diff --git a/cilium-etcd-operator.yaml b/cilium-etcd-operator.yaml
index 1803cd5..6aced93 100644
--- a/cilium-etcd-operator.yaml
+++ b/cilium-etcd-operator.yaml
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ spec:
             fieldRef:
               apiVersion: v1
               fieldPath: metadata.namespace
+        - name: CILIUM_ETCD_OPERATOR_POD_NAME
+          valueFrom:
+            fieldRef:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              fieldPath: metadata.name
+        - name: CILIUM_ETCD_OPERATOR_POD_UID
+          valueFrom:
+            fieldRef:
+              apiVersion: v1
+              fieldPath: metadata.uid
         image: docker.io/cilium/cilium-etcd-operator:v2.0.0
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
         name: cilium-etcd-operator
diff --git a/etcd-operator/descriptors.go b/etcd-operator/descriptors.go
index 81eaac9..13cd6bf 100644
--- a/etcd-operator/descriptors.go
+++ b/etcd-operator/descriptors.go
@@ -21,16 +21,28 @@ import (
 	core_v1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apiextensions_v1beta1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1beta1"
 	meta_v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 )
 
+var blockOwnerDeletion = true
+
 // EtcdOperatorDeployment returns the etcd operator deployment that is
 // for the given namespace.
-func EtcdOperatorDeployment(namespace string) *apps_v1beta2.Deployment {
+func EtcdOperatorDeployment(namespace, ownerName, ownerUID string) *apps_v1beta2.Deployment {
 	nReplicas := int32(1)
 	return &apps_v1beta2.Deployment{
 		ObjectMeta: meta_v1.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:      "etcd-operator",
 			Namespace: namespace,
+			OwnerReferences: []meta_v1.OwnerReference{
+				{
+					APIVersion:         "v1",
+					Kind:               "Pod",
+					Name:               ownerName,
+					UID:                types.UID(ownerUID),
+					BlockOwnerDeletion: &blockOwnerDeletion,
+				},
+			},
 		},
 		Spec: apps_v1beta2.DeploymentSpec{
 			Replicas: &nReplicas,
@@ -81,10 +93,19 @@ func EtcdOperatorDeployment(namespace string) *apps_v1beta2.Deployment {
 }
 
 // EtcdCRD returns the etcd CRD.
-func EtcdCRD() *apiextensions_v1beta1.CustomResourceDefinition {
+func EtcdCRD(ownerName, ownerUID string) *apiextensions_v1beta1.CustomResourceDefinition {
 	return &apiextensions_v1beta1.CustomResourceDefinition{
 		ObjectMeta: meta_v1.ObjectMeta{
 			Name: "etcdclusters.etcd.database.coreos.com",
+			OwnerReferences: []meta_v1.OwnerReference{
+				{
+					APIVersion:         "v1",
+					Kind:               "Pod",
+					Name:               ownerName,
+					UID:                types.UID(ownerUID),
+					BlockOwnerDeletion: &blockOwnerDeletion,
+				},
+			},
 		},
 		Spec: apiextensions_v1beta1.CustomResourceDefinitionSpec{
 			Group: "etcd.database.coreos.com",
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index cfc3097..4541a14 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ func init() {
 	flags.StringVar(&namespace,
 		"namespace", defaults.DefaultNamespace, "Namespace where etcd-operator should be deployed")
 	viper.BindEnv("namespace", "CILIUM_ETCD_OPERATOR_NAMESPACE")
+
+	viper.BindEnv("pod-name", "CILIUM_ETCD_OPERATOR_POD_NAME")
+	viper.BindEnv("pod-uid", "CILIUM_ETCD_OPERATOR_POD_UID")
 	viper.BindPFlags(flags)
 }
 
@@ -109,9 +112,11 @@ func parseFlags() {
 	etcdVersion = viper.GetString("etcd-version")
 	gracePeriodSec = viper.GetInt64("grace-period-seconds")
 	namespace = viper.GetString("namespace")
+	ownerName := viper.GetString("pod-name")
+	ownerUID := viper.GetString("pod-uid")
 
-	etcdCRD = etcd_operator.EtcdCRD()
-	etcdDeployment = etcd_operator.EtcdOperatorDeployment(namespace)
+	etcdCRD = etcd_operator.EtcdCRD(ownerName, ownerUID)
+	etcdDeployment = etcd_operator.EtcdOperatorDeployment(namespace, ownerName, ownerUID)
 	ciliumEtcdCR = cilium_etcd_cluster.CiliumEtcdCluster(namespace, etcdVersion, clusterSize)
 	gracePeriod = time.Duration(gracePeriodSec) * time.Second
 	err := k8s.CreateDefaultClient()
@@ -196,7 +201,11 @@ func run() error {
 		}
 		if len(pl.Items) == 0 {
 			log.Info("No running etcd pod found. Bootstrapping from scratch...")
-			deployCiliumCR(true)
+			err := deployCiliumCR(true)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error(err)
+				continue
+			}
 			log.Infof("Sleeping for %s to allow cluster to come up...", gracePeriod)
 			select {
 			case <-cleanUPSig:
@@ -224,9 +233,15 @@ func deployETCD() error {
 	log.Info("Done!")
 
 	log.Info("Deploying etcd-operator deployment...")
-	_, err = k8s.Client().AppsV1beta2().Deployments(etcdDeployment.Namespace).Get(etcdDeployment.Name, meta_v1.GetOptions{})
+	etcdDeplyServer, err := k8s.Client().AppsV1beta2().Deployments(etcdDeployment.Namespace).Get(etcdDeployment.Name, meta_v1.GetOptions{})
 	switch {
 	case err == nil:
+		etcdCpy := etcdDeployment.DeepCopy()
+		etcdCpy.UID = etcdDeplyServer.UID
+		_, err = k8s.Client().AppsV1beta2().Deployments(etcdDeployment.Namespace).Update(etcdDeployment)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to update etcd-operator deployment: %s", err)
+		}
 	case errors.IsNotFound(err):
 		_, err := k8s.Client().AppsV1beta2().Deployments(etcdDeployment.Namespace).Create(etcdDeployment)
 		if err != nil {