diff --git a/operator-framework-core/pom.xml b/operator-framework-core/pom.xml
index a615428790..e5b42dfbb9 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework-core/pom.xml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
       <artifactId>openshift-client</artifactId>
+      <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
       <artifactId>kubernetes-server-mock</artifactId>
+      <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/ReconcilerUtils.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/ReconcilerUtils.java
index 26dc4cdcca..95aa7066c0 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/ReconcilerUtils.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/ReconcilerUtils.java
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ public static String getResourceTypeName(Class<? extends HasMetadata> resourceCl
     // return HasMetadata.getFullResourceName(resourceClass);
     final var group = HasMetadata.getGroup(resourceClass);
     final var plural = HasMetadata.getPlural(resourceClass);
-    return (group == null || group.isEmpty()) ? plural : plural + "." + group;
+    final var version = HasMetadata.getVersion(resourceClass);
+    return (group == null || group.isEmpty()) ? plural : plural + "." + group + "/" + version;
   }
 
   public static String getDefaultFinalizerName(Class<? extends HasMetadata> resourceClass) {
@@ -83,15 +84,16 @@ public static String getDefaultNameFor(Reconciler reconciler) {
   }
 
   public static String getDefaultNameFor(Class<? extends Reconciler> reconcilerClass) {
-    return getDefaultReconcilerName(reconcilerClass.getSimpleName());
+    return getDefaultReconcilerName(reconcilerClass.getCanonicalName());
   }
 
   public static String getDefaultReconcilerName(String reconcilerClassName) {
-    // if the name is fully qualified, extract the simple class name
-    final var lastDot = reconcilerClassName.lastIndexOf('.');
-    if (lastDot > 0) {
-      reconcilerClassName = reconcilerClassName.substring(lastDot + 1);
-    }
+    // TODO: check why this logic was imlpemented in first place
+    // // if the name is fully qualified, extract the simple class name
+    // final var lastDot = reconcilerClassName.lastIndexOf('.');
+    // if (lastDot > 0) {
+    // reconcilerClassName = reconcilerClassName.substring(lastDot + 1);
+    // }
     return reconcilerClassName.toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT);
   }
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java
index 5e93b0d7af..065d6c8fd8 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.GenericKubernetesResource;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.GenericKubernetesResourceList;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.HasMetadata;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.KubernetesResourceList;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.apiextensions.v1.CustomResourceDefinition;
@@ -10,6 +12,8 @@
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.MixedOperation;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.Resource;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.base.ResourceDefinitionContext;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.internal.KubernetesDeserializer;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.CustomResourceUtils;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.MissingCRDException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.OperatorException;
@@ -152,6 +156,13 @@ public MixedOperation<R, KubernetesResourceList<R>, Resource<R>> getCRClient() {
     return kubernetesClient.resources(configuration.getResourceClass());
   }
 
+  public MixedOperation<GenericKubernetesResource, GenericKubernetesResourceList, Resource<GenericKubernetesResource>> getGenericClient() {
+    var context = ResourceDefinitionContext.fromResourceType(configuration.getResourceClass());
+    KubernetesDeserializer.registerCustomKind(context.getVersion(), context.getKind(),
+        GenericKubernetesResource.class);
+    return kubernetesClient.genericKubernetesResources(context);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Registers the specified controller with this operator, overriding its default configuration by
    * the specified one (usually created via
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java
index 52374c5645..07cc6d1850 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcher.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class ReconciliationDispatcher<R extends HasMetadata> {
   }
 
   public ReconciliationDispatcher(Controller<R> controller) {
-    this(controller, new CustomResourceFacade<>(controller.getCRClient()));
+    this(controller, new CustomResourceFacade<R>(controller.getCRClient()));
   }
 
   public PostExecutionControl<R> handleExecution(ExecutionScope<R> executionScope) {
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceCache.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceCache.java
index 25c08d6af6..537a94ce90 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceCache.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceCache.java
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.GenericKubernetesResource;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.HasMetadata;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.SharedIndexInformer;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.utils.Serialization;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.Cloner;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.event.ResourceID;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.event.source.Cache;
@@ -17,30 +20,37 @@
 
 public class ControllerResourceCache<T extends HasMetadata> implements ResourceCache<T> {
 
-  private final Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<T>> sharedIndexInformers;
+  private final Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource>> sharedIndexInformers;
   private final Cloner cloner;
 
-  public ControllerResourceCache(Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<T>> sharedIndexInformers,
+  public ControllerResourceCache(
+      Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource>> sharedIndexInformers,
       Cloner cloner) {
     this.sharedIndexInformers = sharedIndexInformers;
     this.cloner = cloner;
   }
 
