diff --git a/internal/controller/bucket/helpers.go b/internal/controller/bucket/helpers.go
index 9bdc598d..4110f2ea 100644
--- a/internal/controller/bucket/helpers.go
+++ b/internal/controller/bucket/helpers.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/linode/provider-ceph/internal/consts"
 	"github.com/linode/provider-ceph/internal/utils"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 
 	kerrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -247,9 +248,10 @@ func (c *external) updateBucketCR(ctx context.Context, bucket *v1alpha1.Bucket,
 			if err := c.kubeClient.Get(ctx, nn, bucket); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			bucketDeepCopy := bucket.DeepCopy()
 			switch cb(bucket) {
 			case NeedsStatusUpdate:
-				return c.kubeClient.Status().Update(ctx, bucket)
+				return c.kubeClient.Status().Patch(ctx, bucket, client.MergeFrom(bucketDeepCopy))
 			case NeedsObjectUpdate:
 				return c.kubeClient.Update(ctx, bucket)
 			default: