diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/DefaultContext.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/DefaultContext.java
index 4c8b857d47..ce6f67176c 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/DefaultContext.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/DefaultContext.java
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public DefaultContext<P> setRetryInfo(RetryInfo retryInfo) {
     return this;
   }
 
-    public P getPrimaryResource() {
-        return primaryResource;
-    }
+  public P getPrimaryResource() {
+    return primaryResource;
+  }
 }
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 8c502d41ff..baa7c36121 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
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ class ReconciliationDispatcher<P extends HasMetadata> {
 
   public ReconciliationDispatcher(Controller<P> controller) {
     this(controller,
-        new CustomResourceFacade<>(controller.getCRClient(), controller.getConfiguration()));
+        new CustomResourceFacade<>(controller.getCRClient(), controller.getConfiguration(),
+                controller.getConfiguration().getConfigurationService().getResourceCloner()));
   }
 
   public PostExecutionControl<P> handleExecution(ExecutionScope<P> executionScope) {
@@ -364,14 +365,16 @@ static class CustomResourceFacade<R extends HasMetadata> {
     private final MixedOperation<R, KubernetesResourceList<R>, Resource<R>> resourceOperation;
     private final boolean useSSA;
     private final String fieldManager;
+    private final Cloner cloner;
 
     public CustomResourceFacade(
-        MixedOperation<R, KubernetesResourceList<R>, Resource<R>> resourceOperation,
-        ControllerConfiguration<R> configuration) {
+            MixedOperation<R, KubernetesResourceList<R>, Resource<R>> resourceOperation,
+            ControllerConfiguration<R> configuration, Cloner cloner) {
       this.resourceOperation = resourceOperation;
       this.useSSA =
           configuration.getConfigurationService().useSSAToPatchPrimaryResource();
       this.fieldManager = configuration.fieldManager();
+      this.cloner = cloner;
     }
 
     public R getResource(String namespace, String name) {
@@ -402,30 +405,37 @@ public R patchResource(R resource, R originalResource) {
 
     public R patchStatus(R resource, R originalResource) {
       log.trace("Patching status for resource: {} with ssa: {}", resource, useSSA);
+      if (useSSA) {
+        var managedFields = resource.getMetadata().getManagedFields();
+        try {
+          resource.getMetadata().setManagedFields(null);
+          var res = resource(resource);
+          return res.subresource("status").patch(new PatchContext.Builder()
+              .withFieldManager(fieldManager)
+              .withForce(true)
+              .withPatchType(PatchType.SERVER_SIDE_APPLY)
+              .build());
+        } finally {
+          resource.getMetadata().setManagedFields(managedFields);
+        }
+      } else {
+        return editStatus(resource, originalResource);
+      }
+    }
+
+    private R editStatus(R resource, R originalResource) {
       String resourceVersion = resource.getMetadata().getResourceVersion();
-      originalResource.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(null);
-      resource.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(null);
+      // the cached resource should not be changed in any circumstances
+      // that can lead to all kinds of race conditions.
+      R clonedOriginal = cloner.clone(originalResource);
       try {
-        if (useSSA) {
-          var managedFields = resource.getMetadata().getManagedFields();
-          try {
-            resource.getMetadata().setManagedFields(null);
-            var res = resource(resource);
-            return res.subresource("status").patch(new PatchContext.Builder()
-                .withFieldManager(fieldManager)
-                .withForce(true)
-                .withPatchType(PatchType.SERVER_SIDE_APPLY)
-                .build());
-          } finally {
-            resource.getMetadata().setManagedFields(managedFields);
-          }
-        } else {
-          var res = resource(originalResource);
-          return res.editStatus(r -> resource);
-        }
+        clonedOriginal.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(null);
+        resource.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(null);
+        var res = resource(clonedOriginal);
+        return res.editStatus(r -> resource);
       } finally {
         // restore initial resource version
-        originalResource.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(resourceVersion);
+        clonedOriginal.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(resourceVersion);
         resource.getMetadata().setResourceVersion(resourceVersion);
       }
     }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcherTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcherTest.java
index e5fe1c5882..f8f0c59845 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcherTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ReconciliationDispatcherTest.java
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
-import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.utils.KubernetesSerialization;
-import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.DefaultContext;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
@@ -19,6 +17,7 @@
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ObjectMeta;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.CustomResource;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientException;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.utils.KubernetesSerialization;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.MockKubernetesClient;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.OperatorException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.TestUtils;
@@ -29,6 +28,7 @@
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.MockControllerConfiguration;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Cleaner;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Context;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.DefaultContext;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.DeleteControl;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.ErrorStatusUpdateControl;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Reconciler;
@@ -70,8 +70,9 @@ void setup() {
   }
 
