diff --git a/pkg/util/create_or_update.go b/pkg/util/create_or_update.go
index 8bdbde47..94a3f4af 100644
--- a/pkg/util/create_or_update.go
+++ b/pkg/util/create_or_update.go
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ type CreateOrUpdateOptions[T runtime.Object] struct {
 	Obj            T
 	MutateOnUpdate MutateFn[T]
 	MutateOnCreate MutateFn[T]
+	// IdentifyingLabels is used to find an existing resource if GenerateName is set in the target resource.
+	IdentifyingLabels map[string]string
 }
 
 func CreateOrUpdateWithOptions[T runtime.Object](ctx context.Context, options CreateOrUpdateOptions[T]) (OperationResult, T, error) {
@@ -121,7 +123,7 @@ func maybeCreateOrUpdate[T runtime.Object](ctx context.Context, options CreateOr
 	objMeta := resource.MustToMeta(options.Obj)
 
 	err := retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultRetry, func() error {
-		existing, err := getResource(ctx, options.Client, options.Obj)
+		existing, err := getResource(ctx, &options)
 		if apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
 			if op != opCreate {
 				logger.V(log.LIBTRACE).Infof("Resource %q does not exist - not updating", objMeta.GetName())
@@ -204,16 +206,23 @@ func maybeCreateOrUpdate[T runtime.Object](ctx context.Context, options CreateOr
 }
 
 //nolint:wrapcheck // No need to wrap errors
-func getResource[T runtime.Object](ctx context.Context, client resource.Interface[T], obj T) (T, error) {
-	objMeta := resource.MustToMeta(obj)
+func getResource[T runtime.Object](ctx context.Context, options *CreateOrUpdateOptions[T]) (T, error) {
+	objMeta := resource.MustToMeta(options.Obj)
 
 	if objMeta.GetName() != "" || objMeta.GetGenerateName() == "" {
-		obj, err := client.Get(ctx, objMeta.GetName(), metav1.GetOptions{})
+		obj, err := options.Client.Get(ctx, objMeta.GetName(), metav1.GetOptions{})
 		return obj, err
 	}
 
-	list, err := client.List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{
-		LabelSelector: labels.SelectorFromSet(objMeta.GetLabels()).String(),
+	var selectorLabels map[string]string
+	if len(options.IdentifyingLabels) > 0 {
+		selectorLabels = options.IdentifyingLabels
+	} else {
+		selectorLabels = objMeta.GetLabels()
+	}
+
+	list, err := options.Client.List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{
+		LabelSelector: labels.SelectorFromSet(selectorLabels).String(),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return *new(T), err
diff --git a/pkg/util/create_or_update_test.go b/pkg/util/create_or_update_test.go
index a18da61a..c77c9fbd 100644
--- a/pkg/util/create_or_update_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/create_or_update_test.go
@@ -148,8 +148,23 @@ var _ = Describe("CreateOrUpdate function", func() {
 	t := newCreateOrUpdateTestDiver()
 
 	createOrUpdate := func(expResult util.OperationResult) error {
-		result, err := util.CreateOrUpdate[*unstructured.Unstructured](context.TODO(), resource.ForDynamic(t.client),
-			resource.MustToUnstructured(t.pod), t.mutateFn)
+		options := util.CreateOrUpdateOptions[*unstructured.Unstructured]{
+			Client:         resource.ForDynamic(t.client),
+			MutateOnUpdate: t.mutateFn,
+		}
+
+		if t.pod.GenerateName != "" {
+			options.IdentifyingLabels = map[string]string{}
+			for k, v := range t.pod.Labels {
+				options.IdentifyingLabels[k] = v
+			}
+
+			t.pod.Labels["new-label"] = "new-value"
+		}
+
+		options.Obj = resource.MustToUnstructured(t.pod)
+
+		result, _, err := util.CreateOrUpdateWithOptions[*unstructured.Unstructured](context.TODO(), options)
 		if err != nil && expResult != util.OperationResultNone {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -167,12 +182,6 @@ var _ = Describe("CreateOrUpdate function", func() {
 		})
 
 		Context("and a mutation function specified", func() {
-			BeforeEach(func() {
-				t.pod.Name = ""
-				t.pod.GenerateName = "name-prefix-"
-				t.pod.Labels = map[string]string{"label1": "value1", "label2": "value2"}
-			})
-
 			It("should invoke the function on create", func() {
 				result, created, err := util.CreateOrUpdateWithOptions[*unstructured.Unstructured](context.TODO(),
 					util.CreateOrUpdateOptions[*unstructured.Unstructured]{