diff --git a/src/main/resources/application.properties b/src/main/resources/application.properties
index 247080b..88c52ff 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/application.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/application.properties
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ quarkus.quartz.start-mode=forced
 
 quarkus.container-image.builder=jib
 quarkus.operator-sdk.crd.apply=true
+quarkus.kubernetes.namespace=default
 
 mp.messaging.outgoing.ping-source-requests.connector=quarkus-http
-
-%test.quarkus.operator-sdk.start-operator=true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/inulogic/PingSourceOperatorE2ETest.java b/src/test/java/com/inulogic/PingSourceOperatorE2ETest.java
index 0466a5a..781f76d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/inulogic/PingSourceOperatorE2ETest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/inulogic/PingSourceOperatorE2ETest.java
@@ -18,17 +18,36 @@
 import com.inulogic.api.PingSource;
 import com.inulogic.api.PingSourceSpec;
 
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterAll;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ObjectMetaBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.Operator;
 import io.quarkus.kubernetes.client.runtime.KubernetesClientUtils;
 import io.quarkus.test.junit.QuarkusTest;
+import jakarta.inject.Inject;
 
 @QuarkusTest
 @WithWiremock(name = "ping-source-requests", urlProperty = "mp.messaging.outgoing.ping-source-requests.url")
 class PingSourceOperatorE2ETest {
 
+    @Inject
+    Operator operator;
+
+    @BeforeAll
+    void startOperator() {
+        operator.start();
+    }
+
+    @AfterAll
+    void stopOperator() {
+        operator.stop();
+    }
+
     protected final KubernetesClient client = KubernetesClientUtils.createClient();
 
     @Wiremock(name = "ping-source-requests")