diff --git a/pkg/controller/cache.go b/pkg/controller/cache.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4004b0030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/controller/cache.go
@@ -0,0 +1,265 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2023 The Crossplane 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.
+*/
+
+package controller
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
+	controllerruntime "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/apiutil"
+)
+
+// GVKRoutedCache is a cache that routes requests by GVK to other caches.
+type GVKRoutedCache struct {
+	scheme *runtime.Scheme
+
+	fallback cache.Cache
+
+	lock      sync.RWMutex
+	delegates map[schema.GroupVersionKind]cache.Cache
+}
+
+// NewGVKRoutedCache returns a new routed cache.
+func NewGVKRoutedCache(scheme *runtime.Scheme, fallback cache.Cache) *GVKRoutedCache {
+	return &GVKRoutedCache{
+		scheme:    scheme,
+		fallback:  fallback,
+		delegates: make(map[schema.GroupVersionKind]cache.Cache),
+	}
+}
+
+var _ cache.Cache = &GVKRoutedCache{}
+
+// AddDelegate adds a delegated cache for a given GVK.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) AddDelegate(gvk schema.GroupVersionKind, delegate cache.Cache) {
+	c.lock.Lock()
+	defer c.lock.Unlock()
+
+	c.delegates[gvk] = delegate
+}
+
+// RemoveDelegate removes a delegated cache for a given GVK.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) RemoveDelegate(gvk schema.GroupVersionKind) {
+	c.lock.Lock()
+	defer c.lock.Unlock()
+
+	delete(c.delegates, gvk)
+}
+
+// Get retrieves an object for a given ObjectKey backed by a cache.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) Get(ctx context.Context, key client.ObjectKey, obj client.Object, opts ...client.GetOption) error {
+	gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(obj, c.scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVK for type %T: %w", obj, err)
+	}
+
+	c.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.delegates[gvk]
+	c.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.Get(ctx, key, obj, opts...)
+	}
+
+	return c.fallback.Get(ctx, key, obj, opts...)
+}
+
+// List lists objects for a given ObjectList backed by a cache.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) List(ctx context.Context, list client.ObjectList, opts ...client.ListOption) error {
+	gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(list, c.scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVK for type %T: %w", list, err)
+	}
+
+	c.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.delegates[gvk]
+	c.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.List(ctx, list, opts...)
+	}
+
+	return c.fallback.List(ctx, list, opts...)
+}
+
+// GetInformer returns an informer for the given object.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) GetInformer(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, opts ...cache.InformerGetOption) (cache.Informer, error) {
+	gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(obj, c.scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVK for type %T: %w", obj, err)
+	}
+
+	c.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.delegates[gvk]
+	c.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.GetInformer(ctx, obj, opts...)
+	}
+
+	return c.fallback.GetInformer(ctx, obj, opts...)
+}
+
+// GetInformerForKind returns an informer for the given GVK.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) GetInformerForKind(ctx context.Context, gvk schema.GroupVersionKind, opts ...cache.InformerGetOption) (cache.Informer, error) {
+	c.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.delegates[gvk]
+	c.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.GetInformerForKind(ctx, gvk, opts...)
+	}
+
+	return c.fallback.GetInformerForKind(ctx, gvk, opts...)
+}
+
+// Start for a GVKRoutedCache is a no-op. Start must be called for each delegate.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) Start(_ context.Context) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+// WaitForCacheSync for a GVKRoutedCache waits for all delegates to sync, and
+// returns false if any of them fails to sync.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) WaitForCacheSync(ctx context.Context) bool {
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	synced := make(chan bool, len(c.delegates)+1)
+
+	ctx, cacnelFn := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+
+	c.lock.RLock()
+	wg.Add(len(c.delegates) + 1)
+	for _, delegate := range c.delegates {
+		go func(delegate cache.Cache) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			synced := delegate.WaitForCacheSync(ctx)
+			if !synced {
+				// first unsynced cache breaks the whole wait
+				cacnelFn()
+			}
+		}(delegate)
+	}
+	c.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	wg.Wait()
+	close(synced)
+	cacnelFn()
+
+	// any not synced?
+	for synced := range synced {
+		if !synced {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
+// IndexField adds an index with the given field name on the given object type
+// by using the given function to extract the value for that field.
+func (c *GVKRoutedCache) IndexField(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, field string, extractValue client.IndexerFunc) error {
+	gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(obj, c.scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVK for type %T: %w", obj, err)
+	}
+
+	c.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.delegates[gvk]
+	c.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.IndexField(ctx, obj, field, extractValue)
+	}
+
+	return c.fallback.IndexField(ctx, obj, field, extractValue)
+}
+
+// cachedRoutedClient wraps a client and routes read requests by GVK to a cache.
+type cachedRoutedClient struct {
+	client.Client
+
+	scheme *runtime.Scheme
+	cache  *GVKRoutedCache
+}
+
+func (c *cachedRoutedClient) Get(ctx context.Context, key client.ObjectKey, obj client.Object, opts ...client.GetOption) error {
+	gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(obj, c.scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVK for type %T: %w", obj, err)
+	}
+
+	c.cache.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.cache.delegates[gvk]
+	c.cache.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.Get(ctx, key, obj, opts...)
+	}
+
+	return c.Client.Get(ctx, key, obj, opts...)
+}
+
+func (c *cachedRoutedClient) List(ctx context.Context, list client.ObjectList, opts ...client.ListOption) error {
+	gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(list, c.scheme)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get GVK for type %T: %w", list, err)
+	}
+
+	c.cache.lock.RLock()
+	delegate, ok := c.cache.delegates[gvk]
+	c.cache.lock.RUnlock()
+
+	if ok {
+		return delegate.List(ctx, list, opts...)
+	}
+
+	return c.Client.List(ctx, list, opts...)
+}
+
+// WithGVKRoutedCache returns a manager backed by a GVKRoutedCache. The client
+// returned by the manager will route read requests to cached GVKs.
+func WithGVKRoutedCache(c *GVKRoutedCache, mgr controllerruntime.Manager) controllerruntime.Manager {
+	return &routedManager{
+		Manager: mgr,
+		client: &cachedRoutedClient{
+			Client: mgr.GetClient(),
+			scheme: mgr.GetScheme(),
+			cache:  c,
+		},
+		cache: c,
+	}
+}
+
+type routedManager struct {
+	controllerruntime.Manager
+
+	client client.Client
+	cache  cache.Cache
+}
+
+func (m *routedManager) GetClient() client.Client {
+	return m.client
+}
+
+func (m *routedManager) GetCache() cache.Cache {
+	return m.cache
+}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/engine.go b/pkg/controller/engine.go
index 107fc2571..e7ab051f1 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/engine.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/engine.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client/apiutil"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/handler"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/manager"
@@ -176,16 +177,26 @@ func TriggeredBy(source source.Source, h handler.EventHandler, p ...predicate.Pr
 // the supplied options, and configured with the supplied watches. Start does
 // not block.
 func (e *Engine) Start(name string, o controller.Options, w ...Watch) error {
-	if e.IsRunning(name) {
-		return nil
+	c, err := e.Create(name, o, w...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
+	return c.Start(context.Background())
+}
 
