, payload []byte) (*http.Response, error) {
 	if w.UnpublishNCFunc != nil {
-		return w.UnpublishNCFunc(ctx, ncParams)
+		return w.UnpublishNCFunc(ctx, ncParams, payload)
 	}
 
 	return defaultResponse(), nil
diff --git a/cns/restserver/api.go b/cns/restserver/api.go
index eb8de07981..171657c666 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/api.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/api.go
@@ -1298,7 +1298,7 @@ func (service *HTTPRestService) unpublishNetworkContainer(w http.ResponseWriter,
 		logger.Printf("[Azure-CNS] joined vnet %s during nc %s unpublish. wireserver response: %v", req.NetworkID, req.NetworkContainerID, string(joinBytes))
 	}
 
-	publishResp, err := service.wsproxy.UnpublishNC(ctx, ncParams)
+	publishResp, err := service.wsproxy.UnpublishNC(ctx, ncParams, req.DeleteNetworkContainerRequestBody)
 	if err != nil {
 		resp := cns.UnpublishNetworkContainerResponse{
 			Response: cns.Response{
diff --git a/cns/restserver/api_test.go b/cns/restserver/api_test.go
index fb6b39c216..a60289a5c3 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/api_test.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/api_test.go
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ func TestUnpublishNCViaCNS(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestUnpublishNCViaCNS401(t *testing.T) {
 	wsproxy := fakes.WireserverProxyFake{
-		UnpublishNCFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ cns.NetworkContainerParameters) (*http.Response, error) {
+		UnpublishNCFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ cns.NetworkContainerParameters, i []byte) (*http.Response, error) {
 			return &http.Response{
 				StatusCode: http.StatusOK,
 				Body:       io.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`{"httpStatusCode":"401"}`)),
@@ -974,10 +974,11 @@ func TestUnpublishNCViaCNS401(t *testing.T) {
 	joinNetworkURL := "http://" + nmagentEndpoint + "/dummyVnetURL"
 
 	unpublishNCRequest := &cns.UnpublishNetworkContainerRequest{
-		NetworkID:                 networkID,
-		NetworkContainerID:        networkContainerID,
-		JoinNetworkURL:            joinNetworkURL,
-		DeleteNetworkContainerURL: deleteNetworkContainerURL,
+		NetworkID:                         networkID,
+		NetworkContainerID:                networkContainerID,
+		JoinNetworkURL:                    joinNetworkURL,
+		DeleteNetworkContainerURL:         deleteNetworkContainerURL,
+		DeleteNetworkContainerRequestBody: []byte("{}"),
 	}
 
 	var body bytes.Buffer
@@ -1035,10 +1036,11 @@ func unpublishNCViaCNS(networkID, networkContainerID, deleteNetworkContainerURL
 	joinNetworkURL := "http://" + nmagentEndpoint + "/dummyVnetURL"
 
 	unpublishNCRequest := &cns.UnpublishNetworkContainerRequest{
-		NetworkID:                 networkID,
-		NetworkContainerID:        networkContainerID,
-		JoinNetworkURL:            joinNetworkURL,
-		DeleteNetworkContainerURL: deleteNetworkContainerURL,
+		NetworkID:                         networkID,
+		NetworkContainerID:                networkContainerID,
+		JoinNetworkURL:                    joinNetworkURL,
+		DeleteNetworkContainerURL:         deleteNetworkContainerURL,
+		DeleteNetworkContainerRequestBody: []byte("{}"),
 	}
 
 	var body bytes.Buffer
diff --git a/cns/restserver/restserver.go b/cns/restserver/restserver.go
index 743a5e6408..3ec5359a6a 100644
--- a/cns/restserver/restserver.go
+++ b/cns/restserver/restserver.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ type nmagentClient interface {
 type wireserverProxy interface {
 	JoinNetwork(ctx context.Context, vnetID string) (*http.Response, error)
 	PublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters, payload []byte) (*http.Response, error)
-	UnpublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters) (*http.Response, error)
+	UnpublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters, payload []byte) (*http.Response, error)
 }
 
 // HTTPRestService represents http listener for CNS - Container Networking Service.
diff --git a/cns/wireserver/proxy.go b/cns/wireserver/proxy.go
index ad2540c453..d180ff9ccc 100644
--- a/cns/wireserver/proxy.go
+++ b/cns/wireserver/proxy.go
@@ -57,10 +57,17 @@ func (p *Proxy) PublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerPara
 	return resp, nil
 }
 
-func (p *Proxy) UnpublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters) (*http.Response, error) {
+func (p *Proxy) UnpublishNC(ctx context.Context, ncParams cns.NetworkContainerParameters, payload []byte) (*http.Response, error) {
 	reqURL := fmt.Sprintf(unpublishNCURLFmt, p.Host, ncParams.AssociatedInterfaceID, ncParams.NCID, ncParams.AuthToken)
 
-	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, reqURL, bytes.NewBufferString(`""`))
+	// a POST to wireserver must contain a body. For legacy purposes,
+	// an empty json string (two quote characters) should be sent by default.
+	body := []byte(`""`)
+	if len(payload) > 0 {
+		body = payload
+	}
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, reqURL, bytes.NewBuffer(body))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "wireserver proxy: unpublish nc: could not build http request")
 	}
diff --git a/nmagent/requests.go b/nmagent/requests.go
index c520c3b773..16083ce673 100644
--- a/nmagent/requests.go
+++ b/nmagent/requests.go
@@ -278,7 +278,9 @@ var _ Request = DeleteContainerRequest{}
 // DeleteContainerRequest represents all information necessary to request that
 // NMAgent delete a particular network container
 type DeleteContainerRequest struct {
-	NCID string `json:"-"` // the Network Container ID
+	NCID      string `json:"-"`         // the Network Container ID
+	AzID      uint   `json:"azID"`      // home AZ of the Network Container
+	EnableAZR bool   `json:"enableAZR"` // whether AZR is enabled or not
 
 	// PrimaryAddress is the primary customer address of the interface in the
 	// management VNET