diff --git a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimits.java b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimits.java
index 749db4601..57e9ba96b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimits.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimits.java
@@ -165,6 +165,48 @@ int getPodTemplateCount(String podTemplate) {
         return podTemplateCounts.getOrDefault(podTemplate, 0);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Unregister executors using persistent field values (cloudName and templateId).
+     * This method works correctly even after Jenkins restart when transient template references are null.
+     *
+     * @param cloudName the kubernetes cloud name
+     * @param podTemplateId the pod template ID
+     * @param numExecutors the number of executors (pretty much always 1)
+     */
+    public void unregisterByIds(@NonNull String cloudName, @NonNull String podTemplateId, int numExecutors) {
+        if (initInstance()) {
+            synchronized (this) {
+                // Decrement each counter independently if it was registered
+                int currentGlobalCount = getGlobalCount(cloudName);
+                if (currentGlobalCount > 0) {
+                    int newGlobalCount = currentGlobalCount - numExecutors;
+                    if (newGlobalCount < 0) {
+                        LOGGER.log(
+                                Level.WARNING,
+                                "Global count for " + cloudName
+                                        + " went below zero. There is likely a bug in kubernetes-plugin");
+                    }
+                    cloudCounts.put(cloudName, Math.max(0, newGlobalCount));
+                    LOGGER.log(Level.FINEST, () -> cloudName + " global limit: " + Math.max(0, newGlobalCount));
+                }
+
+                int currentPodTemplateCount = getPodTemplateCount(podTemplateId);
+                if (currentPodTemplateCount > 0) {
+                    int newPodTemplateCount = currentPodTemplateCount - numExecutors;
+                    if (newPodTemplateCount < 0) {
+                        LOGGER.log(
+                                Level.WARNING,
+                                "Pod template count for " + podTemplateId
+                                        + " went below zero. There is likely a bug in kubernetes-plugin");
+                    }
+                    podTemplateCounts.put(podTemplateId, Math.max(0, newPodTemplateCount));
+                    LOGGER.log(
+                            Level.FINEST, () -> podTemplateId + " template limit: " + Math.max(0, newPodTemplateCount));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     @Extension
     public static class NodeListenerImpl extends NodeListener {
         @Override
@@ -172,10 +214,10 @@ protected void onDeleted(@NonNull Node node) {
             if (node instanceof KubernetesSlave) {
                 KubernetesProvisioningLimits instance = KubernetesProvisioningLimits.get();
                 KubernetesSlave kubernetesNode = (KubernetesSlave) node;
-                PodTemplate template = kubernetesNode.getTemplateOrNull();
-                if (template != null) {
-                    instance.unregister(kubernetesNode.getKubernetesCloud(), template, node.getNumExecutors());
-                }
+                // Use persistent fields (cloudName, templateId) instead of transient template object
+                // This works correctly even after Jenkins restart when template reference is null
+                instance.unregisterByIds(
+                        kubernetesNode.getCloudName(), kubernetesNode.getTemplateId(), node.getNumExecutors());
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimitsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimitsTest.java
index 6e42cb797..0107ff70e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimitsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/csanchez/jenkins/plugins/kubernetes/KubernetesProvisioningLimitsTest.java
@@ -91,4 +91,51 @@ public void lotsOfCloudsAndTemplates() throws InterruptedException {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCounterDecrementAfterRestartWithEphemeralTemplate() throws Exception {
+        // Create a cloud with an ephemeral template
+        KubernetesCloud cloud = new KubernetesCloud("test-cloud");
+        cloud.setContainerCap(10);
+        j.jenkins.clouds.add(cloud);
+
+        // Create an ephemeral pod template (not saved to cloud config)
+        PodTemplate ephemeralTemplate = new PodTemplate();
+        ephemeralTemplate.setName("ephemeral-template");
+        ephemeralTemplate.setInstanceCap(5);
+
+        // Register the template (simulates agent creation)
+        KubernetesProvisioningLimits limits = KubernetesProvisioningLimits.get();
+        assertTrue("Should successfully register template", limits.register(cloud, ephemeralTemplate, 1));
+
+        // Get the template ID that was auto-generated
+        String templateId = ephemeralTemplate.getId();
+
+        // Verify counters were incremented after registration
+        assertEquals("Global count should be 1 after registration", 1, limits.getGlobalCount("test-cloud"));
+        assertEquals("Template count should be 1 after registration", 1, limits.getPodTemplateCount(templateId));
+
+        // Create a KubernetesSlave using Builder pattern
+        KubernetesSlave slave = new KubernetesSlave.Builder()
+                .podTemplate(ephemeralTemplate)
+                .cloud(cloud)
+                .nodeDescription("Test agent for counter leak fix")
+                .build();
+
+        // Add the slave to Jenkins
+        j.jenkins.addNode(slave);
+
+        // Simulate ephemeral template removal (happens with idleMinutes config after build completion)
+        cloud.removeTemplate(ephemeralTemplate);
+
+        // Remove the node (simulates agent deletion)
+        // The fix ensures counters are decremented using cloudName and templateId,
+        // even when template reference is null (as happens with ephemeral templates after removal/restart)
+        j.jenkins.removeNode(slave);
+
+        // After deletion, counters should be decremented back to 0
+        // This is the bug fix: should work even when template reference is null
+        assertEquals("Global count should be 0 after node deletion", 0, limits.getGlobalCount("test-cloud"));
+        assertEquals("Template count should be 0 after node deletion", 0, limits.getPodTemplateCount(templateId));
+    }
 }