   static void initConfigService(boolean useSSA) {
-      initConfigService(useSSA,true);
+    initConfigService(useSSA, true);
   }
+
   static void initConfigService(boolean useSSA, boolean noCloning) {
     /*
      * We need this for mock reconcilers to properly generate the expected UpdateControl: without
@@ -82,18 +83,19 @@ static void initConfigService(boolean useSSA, boolean noCloning) {
      */
     configurationService =
         ConfigurationService.newOverriddenConfigurationService(new BaseConfigurationService(),
-            overrider ->  overrider.checkingCRDAndValidateLocalModel(false)
+            overrider -> overrider.checkingCRDAndValidateLocalModel(false)
 
                 .withResourceCloner(new Cloner() {
                   @Override
                   public <R extends HasMetadata> R clone(R object) {
-                  if (noCloning) {
-                    return object;
-                  }else {
-                    return new KubernetesSerialization().clone(object);
+                    if (noCloning) {
+                      return object;
+                    } else {
+                      return new KubernetesSerialization().clone(object);
+                    }
                   }
-                }})
-                    .withUseSSAToPatchPrimaryResource(useSSA));
+                })
+                .withUseSSAToPatchPrimaryResource(useSSA));
   }
 
   private <R extends HasMetadata> ReconciliationDispatcher<R> init(R customResource,
@@ -669,22 +671,24 @@ void reSchedulesFromErrorHandler() {
 
   @Test
   void reconcilerContextUsesTheSameInstanceOfResourceAsParam() {
-    initConfigService(false,false);
+    initConfigService(false, false);
 
     final ReconciliationDispatcher<TestCustomResource> dispatcher =
-            init(testCustomResource, reconciler, null, customResourceFacade, true);
+        init(testCustomResource, reconciler, null, customResourceFacade, true);
 
     testCustomResource.addFinalizer(DEFAULT_FINALIZER);
-    ArgumentCaptor<DefaultContext> contextArgumentCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(DefaultContext.class);
-    ArgumentCaptor<TestCustomResource> customResourceCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(TestCustomResource.class);
+    ArgumentCaptor<DefaultContext> contextArgumentCaptor =
+        ArgumentCaptor.forClass(DefaultContext.class);
+    ArgumentCaptor<TestCustomResource> customResourceCaptor =
+        ArgumentCaptor.forClass(TestCustomResource.class);
 
     dispatcher.handleExecution(executionScopeWithCREvent(testCustomResource));
-      verify(reconciler, times(1))
-              .reconcile(customResourceCaptor.capture(), contextArgumentCaptor.capture());
+    verify(reconciler, times(1))
+        .reconcile(customResourceCaptor.capture(), contextArgumentCaptor.capture());
 
