diff --git a/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeeventings.yaml b/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeeventings.yaml
index 589a95009..fd3a9aeb2 100644
--- a/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeeventings.yaml
+++ b/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeeventings.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ spec:
     plural: knativeeventings
     singular: knativeeventing
   scope: Namespaced
+  conversion:
+    strategy: Webhook
+    webhook:
+      conversionReviewVersions: ["v1beta1"]
+      clientConfig:
+        service:
+          name: operator-webhook
+          namespace: '{{ .Release.Namespace }}'
+          path: /resource-conversion
   versions:
   - additionalPrinterColumns:
     - jsonPath: .spec.clusterProfileRef.name
@@ -3596,13 +3605,3 @@ spec:
     storage: true
     subresources:
       status: {}
-  conversion:
-    strategy: Webhook
-    webhook:
-      conversionReviewVersions:
-      - v1beta1
-      clientConfig:
-        service:
-          name: operator-webhook
-          namespace: '{{ .Release.Namespace }}'
-          path: /resource-conversion
diff --git a/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeservings.yaml b/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeservings.yaml
index ae50b6a4b..0a06ab12a 100644
--- a/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeservings.yaml
+++ b/config/charts/knative-operator/templates/crds/knativeservings.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ spec:
     plural: knativeservings
     singular: knativeserving
   scope: Namespaced
+  conversion:
+    strategy: Webhook
+    webhook:
+      conversionReviewVersions: ["v1beta1"]
+      clientConfig:
+        service:
+          name: operator-webhook
+          namespace: '{{ .Release.Namespace }}'
+          path: /resource-conversion
   versions:
   - additionalPrinterColumns:
     - jsonPath: .spec.clusterProfileRef.name
@@ -3867,13 +3876,3 @@ spec:
     storage: true
     subresources:
       status: {}
-  conversion:
-    strategy: Webhook
-    webhook:
-      conversionReviewVersions:
-      - v1beta1
-      clientConfig:
-        service:
-          name: operator-webhook
-          namespace: '{{ .Release.Namespace }}'
-          path: /resource-conversion
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeeventings.yaml b/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeeventings.yaml
index 56cb5a448..f38e89798 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeeventings.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeeventings.yaml
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ spec:
     plural: knativeeventings
     singular: knativeeventing
   scope: Namespaced
+  conversion:
+    strategy: Webhook
+    webhook:
+      conversionReviewVersions: ["v1beta1"]
+      clientConfig:
+        service:
+          name: operator-webhook
+          namespace: knative-operator
+          path: /resource-conversion
   versions:
   - additionalPrinterColumns:
     - jsonPath: .spec.clusterProfileRef.name
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeservings.yaml b/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeservings.yaml
index 8c229aa2d..e607cbe02 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeservings.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/operator.knative.dev_knativeservings.yaml
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ spec:
     plural: knativeservings
     singular: knativeserving
   scope: Namespaced
+  conversion:
+    strategy: Webhook
+    webhook:
+      conversionReviewVersions: ["v1beta1"]
+      clientConfig:
+        service:
+          name: operator-webhook
+          namespace: knative-operator
+          path: /resource-conversion
   versions:
   - additionalPrinterColumns:
     - jsonPath: .spec.clusterProfileRef.name
diff --git a/hack/sync-helm-crds.sh b/hack/sync-helm-crds.sh
index d85dd59bd..17861672b 100755
--- a/hack/sync-helm-crds.sh
+++ b/hack/sync-helm-crds.sh
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 # Syncs CRD definitions from config/crd/bases/ to the Helm chart templates.
-# This script transforms controller-gen output into Helm-ready CRD templates
-# by adding Helm template variables for labels and conversion webhook configuration.
+# This script transforms generated CRD bases into Helm-ready CRD templates by
+# adding Helm template variables for labels and the conversion webhook namespace.
 #
 # Usage: hack/sync-helm-crds.sh
 
@@ -45,23 +45,16 @@ for crd_file in "${CRD_BASES_DIR}"/*.yaml; do
 
   echo "  Processing ${filename} -> crds/${short_name}"
 
+  if [[ "$(yq eval '.spec.conversion.webhook.clientConfig.service.namespace // ""' "${crd_file}")" != "knative-operator" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: ${filename} is missing the operator conversion webhook. Run ./hack/update-crd-conversion.sh first." >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
   # -c keeps compact sequence indentation so "- name:" stays flush with its parent key.
   if ! yq eval -c '
     .metadata.labels."app.kubernetes.io/version" = "{{ .Chart.Version }}" |
     .metadata.labels."app.kubernetes.io/name" = "knative-operator" |
-    .spec.conversion = {
-      "strategy": "Webhook",
-      "webhook": {
-        "conversionReviewVersions": ["v1beta1"],
-        "clientConfig": {
-          "service": {
-            "name": "operator-webhook",
-            "namespace": "{{ .Release.Namespace }}",
-            "path": "/resource-conversion"
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
+    .spec.conversion.webhook.clientConfig.service.namespace = "{{ .Release.Namespace }}"
   ' "${crd_file}" > "${target}"; then
     echo "ERROR: yq failed to process ${filename}"
     rm -f "${target}"
diff --git a/hack/update-codegen.sh b/hack/update-codegen.sh
index ea15bd456..959dbee08 100755
--- a/hack/update-codegen.sh
+++ b/hack/update-codegen.sh
@@ -58,13 +58,21 @@ group "CRD Gen"
 # Install tools at the versions pinned in hack/tools.go (go.mod).
 GOFLAGS=-mod=mod go install sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools/cmd/controller-gen
 GOFLAGS=-mod=mod go install github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4
-export PATH="$(go env GOPATH)/bin:$PATH"
+go_bin="$(go env GOBIN)"
+if [[ -z "${go_bin}" ]]; then
+  go_bin="$(go env GOPATH)/bin"
+fi
+export PATH="${go_bin}:$PATH"
 
