diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/EventDispatcher.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/EventDispatcher.java
index 7ed0e25aca..79cf21bab9 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/EventDispatcher.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/EventDispatcher.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 /**
  * Dispatches events to the Controller and handles Finalizers for a single type of Custom Resource.
  */
-class EventDispatcher<R extends CustomResource<?, ?>> {
+public class EventDispatcher<R extends CustomResource<?, ?>> {
 
   private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(EventDispatcher.class);
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/DefaultEventSourceManager.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/DefaultEventSourceManager.java
index ff7ba37b15..3aad5131f8 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/DefaultEventSourceManager.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/DefaultEventSourceManager.java
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.CustomResource;
-import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.MissingCRDException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.OperatorException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.ConfiguredController;
@@ -85,16 +84,10 @@ public final void registerEventSource(String name, EventSource eventSource)
       eventSource.setEventHandler(defaultEventHandler);
       eventSource.start();
     } catch (Throwable e) {
-      if (e instanceof IllegalStateException) {
+      if (e instanceof IllegalStateException || e instanceof MissingCRDException) {
         // leave untouched
         throw e;
       }
-      if (e instanceof KubernetesClientException) {
-        KubernetesClientException ke = (KubernetesClientException) e;
-        if (404 == ke.getCode()) {
-          throw new MissingCRDException(null, null);
-        }
-      }
       throw new OperatorException("Couldn't register event source named '" + name + "'", e);
     } finally {
       lock.unlock();
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/internal/CustomResourceEventSource.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/internal/CustomResourceEventSource.java
index 5c9f97621d..89f81efdf2 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/internal/CustomResourceEventSource.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/internal/CustomResourceEventSource.java
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ListOptions;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.CustomResource;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientException;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.Watch;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.Watcher;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.WatcherException;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.utils.Utils;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.MissingCRDException;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ControllerConfiguration;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.ConfiguredController;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.CustomResourceCache;
@@ -54,17 +56,31 @@ public void start() {
       options.setLabelSelector(labelSelector);
     }
 
-    if (ControllerConfiguration.allNamespacesWatched(targetNamespaces)) {
-      var w = client.inAnyNamespace().watch(options, this);
-      watches.add(w);
-      log.debug("Registered {} -> {} for any namespace", controller, w);
-    } else {
-      targetNamespaces.forEach(
-          ns -> {
-            var w = client.inNamespace(ns).watch(options, this);
-            watches.add(w);
-            log.debug("Registered {} -> {} for namespace: {}", controller, w, ns);
-          });
+    try {
+      if (ControllerConfiguration.allNamespacesWatched(targetNamespaces)) {
+        var w = client.inAnyNamespace().watch(options, this);
+        watches.add(w);
+        log.debug("Registered {} -> {} for any namespace", controller, w);
+      } else {
+        targetNamespaces.forEach(
+            ns -> {
+              var w = client.inNamespace(ns).watch(options, this);
+              watches.add(w);
+              log.debug("Registered {} -> {} for namespace: {}", controller, w, ns);
+            });
+      }
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      if (e instanceof KubernetesClientException) {
+        KubernetesClientException ke = (KubernetesClientException) e;
+        if (404 == ke.getCode()) {
+          // only throw MissingCRDException if the 404 error occurs on the target CRD
+          final var targetCRDName = controller.getConfiguration().getCRDName();
+          if (targetCRDName.equals(ke.getFullResourceName())) {
+            throw new MissingCRDException(targetCRDName, null);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      throw e;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index db32e5c2cc..52edf21105 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         <maven.compiler.target>${java.version}</maven.compiler.target>
 
         <junit.version>5.8.1</junit.version>
-        <fabric8-client.version>5.7.2</fabric8-client.version>
+        <fabric8-client.version>5.8.0</fabric8-client.version>
         <slf4j.version>1.7.32</slf4j.version>
         <log4j.version>2.14.1</log4j.version>
         <mokito.version>3.12.4</mokito.version>