diff --git a/.ocm/base-component.yaml b/.ocm/base-component.yaml
index c0840ab1..0cb35c30 100644
--- a/.ocm/base-component.yaml
+++ b/.ocm/base-component.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 componentReferences:
 - componentName: github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager
   name: machine-controller-manager
-  version: v0.60.2
+  version: v0.61.0
 main-source:
   labels:
   - name: cloud.gardener.cnudie/dso/scanning-hints/source_analysis/v1
diff --git a/.ocm/release-notes/github.com_gardener_machine-controller-manager_v0.61.0.release-notes.yaml b/.ocm/release-notes/github.com_gardener_machine-controller-manager_v0.61.0.release-notes.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5cfc4313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ocm/release-notes/github.com_gardener_machine-controller-manager_v0.61.0.release-notes.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+ocm:
+  component_name: github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager
+  component_version: v0.61.0
+release_notes:
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: gagan16k
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: Fixed spurious warning logs for machines without `force-deletion` label
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1057](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1057)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: user
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: gagan16k
+  category: feature
+  contents: Users with delete permissions can simply use `kubectl delete node` to
+    delete backing Machine. `node.machine.sapcloud.io/trigger-deletion-by-mcm` annotation
+    on Node no longer supported for indirect deletion of Machine
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1055](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1055)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: developer
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: thiyyakat
+  category: doc
+  contents: Added proposal for the temporary preservation of machines.
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1031](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1031)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: r4mek
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: Made changes to reconcileClusterMachineTermination to avoid duplicate
+    reconciliations
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1056](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1056)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: r4mek
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: Updated machineclass reconciliation to avoid unnecessary machine requeues
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1056](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1056)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: maboehm
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: Fix panic if provider does not support Driver.InitializeMachine
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1032](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1032)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: Duciwuci
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: The metric for the `machine_current_status_phase` has been fixed and is
+    not reporting removed Machines anymore
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1058](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1058)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: takoverflow
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: Added a safeguard to delay deletion of machines that are undergoing a
+    `Create` Request to prevent orphaning of VMs.
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1036](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1036)'
+  type: standard
+- audience: operator
+  author:
+    hostname: github.com
+    type: githubUser
+    username: acumino
+  category: bugfix
+  contents: Fixed an issue where deleting a machine from an old MachineSet could prevent
+    proper scaling. The new MachineSet now scales up when total replicas (old + new)
+    drop below the desired count, ensuring replacements are created with the updated
+    configuration.
+  mimetype: text/markdown
+  reference: '[#1052](https://github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager/pull/1052)'
+  type: standard
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 34030e97..c54c76ae 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ go 1.25.0
 require (
 	github.com/ahmetb/gen-crd-api-reference-docs v0.3.0
 	github.com/gardener/gardener v1.133.0
-	github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager v0.60.2
+	github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager v0.61.0
 	github.com/gophercloud/gophercloud/v2 v2.8.0
 	github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2 v2.27.1
 	github.com/onsi/gomega v1.38.2
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8c12260f..2c073a38 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.9.0 h1:NpKPmjDBgUfBms6tr6JZkTHtfFGcMKsw3eGcmD/sa
 github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.9.0/go.mod h1:vM4b+DJCtHn+zz7h3FFp/hDAI9WNWCsZj23V5ytsSxQ=
 github.com/gardener/gardener v1.133.0 h1:c9GU49q5AWKpFEpMMCSGJedP35NH45jbUP2cde4ae0s=
 github.com/gardener/gardener v1.133.0/go.mod h1:/2XiXt5u16zUxHP07jHpy0BVuQYB5EfCS6jqQWB62Tw=
-github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager v0.60.2 h1:lY6z67lDlwl9dQUEmlJbrmpxWK10o/rVRUu4JB7xK4U=
-github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager v0.60.2/go.mod h1:8eE1qLztrWIbOM71mHSQGaC6Q+pl5lvOyN08qP39D7o=
+github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager v0.61.0 h1:9Q57QKyvkTThXI97jhPRjolbf9X1Gz5JPxylfaX5Iw4=
+github.com/gardener/machine-controller-manager v0.61.0/go.mod h1:8eE1qLztrWIbOM71mHSQGaC6Q+pl5lvOyN08qP39D7o=
 github.com/gkampitakis/ciinfo v0.3.2 h1:JcuOPk8ZU7nZQjdUhctuhQofk7BGHuIy0c9Ez8BNhXs=
 github.com/gkampitakis/ciinfo v0.3.2/go.mod h1:1NIwaOcFChN4fa/B0hEBdAb6npDlFL8Bwx4dfRLRqAo=
 github.com/gkampitakis/go-diff v1.3.2 h1:Qyn0J9XJSDTgnsgHRdz9Zp24RaJeKMUHg2+PDZZdC4M=