diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java
index 382ac7525c..8a74690f1e 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java
@@ -37,10 +37,15 @@ public abstract class KubernetesDependentResource<R extends HasMetadata, P exten
     implements ConfiguredDependentResource<KubernetesDependentResourceConfig<R>> {
 
   private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(KubernetesDependentResource.class);
+
   private final boolean garbageCollected = this instanceof GarbageCollected;
   private KubernetesDependentResourceConfig<R> kubernetesDependentResourceConfig;
   private volatile Boolean useSSA;
 
+  private SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcher<R> matcher =
+      SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcher.getInstance();
+  private volatile boolean matcherSet = false;
+
   public KubernetesDependentResource(Class<R> resourceType) {
     this(resourceType, null);
   }
@@ -49,11 +54,26 @@ public KubernetesDependentResource(Class<R> resourceType, String name) {
     super(resourceType, name);
   }
 
+  public KubernetesDependentResource(
+      Class<R> resourceType, String name, SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcher<R> matcher) {
+    this(resourceType, name);
+    this.matcher = matcher;
+    matcherSet = true;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void configureWith(KubernetesDependentResourceConfig<R> config) {
     this.kubernetesDependentResourceConfig = config;
   }
 
+  public void setMatcher(SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcher<R> matcher) {
+    if (matcherSet) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("Can only set a matcher once.");
+    }
+    this.matcher = matcher;
+    matcherSet = true;
+  }
+
   @SuppressWarnings("unused")
   public R create(R desired, P primary, Context<P> context) {
     if (useSSA(context)) {
@@ -111,9 +131,7 @@ public Result<R> match(R actualResource, R desired, P primary, Context<P> contex
     final boolean matches;
     addMetadata(true, actualResource, desired, primary, context);
     if (useSSA(context)) {
-      matches =
-          SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcher.getInstance()
-              .matches(actualResource, desired, context);
+      matches = matcher.matches(actualResource, desired, context);
     } else {
       matches =
           GenericKubernetesResourceMatcher.match(desired, actualResource, false, false, context)
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcherTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcherTest.java
index 176531344c..64b91225e8 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcherTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcherTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Context;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ void setup() {
     when(mockedContext.getClient()).thenReturn(client);
 
     final var configurationService = mock(ConfigurationService.class);
+    when(configurationService.shouldUseSSA(any(), any(), any())).thenReturn(true);
     final var controllerConfiguration = mock(ControllerConfiguration.class);
     when(controllerConfiguration.getConfigurationService()).thenReturn(configurationService);
     when(controllerConfiguration.fieldManager()).thenReturn("controller");
@@ -239,17 +241,30 @@ void testSanitizeState_daemonSetWithResources_withMismatch() {
   @ParameterizedTest
   @ValueSource(booleans = {true, false})
   void testCustomMatcher_returnsExpectedMatchBasedOnReadOnlyLabel(boolean readOnly) {
+    var dr = new ConfigMapDR();
     var desiredConfigMap =
         loadResource("configmap.empty-owner-reference-desired.yaml", ConfigMap.class);
     desiredConfigMap.getData().put("key1", "another value");
     var actualConfigMap = loadResource("configmap.empty-owner-reference.yaml", ConfigMap.class);
     actualConfigMap.getMetadata().getLabels().put("readonly", Boolean.toString(readOnly));
 
-    var matcher = new ReadOnlyAwareMatcher<ConfigMap>();
-    assertThat(matcher.matches(actualConfigMap, desiredConfigMap, mockedContext))
+    ConfigMap ignoredPrimary = null;
+    assertThat(
+            dr.match(
+                    actualConfigMap,
+                    desiredConfigMap,
+                    ignoredPrimary,
+                    (Context<ConfigMap>) mockedContext)
+                .matched())
         .isEqualTo(readOnly);
   }
 
+  private static class ConfigMapDR extends KubernetesDependentResource<ConfigMap, ConfigMap> {
+    public ConfigMapDR() {
+      super(ConfigMap.class, "foo", new ReadOnlyAwareMatcher<>());
+    }
+  }
+
   private static class ReadOnlyAwareMatcher<T extends HasMetadata>
       extends SSABasedGenericKubernetesResourceMatcher<T> {
     @Override