diff --git a/deploy/operator.yaml b/deploy/operator.yaml
index f43422e17..ad2f56afe 100644
--- a/deploy/operator.yaml
+++ b/deploy/operator.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ spec:
       containers:
         - name: kubeflow-operator
           # Replace this with the built image name
-          image: aipipeline/kubeflow-operator:v1.1.0
+          image: aipipeline/kubeflow-operator:latest
           command:
           - kfctl
           imagePullPolicy: Always
diff --git a/pkg/controller/kfdef/kfdef_controller.go b/pkg/controller/kfdef/kfdef_controller.go
index f4969aeae..0186d25b6 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/kfdef/kfdef_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/kfdef/kfdef_controller.go
@@ -175,7 +175,20 @@ var kfdefPredicates = predicate.Funcs{
 	UpdateFunc: func(e event.UpdateEvent) bool {
 		object, _ := meta.Accessor(e.ObjectOld)
 		log.Infof("Got update event for %v.%v.", object.GetName(), object.GetNamespace())
-		return true
+
+		upd, _ := meta.Accessor(e.ObjectNew)
+		// these cases will result in a reconcile request
+		// 1. the finalizer is added 2. the deletiontimestamp is added 3. generation is increased
+		if len(object.GetFinalizers()) == 0 && len(upd.GetFinalizers()) > 0 {
+			return true
+		}
+		if object.GetDeletionTimestamp() == nil && upd.GetDeletionTimestamp() != nil {
+			return true
+		}
+		if upd.GetGeneration() > object.GetGeneration() {
+			return true
+		}
+		return false
 	},
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kfapp/kustomize/kustomize.go b/pkg/kfapp/kustomize/kustomize.go
index b4d697306..441abd5e9 100644
--- a/pkg/kfapp/kustomize/kustomize.go
+++ b/pkg/kfapp/kustomize/kustomize.go
@@ -1392,7 +1392,6 @@ func CreateKustomizationMaps() map[MapType]map[string]bool {
 // GenerateYamlWithOperatorAnnotation adds operator info to the annotation to every resource
 // some code copied from ResMap.AsYaml() func
 func GenerateYamlWithOperatorAnnotation(resMap resmap.ResMap, instance *unstructured.Unstructured) ([]byte, error) {
-	addAnnotation := true
 	firstObj := true
 	var b []byte
 	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(b)
@@ -1413,6 +1412,7 @@ func GenerateYamlWithOperatorAnnotation(resMap resmap.ResMap, instance *unstruct
 		kfdefAnn := strings.Join([]string{utils.KfDefAnnotation, utils.KfDefInstance}, "/")
 		kfdefCr := strings.Join([]string{instance.GetName(), instance.GetNamespace()}, ".")
 
+		addAnnotation := true
 		if m.GetKind() == "Namespace" {
 			config, _ := rest.InClusterConfig()
 			corev1client, err := corev1.NewForConfig(config)
@@ -1422,14 +1422,19 @@ func GenerateYamlWithOperatorAnnotation(resMap resmap.ResMap, instance *unstruct
 					Message: fmt.Sprintf("failed to create corev1 client: %v", err),
 				}
 			}
-			_, err = corev1client.Namespaces().Get(m.GetName(), metav1.GetOptions{})
+			ns, err := corev1client.Namespaces().Get(m.GetName(), metav1.GetOptions{})
 			if err == nil {
 				log.Infof("Namespace %v already exists.", m.GetName())
 
-				_, found := anns[kfdefAnn]
-				if !found || anns[kfdefAnn] != kfdefCr {
-					// if the namespace is not created by this operator, should not append the annotation
+				nsAnns := ns.GetAnnotations()
+				if nsAnns == nil {
 					addAnnotation = false
+				} else {
+					_, found := nsAnns[kfdefAnn]
+					if !found || nsAnns[kfdefAnn] != kfdefCr {
+						// if the namespace is not created by this operator, should not append the annotation
+						addAnnotation = false
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		} else if m.GetKind() == "CustomResourceDefinition" && m.GetName() == "profiles.kubeflow.org" {