diff --git a/pkg/bucket/gcp.go b/pkg/bucket/gcp.go
index d315eff168d..577ddb29f4f 100644
--- a/pkg/bucket/gcp.go
+++ b/pkg/bucket/gcp.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package bucket
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ func (g gcpBucketClient) Exists() (bool, error) {
 	bucket := gcsClient.Bucket(g.bucket.Spec.Name)
 	_, err = bucket.Attrs(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		if err == storage.ErrBucketNotExist {
+		if isBucketNotFoundError(err) {
 			return false, nil
 		}
 		// Return true for permission errors - unable to determine if bucket exists
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ func (g gcpBucketClient) Delete() (bool, error) {
 	// Check if bucket exists first
 	_, err = bucket.Attrs(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		if err == storage.ErrBucketNotExist {
+		if isBucketNotFoundError(err) {
 			// Bucket doesn't exist - idempotent behavior
 			return true, nil
 		}
@@ -391,18 +392,18 @@ func (g gcpBucketClient) deleteObjectsConcurrently(ctx context.Context, bucket *
 	const batchSize = 100
 
 	objects := make(chan string, batchSize)
-	errors := make(chan error, maxWorkers)
+	errs := make(chan error, maxWorkers)
 
 	// Start workers
 	for i := 0; i < maxWorkers; i++ {
 		go func() {
 			for objName := range objects {
 				if err := bucket.Object(objName).Delete(ctx); err != nil {
-					errors <- fmt.Errorf("error deleting object %s: %v", objName, err)
+					errs <- fmt.Errorf("error deleting object %s: %v", objName, err)
 					return
 				}
 			}
-			errors <- nil
+			errs <- nil
 		}()
 	}
 
@@ -416,7 +417,7 @@ func (g gcpBucketClient) deleteObjectsConcurrently(ctx context.Context, bucket *
 				break
 			}
 			if err != nil {
-				errors <- fmt.Errorf("error listing objects: %v", err)
+				errs <- fmt.Errorf("error listing objects: %v", err)
 				return
 			}
 			objects <- objAttrs.Name
@@ -425,7 +426,7 @@ func (g gcpBucketClient) deleteObjectsConcurrently(ctx context.Context, bucket *
 
 	// Wait for all workers to complete
 	for i := 0; i < maxWorkers; i++ {
-		if err := <-errors; err != nil {
+		if err := <-errs; err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -486,7 +487,8 @@ func isGCSRetryableError(err error) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	if gerr, ok := err.(*googleapi.Error); ok {
+	var gerr *googleapi.Error
+	if errors.As(err, &gerr) {
 		switch gerr.Code {
 		case http.StatusTooManyRequests: // Too Many Requests
 			return true
@@ -513,16 +515,28 @@ func isGCSRetryableError(err error) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// isBucketNotFoundError reports whether err indicates a GCS bucket does not exist.
+// The GCS library may return storage.ErrBucketNotExist directly, wrap it via fmt.Errorf("%w", ...),
+// or surface a *googleapi.Error with HTTP 404 — all three must be handled.
+func isBucketNotFoundError(err error) bool {
+	if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrBucketNotExist) {
+		return true
+	}
+	var gerr *googleapi.Error
+	return errors.As(err, &gerr) && gerr.Code == http.StatusNotFound
+}
+
 // handleGCSError provides consistent error handling for GCS operations
 func handleGCSError(err error, operation string, bucketName string) error {
-	if err == storage.ErrBucketNotExist {
+	if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrBucketNotExist) {
 		if operation == "exists" || operation == "delete" {
 			return nil // Expected for these operations
 		}
 		return fmt.Errorf("bucket '%s' not found", bucketName)
 	}
 
-	if gerr, ok := err.(*googleapi.Error); ok {
+	var gerr *googleapi.Error
+	if errors.As(err, &gerr) {
 		switch gerr.Code {
 		case http.StatusConflict: // Conflict - Bucket already exists
 			if operation == "create" {
diff --git a/pkg/bucket/gcp_test.go b/pkg/bucket/gcp_test.go
index 616313456e0..88cbcebbe5e 100644
--- a/pkg/bucket/gcp_test.go
+++ b/pkg/bucket/gcp_test.go
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@ package bucket
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"cloud.google.com/go/storage"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"google.golang.org/api/googleapi"
@@ -408,3 +411,73 @@ func TestGCSRetryConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, float64(1), defaultGCSRetryConfig.initialDelay.Seconds())
 	assert.Equal(t, float64(32), defaultGCSRetryConfig.maxDelay.Seconds())
 }
+
+func TestIsBucketNotFoundError(t *testing.T) {
+	googleapi404 := &googleapi.Error{Code: 404, Message: "The specified bucket does not exist."}
+	googleapi403 := &googleapi.Error{Code: 403, Message: "Permission Denied"}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		err      error
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:     "exact storage.ErrBucketNotExist sentinel",
+			err:      storage.ErrBucketNotExist,
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "storage.ErrBucketNotExist wrapped with %w",
+			err:      fmt.Errorf("outer: %w", storage.ErrBucketNotExist),
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "storage.ErrBucketNotExist doubly wrapped",
+			err:      fmt.Errorf("outer: %w", fmt.Errorf("inner: %w", storage.ErrBucketNotExist)),
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "GCS library style: both sentinel and googleapi.Error wrapped together",
+			// Mirrors how cloud.google.com/go/storage PR#11519 wraps the error:
+			// fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", storage.ErrBucketNotExist, googleapiErr)
+			err:      fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", storage.ErrBucketNotExist, googleapi404),
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "bare *googleapi.Error with 404",
+			err:      googleapi404,
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "*googleapi.Error with 404 wrapped with %w",
+			err:      fmt.Errorf("wrapped: %w", googleapi404),
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "*googleapi.Error with non-404 code",
+			err:      googleapi403,
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "unrelated sentinel error",
+			err:      storage.ErrObjectNotExist,
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "plain errors.New string error",
+			err:      errors.New("some other error"),
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "nil error",
+			err:      nil,
+			expected: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expected, isBucketNotFoundError(tt.err))
+		})
+	}
+}