diff --git a/pkg/resource/imageconfig.go b/pkg/resource/imageconfig.go
index 6add9ec76e..2a4c5ea816 100644
--- a/pkg/resource/imageconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/resource/imageconfig.go
@@ -147,10 +147,8 @@ func (gic *generatorImageConfig) getRouteHostnames() ([]string, error) {
 	}
 	defaultHost := ""
 	for _, route := range routes {
-		routeOwner := metav1.GetControllerOf(route)
-
 		// ignore routes that weren't created by the registry operator
-		if routeOwner == nil || routeOwner.UID != gic.owner.UID {
+		if _, ok := route.Annotations[RouteOwnerAnnotation]; !ok {
 			continue
 		}
 		for _, ingress := range route.Status.Ingress {
diff --git a/pkg/resource/route.go b/pkg/resource/route.go
index 8d3ce6f9c7..d2df6edc1b 100644
--- a/pkg/resource/route.go
+++ b/pkg/resource/route.go
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/openshift/cluster-image-registry-operator/pkg/parameters"
 )
 
+const RouteOwnerAnnotation = "imageregistry.openshift.io"
+
 var _ Mutator = &generatorRoute{}
 
 type generatorRoute struct {
@@ -50,8 +52,9 @@ func (gr *generatorRoute) GetName() string {
 func (gr *generatorRoute) expected() (runtime.Object, error) {
 	r := &routeapi.Route{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      gr.GetName(),
-			Namespace: gr.GetNamespace(),
+			Name:        gr.GetName(),
+			Namespace:   gr.GetNamespace(),
+			Annotations: map[string]string{RouteOwnerAnnotation: "true"},
 		},
 		Spec: routeapi.RouteSpec{
 			Host: gr.route.Hostname,