+  private Function<GenericKubernetesResource, T> CONVERT =
+      resource -> Serialization.unmarshal(Serialization.asJson(resource));
+
   @Override
   public Stream<T> list(Predicate<T> predicate) {
     return sharedIndexInformers.values().stream()
-        .flatMap(i -> i.getStore().list().stream().filter(predicate));
+        .flatMap(i -> i.getStore().list().stream()
+            .map(CONVERT).filter(predicate));
   }
 
   @Override
   public Stream<T> list(String namespace, Predicate<T> predicate) {
     if (isWatchingAllNamespaces()) {
       final var stream = sharedIndexInformers.get(ANY_NAMESPACE_MAP_KEY).getStore().list().stream()
-          .filter(r -> r.getMetadata().getNamespace().equals(namespace));
+          .map(CONVERT).filter(r -> r.getMetadata().getNamespace().equals(namespace));
       return predicate != null ? stream.filter(predicate) : stream;
     } else {
       final var informer = sharedIndexInformers.get(namespace);
-      return informer != null ? informer.getStore().list().stream().filter(predicate)
+      return informer != null
+          ? informer.getStore().list().stream()
+              .map(CONVERT).filter(predicate)
           : Stream.empty();
     }
   }
@@ -59,7 +69,7 @@ public Optional<T> get(ResourceID resourceID) {
     if (resource == null) {
       return Optional.empty();
     } else {
-      return Optional.of(cloner.clone(resource));
+      return Optional.of(cloner.clone(resource)).map(CONVERT);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSource.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSource.java
index 9feabf40bf..1138c53f5d 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSource.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/controller/ControllerResourceEventSource.java
@@ -9,12 +9,14 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.GenericKubernetesResource;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.GenericKubernetesResourceList;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.HasMetadata;
-import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.KubernetesResourceList;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientException;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.FilterWatchListDeletable;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.ResourceEventHandler;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.SharedIndexInformer;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.utils.Serialization;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.MissingCRDException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ConfigurationService;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ControllerConfiguration;
@@ -29,19 +31,20 @@
 
 public class ControllerResourceEventSource<T extends HasMetadata>
     extends AbstractResourceEventSource<T, T>
-    implements ResourceEventHandler<T> {
+    implements ResourceEventHandler<GenericKubernetesResource> {
 
   public static final String ANY_NAMESPACE_MAP_KEY = "anyNamespace";
 
   private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ControllerResourceEventSource.class);
 
   private final Controller<T> controller;
-  private final Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<T>> sharedIndexInformers =
+  private final Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource>> sharedIndexInformers =
       new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
   private final ResourceEventFilter<T> filter;
   private final OnceWhitelistEventFilterEventFilter<T> onceWhitelistEventFilterEventFilter;
   private final ControllerResourceCache<T> cache;
+  private final String CRVersion;
 
   public ControllerResourceEventSource(Controller<T> controller) {
     super(controller.getConfiguration().getResourceClass());
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ public ControllerResourceEventSource(Controller<T> controller) {
     final var configurationService = controller.getConfiguration().getConfigurationService();
     var cloner = configurationService != null ? configurationService.getResourceCloner()
         : ConfigurationService.DEFAULT_CLONER;
-    this.cache = new ControllerResourceCache<>(sharedIndexInformers, cloner);
+    this.cache = new ControllerResourceCache<T>(sharedIndexInformers, cloner);
 
     var filters = new ResourceEventFilter[] {
         ResourceEventFilters.finalizerNeededAndApplied(),
@@ -69,13 +72,18 @@ public ControllerResourceEventSource(Controller<T> controller) {
     } else {
       filter = ResourceEventFilters.or(filters);
     }
+
+    var resourceClass = controller.getConfiguration().getResourceClass();
+    // TODO: check if we should use: HasMetadata.getFullResourceName(resourceClass);
+    this.CRVersion =
+        HasMetadata.getGroup(resourceClass) + "/" + HasMetadata.getVersion(resourceClass);
   }
 