-      assertThat(contextArgumentCaptor.getValue().getPrimaryResource())
-              .isSameAs(customResourceCaptor.getValue())
-              .isNotSameAs(testCustomResource);
+    assertThat(contextArgumentCaptor.getValue().getPrimaryResource())
+        .isSameAs(customResourceCaptor.getValue())
+        .isNotSameAs(testCustomResource);
   }
 
   private ObservedGenCustomResource createObservedGenCustomResource() {
diff --git a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java
index 45cd85b468..14bc096ff2 100644
--- a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java
+++ b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java
@@ -8,13 +8,9 @@
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.time.Duration;
-import java.util.ArrayDeque;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Deque;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -22,7 +18,6 @@
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
-import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.NamespaceListVisitFromServerGetDeleteRecreateWaitApplicable;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtensionContext;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -49,7 +44,8 @@ public class LocallyRunOperatorExtension extends AbstractOperatorExtension {
   private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LocallyRunOperatorExtension.class);
   private static final int CRD_DELETE_TIMEOUT = 1000;
   private static final Set<AppliedCRD> appliedCRDs = new HashSet<>();
-  private static final boolean deleteCRDs = Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getProperty("testsuite.deleteCRDs", "true"));
+  private static final boolean deleteCRDs =
+      Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getProperty("testsuite.deleteCRDs", "true"));
 
   private final Operator operator;
   private final List<ReconcilerSpec> reconcilers;
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/changenamespace/ChangeNamespaceTestReconciler.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/changenamespace/ChangeNamespaceTestReconciler.java
index bac97514b6..fc14b0951f 100644
--- a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/changenamespace/ChangeNamespaceTestReconciler.java
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/changenamespace/ChangeNamespaceTestReconciler.java
@@ -45,13 +45,20 @@ public UpdateControl<ChangeNamespaceTestCustomResource> reconcile(
           .create();
     }
 
-    increaseNumberOfResourceExecutions(primary);
     if (primary.getStatus() == null) {
       primary.setStatus(new ChangeNamespaceTestCustomResourceStatus());
     }
+    increaseNumberOfResourceExecutions(primary);
+
+    var statusPatchResource = new ChangeNamespaceTestCustomResource();
+    statusPatchResource.setMetadata(new ObjectMetaBuilder()
+                    .withName(primary.getMetadata().getName())
+                    .withNamespace(primary.getMetadata().getNamespace())
+            .build());
+    statusPatchResource.setStatus(new ChangeNamespaceTestCustomResourceStatus());
     var statusUpdates = primary.getStatus().getNumberOfStatusUpdates();
-    primary.getStatus().setNumberOfStatusUpdates(statusUpdates + 1);
-    return UpdateControl.patchStatus(primary);
+    statusPatchResource.getStatus().setNumberOfStatusUpdates(statusUpdates + 1);
+    return UpdateControl.patchStatus(statusPatchResource);
   }
 
   private void increaseNumberOfResourceExecutions(ChangeNamespaceTestCustomResource primary) {
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchLockingReconciler.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchLockingReconciler.java
index 9cafaa26ec..46f0e63331 100644
--- a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchLockingReconciler.java
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchLockingReconciler.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ public UpdateControl<StatusPatchLockingCustomResource> reconcile(
       throws InterruptedException {
     numberOfExecutions.addAndGet(1);
     Thread.sleep(WAIT_TIME);
+
     if (resource.getStatus() == null) {
       resource.setStatus(new StatusPatchLockingCustomResourceStatus());
     }
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchNotLockingIT.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchNotLockingForNonSSAIT.java
similarity index 95%
rename from operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchNotLockingIT.java
rename to operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchNotLockingForNonSSAIT.java
index 24ce2d1047..2363a86392 100644
--- a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchNotLockingIT.java
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/statuspatchnonlocking/StatusPatchNotLockingForNonSSAIT.java
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.awaitility.Awaitility.await;
 
-class StatusPatchNotLockingIT {
+class StatusPatchNotLockingForNonSSAIT {
 
   public static final String TEST_RESOURCE_NAME = "test";
 
   @RegisterExtension
   LocallyRunOperatorExtension operator =
       LocallyRunOperatorExtension.builder().withReconciler(StatusPatchLockingReconciler.class)
+          .withConfigurationService(o -> o.withUseSSAToPatchPrimaryResource(false))
           .build();
 
   @Test