diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 833247162e..dbe21a118c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ HELM_DOCS_VERSION = v1.14.2
 # renovate: datasource=github-tags depName=ahmetb/gen-crd-api-reference-docs
 GEN_CRD_API_REFERENCE_DOCS_VERSION = v0.3.0
 # renovate: datasource=go depName=sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools
-CONTROLLER_TOOLS_VERSION = v0.16.5
+CONTROLLER_TOOLS_VERSION = v0.17.1
 # renovate: datasource=docker depName=node
 NODE_VERSION = 22
 # renovate: datasource=docker depName=quay.io/helmpack/chart-testing
diff --git a/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 9624b658aa..828faaa612 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func (in *ClientSettingsPolicySpec) DeepCopyInto(out *ClientSettingsPolicySpec)
 		*out = new(ClientKeepAlive)
 		(*in).DeepCopyInto(*out)
 	}
-	out.TargetRef = in.TargetRef
+	in.TargetRef.DeepCopyInto(&out.TargetRef)
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new ClientSettingsPolicySpec.
@@ -516,7 +516,9 @@ func (in *ObservabilityPolicySpec) DeepCopyInto(out *ObservabilityPolicySpec) {
 	if in.TargetRefs != nil {
 		in, out := &in.TargetRefs, &out.TargetRefs
 		*out = make([]v1alpha2.LocalPolicyTargetReference, len(*in))
-		copy(*out, *in)
+		for i := range *in {
+			(*in)[i].DeepCopyInto(&(*out)[i])
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -896,7 +898,9 @@ func (in *UpstreamSettingsPolicySpec) DeepCopyInto(out *UpstreamSettingsPolicySp
 	if in.TargetRefs != nil {
 		in, out := &in.TargetRefs, &out.TargetRefs
 		*out = make([]v1alpha2.LocalPolicyTargetReference, len(*in))
-		copy(*out, *in)
+		for i := range *in {
+			(*in)[i].DeepCopyInto(&(*out)[i])
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index a8f1a87f93..77cf20bb07 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha2/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@ func (in *ObservabilityPolicySpec) DeepCopyInto(out *ObservabilityPolicySpec) {
 	if in.TargetRefs != nil {
 		in, out := &in.TargetRefs, &out.TargetRefs
 		*out = make([]apisv1alpha2.LocalPolicyTargetReference, len(*in))
-		copy(*out, *in)
+		for i := range *in {
+			(*in)[i].DeepCopyInto(&(*out)[i])
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_clientsettingspolicies.yaml b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_clientsettingspolicies.yaml
index 06a22d7c91..16410484b4 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_clientsettingspolicies.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_clientsettingspolicies.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   labels:
     gateway.networking.k8s.io/policy: inherited
   name: clientsettingspolicies.gateway.nginx.org
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxgateways.yaml b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxgateways.yaml
index 36adaaaf1f..4f0824bc9b 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxgateways.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxgateways.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   name: nginxgateways.gateway.nginx.org
 spec:
   group: gateway.nginx.org
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxproxies.yaml b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxproxies.yaml
index 21b61ce37f..b39ac21de3 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxproxies.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_nginxproxies.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   name: nginxproxies.gateway.nginx.org
 spec:
   group: gateway.nginx.org
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_observabilitypolicies.yaml b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_observabilitypolicies.yaml
index ff3d67c9b0..aeea385efd 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_observabilitypolicies.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_observabilitypolicies.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   labels:
     gateway.networking.k8s.io/policy: direct
   name: observabilitypolicies.gateway.nginx.org
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_snippetsfilters.yaml b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_snippetsfilters.yaml
index 732b7f5c60..aea8ef4d57 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_snippetsfilters.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_snippetsfilters.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   name: snippetsfilters.gateway.nginx.org
 spec:
   group: gateway.nginx.org
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_upstreamsettingspolicies.yaml b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_upstreamsettingspolicies.yaml
index 455dd92b55..04064011a3 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_upstreamsettingspolicies.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/gateway.nginx.org_upstreamsettingspolicies.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   labels:
     gateway.networking.k8s.io/policy: direct
   name: upstreamsettingspolicies.gateway.nginx.org
diff --git a/deploy/crds.yaml b/deploy/crds.yaml
index 01e4c83227..a5ae02e961 100644
--- a/deploy/crds.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   labels:
     gateway.networking.k8s.io/policy: inherited
   name: clientsettingspolicies.gateway.nginx.org
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   name: nginxgateways.gateway.nginx.org
 spec:
   group: gateway.nginx.org
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   name: nginxproxies.gateway.nginx.org
 spec:
   group: gateway.nginx.org
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   labels:
     gateway.networking.k8s.io/policy: direct
   name: observabilitypolicies.gateway.nginx.org
@@ -1763,7 +1763,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   name: snippetsfilters.gateway.nginx.org
 spec:
   group: gateway.nginx.org
@@ -1952,7 +1952,7 @@ apiVersion: apiextensions.k8s.io/v1
 kind: CustomResourceDefinition
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.16.5
+    controller-gen.kubebuilder.io/version: v0.17.1
   labels:
     gateway.networking.k8s.io/policy: direct
   name: upstreamsettingspolicies.gateway.nginx.org