diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yaml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yaml
index 7000f8549..b54e4b948 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yaml
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ jobs:
 
           - [EMQX, emqx, "config/samples/emqx/v2beta1/emqx-slim.yaml"]
           - [EMQX, emqx, "config/samples/emqx/v2beta1/emqx-full.yaml"]
+        single_namespace:
+          - false
+          - true
+        exclude:
+          - install: static
+            single_namespace: true
 
     steps:
       - run: minikube start
@@ -63,11 +69,15 @@ jobs:
           helm install emqx-operator deploy/charts/emqx-operator \
             --set image.tag=${{ github.sha }} \
             --set development=true \
-            --namespace emqx-operator-system \
+            --set singleNamespace=${{ matrix.single_namespace }} \
+            --namespace ${{ matrix.single_namespace && 'default' || 'emqx-operator-system' }} \
             --create-namespace
       - name: Check operator
         timeout-minutes: 5
-        run: kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready pods -l "control-plane=controller-manager" -n emqx-operator-system
+        run: |
+          kubectl wait --for=condition=Ready pods \
+            -l "control-plane=controller-manager" \
+            -n ${{ matrix.single_namespace && 'default' || 'emqx-operator-system' }}
       - name: Deployment emqx
         timeout-minutes: 5
         uses: ./.github/actions/deploy-emqx
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index bfb69eb75..5e54635dc 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Build the manager binary
-FROM golang:1.22 as builder
+FROM golang:1.22 AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /workspace
 # Copy the Go Modules manifests
diff --git a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/README.md b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/README.md
index cbb6df28d..31f9e7814 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/README.md
+++ b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/README.md
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ The following table lists the configurable parameters of the cert-manager chart
 | Parameter | Description | Default |
 | --------- | ----------- | ------- |
 | `skipCRDs` | If `true`, skips installing CRDs | `false` |
+| `singleNamespace` | If true, the operator will watch only the namespace where it is deployed. If false, the operator will watch all namespaces. | `false` |
 | `development` | Development configures the logger to use a Zap development config  (stacktraces on warnings, no sampling), otherwise a Zap production config will be used (stacktraces on errors, sampling). | `false` |
 | `image.repository` | Image repository | `emqx/emqx-operator-controller` |
 | `image.tag` | Image tag | `{{RELEASE_VERSION}}` |
diff --git a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager-rbac.yaml b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager-rbac.yaml
index 173d5f40b..154ce7a91 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager-rbac.yaml
+++ b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager-rbac.yaml
@@ -16,12 +16,23 @@ imagePullSecrets:
 {{- end }}
 ---
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+{{ if .Values.singleNamespace }}
+kind: RoleBinding
+metadata:
+  name: {{ include "emqx-operator.fullname" . }}-manager-rolebinding
+  namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
+{{- else }}
 kind: ClusterRoleBinding
 metadata:
   name: {{ include "emqx-operator.fullname" . }}-manager-rolebinding
+{{- end }}
 roleRef:
   apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+  {{- if .Values.singleNamespace }}
+  kind: Role
+  {{- else }}
   kind: ClusterRole
+  {{- end }}
   name: {{ include "emqx-operator.fullname" . }}-manager-role
 subjects:
 - kind: ServiceAccount
@@ -29,10 +40,16 @@ subjects:
   namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
 ---
 apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+{{ if .Values.singleNamespace }}
+kind: Role
+metadata:
+  name: {{ include "emqx-operator.fullname" . }}-manager-role
+  namespace: {{ .Release.Namespace }}
+{{- else }}
 kind: ClusterRole
 metadata:
-  creationTimestamp: null
   name: {{ include "emqx-operator.fullname" . }}-manager-role
+{{- end }}
 rules:
 - apiGroups:
   - ""
diff --git a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager.yaml b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager.yaml
index b69a5c27c..5688b5cfa 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager.yaml
+++ b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/templates/controller-manager.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ spec:
         - containerPort: 9443
           name: webhook-server
           protocol: TCP
+        {{- if .Values.singleNamespace }}
+        env:
+        - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
+          valueFrom:
+            fieldRef:
+              fieldPath: metadata.namespace
+        {{- end }}
         readinessProbe:
           httpGet:
             path: /readyz
diff --git a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/values.yaml b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/values.yaml
index 1c6e87675..da36eb7fb 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/values.yaml
+++ b/deploy/charts/emqx-operator/values.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 skipCRDs: false
 
+## If true, the operator will watch only the namespace where it is deployed. If false, the operator will watch all namespaces.
+singleNamespace: false
+
 # Development configures the logger to use a Zap development config
 # (stacktraces on warnings, no sampling), otherwise a Zap production
 # config will be used (stacktraces on errors, sampling).
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c3e81fcb7..bd0795e74 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ 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"
 
@@ -102,6 +103,9 @@ func main() {
 		LeaderElectionID:       "19fd6fcc.emqx.io",
 		LeaseDuration:          ptr.To(time.Second * 30),
 		RenewDeadline:          ptr.To(time.Second * 20),
+		Cache: cache.Options{
+			DefaultNamespaces: getWatchNamespace(),
+		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to start manager")
@@ -173,3 +177,16 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
+
+// getWatchNamespace returns the Namespace the operator should be watching for changes
+func getWatchNamespace() map[string]cache.Config {
+	var watchNamespaceEnvVar = "WATCH_NAMESPACE"
+
+	ns, found := os.LookupEnv(watchNamespaceEnvVar)
+	if found {
+		return map[string]cache.Config{
+			ns: {},
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/sidecar/reloader/Dockerfile b/sidecar/reloader/Dockerfile
index 606d25472..a1a79fc3f 100644
--- a/sidecar/reloader/Dockerfile
+++ b/sidecar/reloader/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Build the manager binary
-FROM golang:1.18.3 as builder
+FROM golang:1.18.3 AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /workspace
 # Copy the Go Modules manifests