diff --git a/internal/controller/inferenceservice_reconcile_test.go b/internal/controller/inferenceservice_reconcile_test.go
index 3e52425..5659fc4 100644
--- a/internal/controller/inferenceservice_reconcile_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/inferenceservice_reconcile_test.go
@@ -296,6 +296,24 @@ var _ = Describe("determinePhase", func() {
 		phase, _ := reconciler.determinePhase(context.Background(), isvc, 0, 1, true, nil)
 		Expect(phase).To(Equal("Creating"))
 	})
+
+	It("should return Stopped when replicas=0 on generic path", func() {
+		isvc := &inferencev1alpha1.InferenceService{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "test", Namespace: "default"},
+		}
+		phase, info := reconciler.determinePhase(context.Background(), isvc, 0, 0, false, &appsv1.Deployment{})
+		Expect(phase).To(Equal(PhaseStopped))
+		Expect(info).To(BeNil())
+	})
+
+	It("should return Stopped when replicas=0 on Metal path", func() {
+		isvc := &inferencev1alpha1.InferenceService{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "test", Namespace: "default"},
+		}
+		phase, info := reconciler.determinePhase(context.Background(), isvc, 0, 0, true, nil)
+		Expect(phase).To(Equal(PhaseStopped))
+		Expect(info).To(BeNil())
+	})
 })
 
 var _ = Describe("findInferenceServiceForPod", func() {
diff --git a/internal/controller/model_controller.go b/internal/controller/model_controller.go
index 189731a..8ca30db 100644
--- a/internal/controller/model_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/model_controller.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ const (
 	PhaseFailed   = "Failed"
 	PhaseCached   = "Cached"
 	PhaseCreating = "Creating"
+	PhaseStopped  = "Stopped"
 	// acceleratorMetal is the Model.Spec.Hardware.Accelerator value for the
 	// host metal-agent path.
 	acceleratorMetal      = "metal"
diff --git a/internal/controller/scheduling.go b/internal/controller/scheduling.go
index 4e2ebf5..61690eb 100644
--- a/internal/controller/scheduling.go
+++ b/internal/controller/scheduling.go
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ func (r *InferenceServiceReconciler) determinePhase(ctx context.Context, isvc *i
 	if readyReplicas > 0 {
 		return "Progressing", nil
 	}
+	if desiredReplicas == 0 && readyReplicas == 0 {
+		return PhaseStopped, nil
+	}
 	if !isMetal && deployment != nil {
 		schedulingInfo, err := r.getPodSchedulingInfo(ctx, isvc)
 		if err != nil {