diff --git a/pkg/operator2/operator.go b/pkg/operator2/operator.go
index 85d0746baf..fa995e94bf 100644
--- a/pkg/operator2/operator.go
+++ b/pkg/operator2/operator.go
@@ -260,10 +260,11 @@ func (c *authOperator) Sync(obj metav1.Object) error {
 	syncErr := c.handleSync(operatorConfigCopy)
 	// this is a catch all degraded state that we only set when we are otherwise not degraded
 	globalDegradedErr := syncErr
-	if isDegraded(operatorConfigCopy) {
+	const globalDegradedPrefix = "OperatorSync"
+	if isDegradedIgnoreGlobal(operatorConfigCopy, globalDegradedPrefix) {
 		globalDegradedErr = nil // unset because we are already degraded for some other reason
 	}
-	handleDegraded(operatorConfigCopy, "OperatorSync", globalDegradedErr)
+	handleDegraded(operatorConfigCopy, globalDegradedPrefix, globalDegradedErr)
 
 	if _, _, err := v1helpers.UpdateStatus(c.authOperatorConfigClient, func(status *operatorv1.OperatorStatus) error {
 		// store a copy of our starting conditions, we need to preserve last transition time
diff --git a/pkg/operator2/status.go b/pkg/operator2/status.go
index b9e1f14302..6b47faefa3 100644
--- a/pkg/operator2/status.go
+++ b/pkg/operator2/status.go
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@ func handleDegraded(operatorConfig *operatorv1.Authentication, prefix string, er
 		})
 }
 
-func isDegraded(operatorConfig *operatorv1.Authentication) bool {
+func isDegradedIgnoreGlobal(operatorConfig *operatorv1.Authentication, prefix string) bool {
+	globalDegraded := prefix + operatorv1.OperatorStatusTypeDegraded
 	for _, condition := range operatorConfig.Status.Conditions {
-		if strings.HasSuffix(condition.Type, operatorv1.OperatorStatusTypeDegraded) &&
+		if condition.Type != globalDegraded && // we want to know if we are degraded for something other than this
+			strings.HasSuffix(condition.Type, operatorv1.OperatorStatusTypeDegraded) &&
 			condition.Status == operatorv1.ConditionTrue {
 			return true
 		}