-	ctx, stop := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	e.mx.Lock()
-	e.started[name] = stop
-	e.errors[name] = nil
-	e.mx.Unlock()
+// NamedController is a named controller that is not started yet.
+type NamedController struct {
+	name string
+	e    *Engine
+	ca   cache.Cache
+	ctrl controller.Controller
+}
 
+// Create the named controller. Each controller gets its own cache
+// whose lifecycle is coupled to the controller. The controller is created with
+// the supplied options, and configured with the supplied watches. It is not
+// started yet.
+func (e *Engine) Create(name string, o controller.Options, w ...Watch) (NamedController, error) {
 	// Each controller gets its own cache because there's currently no way to
 	// stop an informer. In practice a controller-runtime cache is a map of
 	// kinds to informers. If we delete the CRD for a kind we need to stop the
@@ -193,34 +204,74 @@ func (e *Engine) Start(name string, o controller.Options, w ...Watch) error {
 	// work around this by stopping the entire cache.
 	ca, err := e.newCache(e.mgr.GetConfig(), cache.Options{Scheme: e.mgr.GetScheme(), Mapper: e.mgr.GetRESTMapper()})
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, errCreateCache)
+		return NamedController{}, errors.Wrap(err, errCreateCache)
 	}
 
-	ctrl, err := e.newCtrl(name, e.mgr, o)
+	// Wrap the existing manager to use our cache for the GVKs of this controller.
+	rc := NewGVKRoutedCache(e.mgr.GetScheme(), e.mgr.GetCache())
+	rm := &routedManager{
+		Manager: e.mgr,
+		client: &cachedRoutedClient{
+			Client: e.mgr.GetClient(),
+			scheme: e.mgr.GetScheme(),
+			cache:  rc,
+		},
+		cache: rc,
+	}
+
+	ctrl, err := e.newCtrl(name, rm, o)
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, errCreateController)
+		return NamedController{}, errors.Wrap(err, errCreateController)
 	}
 
 	for _, wt := range w {
 		if wt.customSource != nil {
 			if err := ctrl.Watch(wt.customSource, wt.handler, wt.predicates...); err != nil {
-				return errors.Wrap(err, errWatch)
+				return NamedController{}, errors.Wrap(err, errWatch)
 			}
 			continue
 		}
+
+		// route cache and client (read) requests to our cache for this GVK.
+		gvk, err := apiutil.GVKForObject(wt.kind, e.mgr.GetScheme())
+		if err != nil {
+			return NamedController{}, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to get GVK for type %T", wt.kind)
+		}
+		rc.AddDelegate(gvk, ca)
+
 		if err := ctrl.Watch(source.Kind(ca, wt.kind), wt.handler, wt.predicates...); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, errWatch)
+			return NamedController{}, errors.Wrap(err, errWatch)
 		}
 	}
 