 GOFLAGS=-mod=mod controller-gen \
   crd:allowDangerousTypes=true,ignoreUnexportedFields=true,headerFile="${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/hack/boilerplate/boilerplate.yaml.txt" \
   paths="${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/pkg/apis/..." \
   output:crd:dir="${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/crd/bases"
 
+group "Update CRD conversion webhooks"
+
+"${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/hack/update-crd-conversion.sh"
+
 group "Sync CRDs to Helm chart"
 
 "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/hack/sync-helm-crds.sh"
diff --git a/hack/update-crd-conversion.sh b/hack/update-crd-conversion.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..9c3d1100a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/update-crd-conversion.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Copyright 2026 The Knative Authors
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+# Adds the conversion webhook stanza that controller-gen does not emit for the
+# operator's single-version CRDs. The release operator.yaml consumes these bases
+# directly, so this must run before any chart or release manifest generation.
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+
+REPO_ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+CRD_BASES_DIR="${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/crd/bases"
+
+echo "Updating CRD conversion webhooks in ${CRD_BASES_DIR}"
+
+for crd_file in \
+  "${CRD_BASES_DIR}/operator.knative.dev_knativeeventings.yaml" \
+  "${CRD_BASES_DIR}/operator.knative.dev_knativeservings.yaml"; do
+  if [[ ! -f "${crd_file}" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: CRD file not found: ${crd_file}" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "  Updating $(basename "${crd_file}")"
+  tmp="$(mktemp "${crd_file}.XXXXXX")"
+  if ! awk '
+    function emit_conversion() {
+      print "  conversion:"
+      print "    strategy: Webhook"
+      print "    webhook:"
+      print "      conversionReviewVersions: [\"v1beta1\"]"
+      print "      clientConfig:"
+      print "        service:"
+      print "          name: operator-webhook"
+      print "          namespace: knative-operator"
+      print "          path: /resource-conversion"
+    }
+
+    $0 == "  conversion:" {
+      emit_conversion()
+      inserted = 1
+      skipping = 1
+      next
+    }
+
+    skipping && $0 == "  versions:" {
+      skipping = 0
+      print
+      next
+    }
+
+    skipping {
+      next
+    }
+
+    $0 == "  versions:" && !inserted {
+      emit_conversion()
+      inserted = 1
+      print
+      next
+    }
+
+    {
+      print
+    }
+
+    END {
+      if (!inserted) {
+        print "ERROR: could not find CRD spec.versions anchor" > "/dev/stderr"
+        exit 1
+      }
+    }
+  ' "${crd_file}" > "${tmp}"; then
+    rm -f "${tmp}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  mv "${tmp}" "${crd_file}"
+done
+
+echo "Done. CRD conversion webhooks updated."
diff --git a/hack/verify-codegen.sh b/hack/verify-codegen.sh
index 07779cf02..c60f0f4b1 100755
--- a/hack/verify-codegen.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-codegen.sh
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ trap "cleanup" EXIT SIGINT
 cleanup
 
 # Save working tree state
-mkdir -p "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/pkg" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config"
+mkdir -p "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/pkg" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/crd"
 cp -aR "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/go.sum" "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/pkg" "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/vendor" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}"
+cp -aR "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/crd/bases" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/crd/"
 cp -aR "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/charts" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/"
 
 # TODO(mattmoor): We should be able to rm -rf pkg/client/ and vendor/
@@ -42,9 +43,12 @@ echo "Diffing ${REPO_ROOT_DIR} against freshly generated codegen"
 ret=0
 diff -Nupr --no-dereference "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/pkg" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/pkg" || ret=1
 diff -Nupr --no-dereference "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/vendor" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/vendor" || ret=1
+diff -Nupr --no-dereference "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/crd/bases" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/crd/bases" || ret=1
 diff -Nupr --no-dereference "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/charts" "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/charts" || ret=1
 
 # Restore working tree state
+rm -fr "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/crd/bases"
+cp -aR "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/crd/bases" "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/crd/"
 rm -fr "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/charts"
 cp -aR "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config/charts" "${REPO_ROOT_DIR}/config/"
 rm -fr "${TMP_DIFFROOT}/config"