diff --git a/api/v1/condition_types.go b/api/v1/condition_types.go
index 21bb0bfb9..72c7e67a2 100644
--- a/api/v1/condition_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/condition_types.go
@@ -104,4 +104,8 @@ const (
 
 	// CacheOperationFailedReason signals a failure in cache operation.
 	CacheOperationFailedReason string = "CacheOperationFailed"
+
+	// PatchOperationFailedReason signals a failure in patching a kubernetes API
+	// object.
+	PatchOperationFailedReason string = "PatchOperationFailed"
 )
diff --git a/internal/controller/bucket_controller.go b/internal/controller/bucket_controller.go
index d6598aea8..29c3c5da2 100644
--- a/internal/controller/bucket_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/bucket_controller.go
@@ -268,11 +268,11 @@ func (r *BucketReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.SerialPatche
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(false, obj, meta.ProgressingReason,
 			"processing object: new generation %d -> %d", obj.Status.ObservedGeneration, obj.Generation)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	case recAtVal != obj.Status.GetLastHandledReconcileRequest():
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ func (r *BucketReconciler) reconcileStorage(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.Seria
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, msg)
 		conditions.Delete(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactInStorageCondition)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 		return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller.go b/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller.go
index cd6062dfd..60736b95c 100644
--- a/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller.go
@@ -264,11 +264,11 @@ func (r *GitRepositoryReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.Seria
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(false, obj, meta.ProgressingReason,
 			"processing object: new generation %d -> %d", obj.Status.ObservedGeneration, obj.Generation)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	case recAtVal != obj.Status.GetLastHandledReconcileRequest():
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ func (r *GitRepositoryReconciler) reconcileStorage(ctx context.Context, sp *patc
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, msg)
 		conditions.Delete(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactInStorageCondition)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 		return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
 	}
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ func (r *GitRepositoryReconciler) reconcileSource(ctx context.Context, sp *patch
 		}
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, "building artifact: %s", message)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 	conditions.Delete(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactOutdatedCondition)
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ func (r *GitRepositoryReconciler) reconcileSource(ctx context.Context, sp *patch
 		}
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, "building artifact: %s", message)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 	return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
diff --git a/internal/controller/helmchart_controller.go b/internal/controller/helmchart_controller.go
index 7ef584384..556253efe 100644
--- a/internal/controller/helmchart_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/helmchart_controller.go
@@ -283,11 +283,11 @@ func (r *HelmChartReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.SerialPat
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(false, obj, meta.ProgressingReason,
 			"processing object: new generation %d -> %d", obj.Status.ObservedGeneration, obj.Generation)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	case reconcileAtVal != obj.Status.GetLastHandledReconcileRequest():
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ func (r *HelmChartReconciler) reconcileStorage(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.Se
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, msg)
 		conditions.Delete(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactInStorageCondition)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 		return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller.go b/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller.go
index c8462bea6..8e252979a 100644
--- a/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller.go
@@ -246,11 +246,11 @@ func (r *HelmRepositoryReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.Seri
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(false, obj, meta.ProgressingReason,
 			"processing object: new generation %d -> %d", obj.Status.ObservedGeneration, obj.Generation)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	case reconcileAtVal != obj.Status.GetLastHandledReconcileRequest():
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ func (r *HelmRepositoryReconciler) reconcileStorage(ctx context.Context, sp *pat
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, msg)
 		conditions.Delete(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactInStorageCondition)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 		return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
 	}
@@ -493,8 +493,7 @@ func (r *HelmRepositoryReconciler) reconcileSource(ctx context.Context, sp *patc
 	}
 	rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, "building artifact: %s", message)
 	if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-		ctrl.LoggerFrom(ctx).Error(err, "failed to patch")
-		return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+		return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 	}
 
 	// Create potential new artifact.
diff --git a/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller.go b/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller.go
index f10735408..8fddb4936 100644
--- a/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller.go
@@ -263,11 +263,11 @@ func (r *OCIRepositoryReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, sp *patch.Seria
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(false, obj, meta.ProgressingReason,
 			"processing object: new generation %d -> %d", obj.Status.ObservedGeneration, obj.Generation)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	case reconcileAtVal != obj.Status.GetLastHandledReconcileRequest():
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ func (r *OCIRepositoryReconciler) reconcileStorage(ctx context.Context, sp *patc
 		rreconcile.ProgressiveStatus(true, obj, meta.ProgressingReason, msg)
 		conditions.Delete(obj, sourcev1.ArtifactInStorageCondition)
 		if err := sp.Patch(ctx, obj, r.patchOptions...); err != nil {
-			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, err
+			return sreconcile.ResultEmpty, serror.NewGeneric(err, sourcev1.PatchOperationFailedReason)
 		}
 		return sreconcile.ResultSuccess, nil
 	}