diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
index 4d5e2d499..e38ac0ba2 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ spec:
           env:
             - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
               value: rco-watched-ns2
+              valueFrom:
diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml
index f15422a60..40beeea8a 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ namespace: rco-ns
 bases:
 - ../../base
 
-patchesStrategicMerge:
-- rco-test-project.yaml
diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/rco-test-project.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/rco-test-project.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index bf3300583..000000000
--- a/deploy/kustomize/daily/examples/watch-own-namespace/rco-test-project.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-metadata:
-  name: rco-controller-manager
-spec:
-  template:
-    spec:
-      containers:
-        - name: manager
-          env:
-            - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
-              value: rco-ns
diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml
index 96c0f1762..859f6feee 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml
@@ -10,3 +10,5 @@ spec:
           env:
             - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
               value: ""
+              valueFrom:
+
diff --git a/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml b/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
index 524134e19..c0ffbd6d1 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize/daily/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ spec:
           env:
             - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
               value: rco-watched-ns
+              valueFrom:
+
diff --git a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/base/runtime-component-operator.yaml b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/base/runtime-component-operator.yaml
index 788ed00c6..876385afc 100644
--- a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/base/runtime-component-operator.yaml
+++ b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/base/runtime-component-operator.yaml
@@ -222,7 +222,9 @@ spec:
             fieldRef:
               fieldPath: metadata.namespace
         - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
-          value: default
+          valueFrom:
+            fieldRef:
+              fieldPath: metadata.namespace
         image: applicationstacks/operator:0.8.0
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         name: manager
diff --git a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
index 4d5e2d499..e38ac0ba2 100644
--- a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ spec:
           env:
             - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
               value: rco-watched-ns2
+              valueFrom:
diff --git a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml
index f15422a60..40beeea8a 100644
--- a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/kustomization.yaml
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ namespace: rco-ns
 bases:
 - ../../base
 
-patchesStrategicMerge:
-- rco-test-project.yaml
diff --git a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/rco-test-project.yaml b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/rco-test-project.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index bf3300583..000000000
--- a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/examples/watch-own-namespace/rco-test-project.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-metadata:
-  name: rco-controller-manager
-spec:
-  template:
-    spec:
-      containers:
-        - name: manager
-          env:
-            - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
-              value: rco-ns
diff --git a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml
index 96c0f1762..599af7068 100644
--- a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml
+++ b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-all-namespaces/rco-all-namespaces.yaml
@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ spec:
           env:
             - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
               value: ""
+              valueFrom:
diff --git a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
index 524134e19..0fe4f0acb 100644
--- a/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/releases/0.8.0/kustomize/overlays/watch-another-namespace/rco-deployment.yaml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ spec:
           env:
             - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
               value: rco-watched-ns
+              valueFrom: