diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java
index a3ca4c89f9..2f8e9d864d 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/kubernetes/KubernetesDependentResource.java
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public R create(R target, P primary, Context<P> context) {
 
   public R update(R actual, R target, P primary, Context<P> context) {
     var updatedActual = processor.replaceSpecOnActual(actual, target, context);
-    return prepare(target, primary, "Updating").replace(updatedActual);
+    return prepare(target, primary, "Updating").createOrReplace(updatedActual);
   }
 
   public Result<R> match(R actualResource, P primary, Context<P> context) {
diff --git a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java
index 7164dd42af..5661a7fc69 100644
--- a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java
+++ b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public <T extends HasMetadata> T create(Class<T> type, T resource) {
   }
 
   public <T extends HasMetadata> T replace(Class<T> type, T resource) {
-    return kubernetesClient.resources(type).inNamespace(namespace).replace(resource);
+    return kubernetesClient.resources(type).inNamespace(namespace).createOrReplace(resource);
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/sample/createupdateeventfilter/CreateUpdateEventFilterTestReconciler.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/sample/createupdateeventfilter/CreateUpdateEventFilterTestReconciler.java
index 575cdf6252..13fff186dd 100644
--- a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/sample/createupdateeventfilter/CreateUpdateEventFilterTestReconciler.java
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/sample/createupdateeventfilter/CreateUpdateEventFilterTestReconciler.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public UpdateControl<CreateUpdateEventFilterTestCustomResource> reconcile(
               client
                   .configMaps()
                   .inNamespace(resource.getMetadata().getNamespace())
-                  .replace(configMap);
+                  .createOrReplace(configMap);
           informerEventSource.handleRecentResourceUpdate(resourceID,
               newConfigMap, configMap);
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index d90f88df75..ce69f36cc2 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
         <sonar.host.url>https://sonarcloud.io</sonar.host.url>
 
         <junit.version>5.8.2</junit.version>
-        <fabric8-client.version>5.12.0</fabric8-client.version>
+        <fabric8-client.version>5.12.1</fabric8-client.version>
         <slf4j.version>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
         <log4j.version>2.17.2</log4j.version>
         <mokito.version>4.4.0</mokito.version>