diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3fef1fda..08705e48 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ IMAGE_NAME ?= ceph-csi-operator
 # Allow customization of the name prefix and/or namespace
 NAME_PREFIX ?= ceph-csi-operator-
 NAMESPACE ?= $(NAME_PREFIX)system
+# A comma separated list of namespaces for operator to cache objects from
+WATCH_NAMESPACE ?= ""
 
 IMG ?= $(IMAGE_REGISTRY)/$(REGISTRY_NAMESPACE)/$(IMAGE_NAME):$(IMAGE_TAG)
 
@@ -47,6 +49,11 @@ patches:
       value:
         name: CSI_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PREFIX
         value: $(NAME_PREFIX)
+    - op: add
+      path: /spec/template/spec/containers/1/env/-
+      value:
+        name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
+        value: $(WATCH_NAMESPACE)
   target:
     kind: Deployment
     name: controller-manager
diff --git a/cmd/main.go b/cmd/main.go
index 97228a5e..f365ca2e 100644
--- a/cmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/main.go
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ package main
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	// Import all Kubernetes client auth plugins (e.g. Azure, GCP, OIDC, etc.)
 	// to ensure that exec-entrypoint and run can make use of them.
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	utilruntime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
 	clientgoscheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/healthz"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log/zap"
 	metricsserver "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/metrics/server"
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ import (
 
 	csiv1alpha1 "github.com/ceph/ceph-csi-operator/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/ceph/ceph-csi-operator/internal/controller"
+	"github.com/ceph/ceph-csi-operator/internal/utils"
 	//+kubebuilder:scaffold:imports
 )
 
@@ -94,6 +98,23 @@ func main() {
 		TLSOpts: tlsOpts,
 	})
 
+	defaultNamespaces := map[string]cache.Config{}
+	operatorNamespace, err := utils.GetOperatorNamespace()
+	if err != nil {
+		setupLog.Error(err, "manager requires namespace to be registered for controllers to reconcile")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	// ensure we always cache items from operator namespace
+	defaultNamespaces[operatorNamespace] = cache.Config{}
+
+	watchNamespace, err := getWatchNamespace()
+	if err != nil {
+		setupLog.Error(err, "manager will only watch for resources in the operator deployed namespace")
+	} else {
+		for _, namespace := range strings.Split(watchNamespace, ",") {
+			defaultNamespaces[namespace] = cache.Config{}
+		}
+	}
 	mgr, err := ctrl.NewManager(ctrl.GetConfigOrDie(), ctrl.Options{
 		Scheme: scheme,
 		Metrics: metricsserver.Options{
@@ -116,6 +137,7 @@ func main() {
 		// if you are doing or is intended to do any operation such as perform cleanups
 		// after the manager stops then its usage might be unsafe.
 		// LeaderElectionReleaseOnCancel: true,
+		Cache: cache.Options{DefaultNamespaces: defaultNamespaces},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to start manager")
@@ -160,3 +182,14 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
+
+// getWatchNamespace returns the Namespace the operator should be watching for changes
+func getWatchNamespace() (string, error) {
+	var watchNamespaceEnvVar = "WATCH_NAMESPACE"
+
+	ns := os.Getenv(watchNamespaceEnvVar)
+	if ns == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s must be set", watchNamespaceEnvVar)
+	}
+	return ns, nil
+}
diff --git a/deploy/all-in-one/install.yaml b/deploy/all-in-one/install.yaml
index 07e8a387..567a9d04 100644
--- a/deploy/all-in-one/install.yaml
+++ b/deploy/all-in-one/install.yaml
@@ -15496,6 +15496,8 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: metadata.namespace
         - name: CSI_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PREFIX
           value: ceph-csi-operator-
+        - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
+          value: ""
         image: quay.io/cephcsi/ceph-csi-operator:latest
         livenessProbe:
           httpGet:
diff --git a/deploy/multifile/operator.yaml b/deploy/multifile/operator.yaml
index d9da73c0..3b60ea0b 100644
--- a/deploy/multifile/operator.yaml
+++ b/deploy/multifile/operator.yaml
@@ -628,6 +628,8 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: metadata.namespace
         - name: CSI_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PREFIX
           value: ceph-csi-operator-
+        - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
+          value: ""
         image: quay.io/cephcsi/ceph-csi-operator:latest
         livenessProbe:
           httpGet:
diff --git a/internal/controller/defaults.go b/internal/controller/defaults.go
index ab8ce263..57d43e23 100644
--- a/internal/controller/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/controller/defaults.go
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ var defaultDeploymentStrategy = appsv1.DeploymentStrategy{
 }
 
 var operatorNamespace = utils.Call(func() string {
-	namespace := os.Getenv("OPERATOR_NAMESPACE")
-	if namespace == "" {
+	namespace, err := utils.GetOperatorNamespace()
+	if err != nil {
 		panic("Required OPERATOR_NAMESPACE environment variable is either missing or empty")
 	}
 	return namespace
diff --git a/internal/utils/core.go b/internal/utils/core.go
index 45ca03a8..946ccf7f 100644
--- a/internal/utils/core.go
+++ b/internal/utils/core.go
@@ -18,11 +18,17 @@ package utils
 
 import (
 	"cmp"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 )
 
+const (
+	operatorNamespaceEnvVar = "OPERATOR_NAMESPACE"
+)
+
 // RunConcurrently runs all the of the given functions concurrently returning a channel with
 // the functions' return values (of type error) then closes the channel when all functions return.
 func RunConcurrently(fnList ...func() error) chan error {
@@ -129,3 +135,11 @@ func DeleteZeroValues[T comparable](slice []T) []T {
 		return value == zero
 	})
 }
+
+func GetOperatorNamespace() (string, error) {
+	ns := os.Getenv(operatorNamespaceEnvVar)
+	if ns == "" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s must be set", operatorNamespaceEnvVar)
+	}
+	return ns, nil
+}