diff --git a/cmd/driver-manager/main.go b/cmd/driver-manager/main.go
index 2a1857fd..72cecbb8 100644
--- a/cmd/driver-manager/main.go
+++ b/cmd/driver-manager/main.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -40,14 +41,25 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	driverRoot          = "/run/nvidia/driver"
-	driverPIDFile       = "/run/nvidia/nvidia-driver.pid"
-	operatorNamespace   = "gpu-operator"
-	pausedStr           = "paused-for-driver-upgrade"
-	defaultDrainTimeout = time.Second * 0
-	defaultGracePeriod  = 5 * time.Minute
+	driverRoot            = "/run/nvidia/driver"
+	driverPIDFile         = "/run/nvidia/nvidia-driver.pid"
+	driverConfigStateFile = "/run/nvidia/driver-config.state"
+	operatorNamespace     = "gpu-operator"
+	pausedStr             = "paused-for-driver-upgrade"
+	defaultDrainTimeout   = time.Second * 0
+	defaultGracePeriod    = 5 * time.Minute
 
 	nvidiaDomainPrefix = "nvidia.com"
+)
+
+var (
+	// Driver module config files
+	driverConfigFiles = []string{
+		"/drivers/nvidia.conf",
+		"/drivers/nvidia-uvm.conf",
+		"/drivers/nvidia-modeset.conf",
+		"/drivers/nvidia-peermem.conf",
+	}
 
 	nvidiaDriverDeployLabel              = nvidiaDomainPrefix + "/" + "gpu.deploy.driver"
 	nvidiaOperatorValidatorDeployLabel   = nvidiaDomainPrefix + "/" + "gpu.deploy.operator-validator"
@@ -77,6 +89,8 @@ type config struct {
 	gpuDirectRDMAEnabled       bool
 	useHostMofed               bool
 	kubeconfig                 string
+	driverVersion              string
+	forceReinstall             bool
 }
 
 // ComponentState tracks the deployment state of GPU operator components
@@ -208,6 +222,20 @@ func main() {
 			EnvVars:     []string{"KUBECONFIG"},
 			Value:       "",
 		},
+		&cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:        "driver-version",
+			Usage:       "Desired NVIDIA driver version",
+			Destination: &cfg.driverVersion,
+			EnvVars:     []string{"DRIVER_VERSION"},
+			Value:       "",
+		},
+		&cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:        "force-reinstall",
+			Usage:       "Force driver reinstall regardless of current state",
+			Destination: &cfg.forceReinstall,
+			EnvVars:     []string{"FORCE_REINSTALL"},
+			Value:       false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	app.Commands = []*cli.Command{
@@ -288,6 +316,14 @@ func (dm *DriverManager) uninstallDriver() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to evict GPU operator components: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if skip, reason := dm.shouldSkipUninstall(); skip {
+		dm.log.Infof("Skipping driver uninstall: %s", reason)
+		if err := dm.rescheduleGPUOperatorComponents(); err != nil {
+			dm.log.Warnf("Failed to reschedule GPU operator components: %v", err)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	drainOpts := kube.DrainOptions{
 		Force:              dm.config.drainUseForce,
 		DeleteEmptyDirData: dm.config.drainDeleteEmptyDirData,
@@ -629,6 +665,93 @@ func (dm *DriverManager) isDriverLoaded() bool {
 	return err == nil
 }
 
+// getConfigValueOrDefault extracts a value from config by key, falling back to defaultVal if key not found
+func getConfigValueOrDefault(config, key, defaultVal string) string {
+	if defaultVal != "" {
+		return defaultVal
+	}
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(config, "\n") {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(line, key+"=") {
+			return strings.TrimPrefix(line, key+"=")
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// getKernelVersion returns the current kernel version
+func getKernelVersion() string {
+	var utsname unix.Utsname
+	if err := unix.Uname(&utsname); err != nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return string(utsname.Release[:bytes.IndexByte(utsname.Release[:], 0)])
+}
+
+// buildCurrentConfig constructs the current driver configuration string
+func (dm *DriverManager) buildCurrentConfig(storedConfig string) string {
+	driverVersion := getConfigValueOrDefault(storedConfig, "DRIVER_VERSION", dm.config.driverVersion)
+	kernelVersion := getConfigValueOrDefault(storedConfig, "KERNEL_VERSION", getKernelVersion())
+	kernelModuleType := getConfigValueOrDefault(storedConfig, "KERNEL_MODULE_TYPE", os.Getenv("KERNEL_MODULE_TYPE"))
+
+	var config strings.Builder
+	config.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("DRIVER_VERSION=%s\n", driverVersion))
+	config.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("KERNEL_VERSION=%s\n", kernelVersion))
+	config.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("GPU_DIRECT_RDMA_ENABLED=%v\n", dm.config.gpuDirectRDMAEnabled))
+	config.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("USE_HOST_MOFED=%v\n", dm.config.useHostMofed))
+	config.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("KERNEL_MODULE_TYPE=%s\n", kernelModuleType))
+
+	// Append config file contents directly
+	for _, file := range driverConfigFiles {
+		if data, err := os.ReadFile(file); err == nil && len(data) > 0 {
+			config.Write(data)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return config.String()
+}
+
+// hasDriverConfigChanged checks if the current driver configuration differs from stored state
+func (dm *DriverManager) hasDriverConfigChanged() (bool, string) {
+	storedData, err := os.ReadFile(driverConfigStateFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return true, "no previous driver configuration found"
+		}
+		dm.log.Warnf("Failed to read driver config state file: %v", err)
+		return true, "unable to read previous driver configuration"
+	}
+
+	storedConfig := string(storedData)
+	currentConfig := dm.buildCurrentConfig(storedConfig)
+
+	if currentConfig == storedConfig {
+		return false, ""
+	}
+
+	return true, "driver configuration changed"
+}
+
+func (dm *DriverManager) shouldSkipUninstall() (bool, string) {
+	if dm.config.forceReinstall {
+		dm.log.Info("Force reinstall is enabled, proceeding with driver uninstall")
+		return false, ""
+	}
+
+	if !dm.isDriverLoaded() {
+		dm.log.Info("Driver not currently loaded, proceeding with installation")
+		return false, ""
+	}
+
+	// Check if driver configuration (including version) has changed
+	if configChanged, reason := dm.hasDriverConfigChanged(); configChanged {
+		dm.log.Infof("Driver configuration has changed: %s", reason)
+		return false, reason
+	}
+
+	dm.log.Info("Installed driver version and configuration match desired state, skipping uninstall")
+	return true, "desired version and configuration already present"
+}
+
 func (dm *DriverManager) isNouveauLoaded() bool {
 	_, err := os.Stat("/sys/module/nouveau/refcnt")
 	return err == nil