diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java
index 9f25b47f49..ae836f2a72 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/BaseConfigurationService.java
@@ -139,6 +139,10 @@ protected <P extends HasMetadata> ControllerConfiguration<P> configFor(Reconcile
         annotation.fieldManager().equals(CONTROLLER_NAME_AS_FIELD_MANAGER) ? name
             : annotation.fieldManager();
 
+    final var informerListLimit =
+        annotation.informerListLimit() == Constants.NO_LONG_VALUE_SET ? null
+            : annotation.informerListLimit();
+
     final var config = new ResolvedControllerConfiguration<P>(
         resourceClass, name, generationAware,
         associatedReconcilerClass, retry, rateLimiter,
@@ -157,8 +161,7 @@ protected <P extends HasMetadata> ControllerConfiguration<P> configFor(Reconcile
             Constants.NO_VALUE_SET),
         null,
         Utils.instantiate(annotation.itemStore(), ItemStore.class, context), dependentFieldManager,
-        this,
-        null);
+        this, informerListLimit);
 
     ResourceEventFilter<P> answer = deprecatedEventFilter(annotation);
     config.setEventFilter(answer != null ? answer : ResourceEventFilters.passthrough());
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Constants.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Constants.java
index 08aeb16f90..9876fda558 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Constants.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Constants.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ public final class Constants {
       Collections.singleton(Constants.SAME_AS_CONTROLLER);
 
   public static final String NO_VALUE_SET = "";
+  public static final long NO_LONG_VALUE_SET = -1L;
   public static final String WATCH_CURRENT_NAMESPACE = "JOSDK_WATCH_CURRENT";
   public static final String WATCH_ALL_NAMESPACES = "JOSDK_ALL_NAMESPACES";
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java
index 1cd7ed6306..c064e669e0 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/ControllerConfiguration.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.retry.Retry;
 
 import static io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ControllerConfiguration.CONTROLLER_NAME_AS_FIELD_MANAGER;
+import static io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Constants.NO_LONG_VALUE_SET;
 
 @Inherited
 @Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@@ -158,4 +159,11 @@ MaxReconciliationInterval maxReconciliationInterval() default @MaxReconciliation
    * @return the name used as field manager for SSA operations
    */
   String fieldManager() default CONTROLLER_NAME_AS_FIELD_MANAGER;
+
+  /**
+   * The maximum amount of items to return for a single list call when starting the primary resource
+   * related informers. If this is a not null it will result in paginating for the initial load of
+   * the informer cache.
+   */
+  long informerListLimit() default NO_LONG_VALUE_SET;
 }