diff --git a/install/0000_30_machine-api-operator_12_clusteroperator.yaml b/install/0000_30_machine-api-operator_12_clusteroperator.yaml
index b7602f42f..35edd515c 100644
--- a/install/0000_30_machine-api-operator_12_clusteroperator.yaml
+++ b/install/0000_30_machine-api-operator_12_clusteroperator.yaml
@@ -9,3 +9,6 @@ status:
   versions:
     - name: operator
       version: "0.0.1-snapshot"
+  relatedObjects:
+    - group: "certificates.k8s.io"
+      resource: "certificatesigningrequests"
diff --git a/pkg/operator/status.go b/pkg/operator/status.go
index c1b7ee5a1..0b2ba0fe9 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/status.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/status.go
@@ -205,6 +205,14 @@ func (optr *Operator) relatedObjects() []osconfigv1.ObjectReference {
 			Name:      "",
 			Namespace: optr.namespace,
 		},
+		{
+			// the machine-api-operator runs a machine-approver which approvers CSRs originated by nodes.  Some failure modes
+			// we have debugged result from these not being approved.  Gather the information about them (non-sensitive)
+			// for debuggging
+			Group: "certificates.k8s.io",
+			Resource: "certificatesigningrequests",
+		},
+
 	}
 }