   @Override
   public void start() {
     final var configuration = controller.getConfiguration();
     final var targetNamespaces = configuration.getEffectiveNamespaces();
-    final var client = controller.getCRClient();
+    final var client = controller.getGenericClient();
     final var labelSelector = configuration.getLabelSelector();
 
     try {
@@ -100,8 +108,9 @@ public void start() {
     super.start();
   }
 
-  private SharedIndexInformer<T> createAndRunInformerFor(
-      FilterWatchListDeletable<T, KubernetesResourceList<T>> filteredBySelectorClient, String key) {
+  private SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource> createAndRunInformerFor(
+      FilterWatchListDeletable<GenericKubernetesResource, GenericKubernetesResourceList> filteredBySelectorClient,
+      String key) {
     var informer = filteredBySelectorClient.runnableInformer(0);
     informer.addEventHandler(this);
     sharedIndexInformers.put(key, informer);
@@ -111,7 +120,7 @@ private SharedIndexInformer<T> createAndRunInformerFor(
 
   @Override
   public void stop() {
-    for (SharedIndexInformer<T> informer : sharedIndexInformers.values()) {
+    for (SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource> informer : sharedIndexInformers.values()) {
       try {
         log.info("Stopping informer {} -> {}", controller, informer);
         informer.stop();
@@ -143,19 +152,49 @@ public void eventReceived(ResourceAction action, T customResource, T oldResource
     }
   }
 
+  private String extractUnderlyingCRVersion(GenericKubernetesResource resource) {
+    return resource
+        .getMetadata()
+        .getManagedFields()
+        .get(0)
+        .getApiVersion();
+  }
+
   @Override
-  public void onAdd(T resource) {
-    eventReceived(ResourceAction.ADDED, resource, null);
+  public void onAdd(GenericKubernetesResource genericKubernetesResource) {
+    if (CRVersion.equals(extractUnderlyingCRVersion(genericKubernetesResource))) {
+      var resource = Serialization.unmarshal(
+          Serialization.asJson(genericKubernetesResource), this.getResourceClass());
+      eventReceived(ResourceAction.ADDED, resource, null);
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void onUpdate(T oldCustomResource, T newCustomResource) {
-    eventReceived(ResourceAction.UPDATED, newCustomResource, oldCustomResource);
+  public void onUpdate(GenericKubernetesResource oldResource,
+      GenericKubernetesResource newResource) {
+    if (CRVersion.equals(extractUnderlyingCRVersion(newResource))) {
+      var newCustomResource = Serialization.unmarshal(
+          Serialization.asJson(newResource), this.getResourceClass());
+
+      // Best effort try to deserialize the old CR with the same deserializer as the new
+      T oldCustomResource = null;
+      try {
+        oldCustomResource = Serialization.unmarshal(
+            Serialization.asJson(newResource), this.getResourceClass());
+      } catch (Exception e) {
+        // ignored
+      }
+      eventReceived(ResourceAction.UPDATED, newCustomResource, oldCustomResource);
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void onDelete(T resource, boolean b) {
-    eventReceived(ResourceAction.DELETED, resource, null);
+  public void onDelete(GenericKubernetesResource genericKubernetesResource, boolean b) {
+    if (CRVersion.equals(extractUnderlyingCRVersion(genericKubernetesResource))) {
+      var resource = Serialization.unmarshal(
+          Serialization.asJson(genericKubernetesResource), this.getResourceClass());
+      eventReceived(ResourceAction.DELETED, resource, null);
+    }
   }
 
   public Optional<T> get(ResourceID resourceID) {
@@ -170,11 +209,11 @@ public ControllerResourceCache<T> getResourceCache() {
    * @return shared informers by namespace. If custom resource is not namespace scoped use
    *         CustomResourceEventSource.ANY_NAMESPACE_MAP_KEY
    */
-  public Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<T>> getInformers() {
+  public Map<String, SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource>> getInformers() {
     return Collections.unmodifiableMap(sharedIndexInformers);
   }
 
-  public SharedIndexInformer<T> getInformer(String namespace) {
+  public SharedIndexInformer<GenericKubernetesResource> getInformer(String namespace) {
     return getInformers().get(Objects.requireNonNullElse(namespace, ANY_NAMESPACE_MAP_KEY));
   }
 
@@ -206,4 +245,5 @@ private void handleKubernetesClientException(Exception e) {
   public Optional<T> getAssociated(T primary) {
     return cache.get(ResourceID.fromResource(primary));
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 22bc63c36b..7ce7522983 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
         <sonar.host.url>https://sonarcloud.io</sonar.host.url>
 
         <junit.version>5.8.2</junit.version>
-        <fabric8-client.version>5.11.2</fabric8-client.version>
+        <fabric8-client.version>6.0-SNAPSHOT</fabric8-client.version>
         <slf4j.version>1.7.33</slf4j.version>
         <log4j.version>2.17.1</log4j.version>
         <mokito.version>4.2.0</mokito.version>