diff --git a/changes/42405-android-onc-after-cert b/changes/42405-android-onc-after-cert
index 95cbec0e14f..284c2ce848a 100644
--- a/changes/42405-android-onc-after-cert
+++ b/changes/42405-android-onc-after-cert
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 - Android Wi-Fi configuration profiles (`openNetworkConfiguration` with `ClientCertKeyPairAlias`) are now withheld until the referenced certificate is installed or terminally failed on the device.
 - The host OS settings detail column now shows the reason when an Android profile is pending due to a certificate dependency.
+- `fleetctl gitops` now processes Android certificates before Android profiles
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates.go b/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates.go
index 2fc6f028a2a..6b86c45b3b2 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates.go
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ func (ds *Datastore) RequeueWithheldONCProfilesForHost(ctx context.Context, host
 		WHERE host_uuid = ? AND status = ? AND detail LIKE ?`,
 		hostUUID, fleet.MDMDeliveryPending, fleet.ONCProfileWithheldDetailPrefix+"%",
 	)
-	return ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err, "requeue pending android profiles for host")
+	return ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err, "requeue withheld ONC profiles for host")
 }
 
 // RetryHostCertificateTemplate resets a failed certificate to pending for automatic retry,
@@ -618,11 +618,27 @@ func (ds *Datastore) RevertStaleCertificateTemplates(
 // For a given certificate template ID, it deletes any rows with status in (pending, failed)
 // and operation_type=install, then updates rows with operation_type=install to pending remove.
 // Rows already in remove state are left unchanged (idempotent).
+//
+// Also requeues any withheld ONC profiles for affected hosts within the same transaction,
+// so the reconciler releases them on its next cycle.
 func (ds *Datastore) SetHostCertificateTemplatesToPendingRemove(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	certificateTemplateID uint,
 ) error {
 	return ds.withRetryTxx(ctx, func(tx sqlx.ExtContext) error {
+		// Requeue withheld ONC profiles for all hosts with this cert template.
+		// Must run before deleting host_certificate_templates rows since the
+		// subquery needs them to find affected hosts.
+		if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx,
+			`UPDATE host_mdm_android_profiles SET status = NULL
+			WHERE host_uuid IN (
+				SELECT host_uuid FROM host_certificate_templates WHERE certificate_template_id = ?
+			) AND status = ? AND detail LIKE ?`,
+			certificateTemplateID, fleet.MDMDeliveryPending, fleet.ONCProfileWithheldDetailPrefix+"%",
+		); err != nil {
+			return ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err, "requeue withheld ONC profiles for cert template removal")
+		}
+
 		// Delete rows with status in (pending, failed) and operation_type=install
 		// These certificates were never successfully installed on the device
 		deleteStmt := fmt.Sprintf(`
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates_test.go b/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates_test.go
index 4a1bfad0314..3e2815adc2a 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/host_certificate_templates_test.go
@@ -1115,9 +1115,31 @@ func testSetHostCertificateTemplatesToPendingRemove(t *testing.T, ds *Datastore)
 		)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
+		// Insert a withheld ONC profile for host-delivered to verify it gets requeued
+		// when the cert template is removed.
+		withheldStatus := fleet.MDMDeliveryPending
+		err = ds.BulkUpsertMDMAndroidHostProfiles(ctx, []*fleet.MDMAndroidProfilePayload{{
+			HostUUID:      "host-delivered",
+			ProfileUUID:   "prof-onc-wifi",
+			ProfileName:   "onc-wifi",
+			Status:        &withheldStatus,
+			OperationType: fleet.MDMOperationTypeInstall,
+			Detail:        fleet.ONCProfileWithheldDetailPrefix + ` "wifi-cert" to be installed on the host before applying this profile.`,
+		}})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
 		err = ds.SetHostCertificateTemplatesToPendingRemove(ctx, setup.template.ID)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
+		// Verify the withheld ONC profile was requeued (status set to NULL).
+		// We query raw SQL here because GetHostMDMAndroidProfiles coalesces NULL to 'pending'.
+		var oncStatus *string
+		err = ds.writer(ctx).GetContext(ctx, &oncStatus,
+			"SELECT status FROM host_mdm_android_profiles WHERE host_uuid = ? AND profile_uuid = ?",
+			"host-delivered", "prof-onc-wifi")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Nil(t, oncStatus, "withheld ONC profile should have status reset to NULL")
+
 		// Verify the pending row was deleted
 		var count int
 		err = ds.writer(ctx).GetContext(ctx, &count,
diff --git a/server/service/client.go b/server/service/client.go
index 6c1f4183b97..59e4c5bc75f 100644
--- a/server/service/client.go
+++ b/server/service/client.go
@@ -2453,12 +2453,11 @@ func (c *Client) DoGitOps(
 		}
 	}
 
-	err = c.doGitOpsPolicies(incoming, teamSoftwareInstallers, teamVPPApps, teamScripts, logFn, dryRun)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	// Apply Android certificates if present
+	// Apply Android certificates before policies so that certificate templates
+	// exist on the server before the profile reconciler's next cron cycle. This
+	// prevents a race where the cron fires after profiles are uploaded (by
+	// ApplyGroup above) but before cert templates exist, which would cause ONC
+	// profiles to be sent without waiting for the cert.
 	err = c.doGitOpsAndroidCertificates(incoming, logFn, dryRun)
 	if err != nil {
 		var gitOpsErr *gitOpsValidationError
@@ -2468,6 +2467,11 @@ func (c *Client) DoGitOps(
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	err = c.doGitOpsPolicies(incoming, teamSoftwareInstallers, teamVPPApps, teamScripts, logFn, dryRun)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// apply icon changes from software installers and VPP apps
 	if len(teamSoftwareInstallers) > 0 || len(teamVPPApps) > 0 {
 		iconUpdates := fleet.IconChanges{}.WithUploadedHashes(iconSettings.UploadedHashes).WithSoftware(teamSoftwareInstallers, teamVPPApps)