+	return NamedController{name: name, e: e, ca: ca, ctrl: ctrl}, nil
+}
+
+// Start the named controller. Start does not block.
+func (c NamedController) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if c.e.IsRunning(c.name) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	ctx, stop := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	c.e.mx.Lock()
+	c.e.started[c.name] = stop
+	c.e.errors[c.name] = nil
+	c.e.mx.Unlock()
+
 	go func() {
-		<-e.mgr.Elected()
-		e.done(name, errors.Wrap(ca.Start(ctx), errCrashCache))
+		<-c.e.mgr.Elected()
+		c.e.done(c.name, errors.Wrap(c.ca.Start(ctx), errCrashCache))
 	}()
 	go func() {
-		<-e.mgr.Elected()
-		e.done(name, errors.Wrap(ctrl.Start(ctx), errCrashController))
+		<-c.e.mgr.Elected()
+		c.e.done(c.name, errors.Wrap(c.ctrl.Start(ctx), errCrashController))
 	}()
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// GetCache returns the cache used by the named controller.
+func (c NamedController) GetCache() cache.Cache {
+	return c.ca
+}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/engine_test.go b/pkg/controller/engine_test.go
index 1abca9f36..9098bec14 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/engine_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/engine_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/controller"
@@ -92,7 +94,11 @@ func TestEngine(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		"NewControllerError": {
 			reason: "Errors creating a new controller should be returned",
-			e: NewEngine(&fake.Manager{},
+			e: NewEngine(
+				&fake.Manager{
+					Scheme: runtime.NewScheme(),
+					Cache:  &MockCache{},
+				},
 				WithNewCacheFn(func(*rest.Config, cache.Options) (cache.Cache, error) { return nil, nil }),
 				WithNewControllerFn(func(string, manager.Manager, controller.Options) (controller.Controller, error) { return nil, errBoom }),
 			),
@@ -105,7 +111,11 @@ func TestEngine(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		"WatchError": {
 			reason: "Errors adding a watch should be returned",
-			e: NewEngine(&fake.Manager{},
+			e: NewEngine(
+				&fake.Manager{
+					Scheme: runtime.NewScheme(),
+					Cache:  &MockCache{},
+				},
 				WithNewCacheFn(func(*rest.Config, cache.Options) (cache.Cache, error) { return nil, nil }),
 				WithNewControllerFn(func(string, manager.Manager, controller.Options) (controller.Controller, error) {
 					c := &MockController{MockWatch: func(source.Source, handler.EventHandler, ...predicate.Predicate) error { return errBoom }}
@@ -114,12 +124,35 @@ func TestEngine(t *testing.T) {
 			),
 			args: args{
 				name: "coolcontroller",
-				w:    []Watch{For(&fake.Managed{}, nil)},
+				w: []Watch{For(&unstructured.Unstructured{
+					Object: map[string]interface{}{"apiVersion": "example.org/v1", "kind": "Thing"},
+				}, nil)},
 			},
 			want: want{
 				err: errors.Wrap(errBoom, errWatch),
 			},
 		},
+		"SchemeError": {
+			reason: "Passing an object of unknown GVK",
+			e: NewEngine(
+				&fake.Manager{
+					Scheme: runtime.NewScheme(),
+					Cache:  &MockCache{},
+				},
+				WithNewCacheFn(func(*rest.Config, cache.Options) (cache.Cache, error) { return nil, nil }),
+				WithNewControllerFn(func(string, manager.Manager, controller.Options) (controller.Controller, error) {
+					c := &MockController{MockWatch: func(source.Source, handler.EventHandler, ...predicate.Predicate) error { return errBoom }}
+					return c, nil
+				}),
+			),
+			args: args{
+				name: "coolcontroller",
+				w:    []Watch{For(&unstructured.Unstructured{}, nil)},
+			},
+			want: want{
+				err: errors.Wrap(runtime.NewMissingKindErr("unstructured object has no kind"), "failed to get GVK for type *unstructured.Unstructured"),
+			},
+		},
 		"CacheCrashError": {
 			reason: "Errors starting or running a cache should be returned",
 			e: NewEngine(&fake.Manager{},
diff --git a/pkg/resource/fake/mocks.go b/pkg/resource/fake/mocks.go
index 29cc9d5e6..e240d7171 100644
--- a/pkg/resource/fake/mocks.go
+++ b/pkg/resource/fake/mocks.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/manager"
 
@@ -441,6 +442,7 @@ func (m *CompositeClaim) DeepCopyObject() runtime.Object {
 type Manager struct {
 	manager.Manager
 
+	Cache      cache.Cache
 	Client     client.Client
 	Scheme     *runtime.Scheme
 	Config     *rest.Config
@@ -455,6 +457,9 @@ func (m *Manager) Elected() <-chan struct{} {
 	return e
 }
 
+// GetCache returns the cache.
+func (m *Manager) GetCache() cache.Cache { return m.Cache }
+
 // GetClient returns the client.
 func (m *Manager) GetClient() client.Client { return m.Client }