diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResource.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResource.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c4ee2dd1a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResource.java
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.baseapi.ssaissue.specupdate;
+
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.Namespaced;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.CustomResource;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.model.annotation.Group;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.model.annotation.ShortNames;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.model.annotation.Version;
+
+@Group("sample.javaoperatorsdk")
+@Version("v1")
+@ShortNames("ssul")
+public class SSASpecUpdateCustomResource
+    extends CustomResource<SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceSpec, SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceStatus>
+    implements Namespaced {}
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceSpec.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceSpec.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47953ccce0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceSpec.java
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.baseapi.ssaissue.specupdate;
+
+public class SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceSpec {
+
+  private String value;
+
+  public String getValue() {
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  public void setValue(String value) {
+    this.value = value;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceStatus.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceStatus.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5f103dc69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceStatus.java
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.baseapi.ssaissue.specupdate;
+
+public class SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceStatus {
+
+  private Integer value = 0;
+
+  public Integer getValue() {
+    return value;
+  }
+
+  public SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceStatus setValue(Integer value) {
+    this.value = value;
+    return this;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateIT.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateIT.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f1b992259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateIT.java
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.baseapi.ssaissue.specupdate;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
+
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ObjectMetaBuilder;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.junit.LocallyRunOperatorExtension;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.awaitility.Awaitility.await;
+
+class SSASpecUpdateIT {
+
+  public static final String TEST_RESOURCE_NAME = "test";
+
+  @RegisterExtension
+  LocallyRunOperatorExtension operator =
+      LocallyRunOperatorExtension.builder().withReconciler(SSASpecUpdateReconciler.class).build();
+
+  // showcases that is the spec of the resources is updated with SSA, but the finalizer
+  // is not explicitly added to the fresh resource it removes the finalizer
+  @Test
+  void showFinalizerRemovalWhenSpecUpdated() {
+    SSASpecUpdateCustomResource res = createResource();
+    operator.create(res);
+
+    await()
+        .untilAsserted(
+            () -> {
+              var actual = operator.get(SSASpecUpdateCustomResource.class, TEST_RESOURCE_NAME);
+              assertThat(actual.getSpec()).isNotNull();
+              assertThat(actual.getFinalizers()).isEmpty();
+            });
+  }
+
+  SSASpecUpdateCustomResource createResource() {
+    SSASpecUpdateCustomResource res = new SSASpecUpdateCustomResource();
+    res.setMetadata(new ObjectMetaBuilder().withName(TEST_RESOURCE_NAME).build());
+    return res;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateReconciler.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateReconciler.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..483060ad59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/baseapi/ssaissue/specupdate/SSASpecUpdateReconciler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.baseapi.ssaissue.specupdate;
+
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ObjectMetaBuilder;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Cleaner;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Context;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.ControllerConfiguration;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.DeleteControl;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Reconciler;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.UpdateControl;
+
+@ControllerConfiguration
+public class SSASpecUpdateReconciler
+    implements Reconciler<SSASpecUpdateCustomResource>, Cleaner<SSASpecUpdateCustomResource> {
+
+  @Override
+  public UpdateControl<SSASpecUpdateCustomResource> reconcile(
+      SSASpecUpdateCustomResource resource, Context<SSASpecUpdateCustomResource> context) {
+
+    var copy = createFreshCopy(resource);
+    copy.getSpec().setValue("value");
+    context
+        .getClient()
+        .resource(copy)
+        .fieldManager(context.getControllerConfiguration().fieldManager())
+        .serverSideApply();
+
+    return UpdateControl.noUpdate();
+  }
+
+  SSASpecUpdateCustomResource createFreshCopy(SSASpecUpdateCustomResource resource) {
+    var res = new SSASpecUpdateCustomResource();
+    res.setMetadata(
+        new ObjectMetaBuilder()
+            .withName(resource.getMetadata().getName())
+            .withNamespace(resource.getMetadata().getNamespace())
+            .build());
+    res.setSpec(new SSASpecUpdateCustomResourceSpec());
+    return res;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public DeleteControl cleanup(
+      SSASpecUpdateCustomResource resource, Context<SSASpecUpdateCustomResource> context) {
+
+    return DeleteControl.defaultDelete();
+  }
+}