diff --git a/tools/go.mod b/tools/go.mod
index 129dcbc52..0d0104b0b 100644
--- a/tools/go.mod
+++ b/tools/go.mod
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ go 1.24.0
 require (
 	github.com/operator-framework/operator-sdk v1.40.0
 	github.com/uw-labs/lichen v0.1.7
-	sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.17.2
+	sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.18.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kustomize/v5 v5.7.0
 )
 
@@ -251,7 +251,9 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/apiserver v0.33.2 // indirect
 	k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.33.2 // indirect
 	k8s.io/client-go v0.33.2 // indirect
+	k8s.io/code-generator v0.33.2 // indirect
 	k8s.io/component-base v0.33.2 // indirect
+	k8s.io/gengo/v2 v2.0.0-20250207200755-1244d31929d7 // indirect
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1 // indirect
 	k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20250318190949-c8a335a9a2ff // indirect
 	k8s.io/kubectl v0.33.2 // indirect
diff --git a/tools/go.sum b/tools/go.sum
index 0c475d7d3..a4e772b1a 100644
--- a/tools/go.sum
+++ b/tools/go.sum
@@ -805,8 +805,12 @@ k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.33.2 h1:koNYQKSDdq5AExa/RDudXMhhtFasEg48KLS2KSAU74Y=
 k8s.io/cli-runtime v0.33.2/go.mod h1:gnhsAWpovqf1Zj5YRRBBU7PFsRc6NkEkwYNQE+mXL88=
 k8s.io/client-go v0.33.2 h1:z8CIcc0P581x/J1ZYf4CNzRKxRvQAwoAolYPbtQes+E=
 k8s.io/client-go v0.33.2/go.mod h1:9mCgT4wROvL948w6f6ArJNb7yQd7QsvqavDeZHvNmHo=
+k8s.io/code-generator v0.33.2 h1:PCJ0Y6viTCxxJHMOyGqYwWEteM4q6y1Hqo2rNpl6jF4=
+k8s.io/code-generator v0.33.2/go.mod h1:hBjCA9kPMpjLWwxcr75ReaQfFXY8u+9bEJJ7kRw3J8c=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.33.2 h1:sCCsn9s/dG3ZrQTX/Us0/Sx2R0G5kwa0wbZFYoVp/+0=
 k8s.io/component-base v0.33.2/go.mod h1:/41uw9wKzuelhN+u+/C59ixxf4tYQKW7p32ddkYNe2k=
+k8s.io/gengo/v2 v2.0.0-20250207200755-1244d31929d7 h1:2OX19X59HxDprNCVrWi6jb7LW1PoqTlYqEq5H2oetog=
+k8s.io/gengo/v2 v2.0.0-20250207200755-1244d31929d7/go.mod h1:EJykeLsmFC60UQbYJezXkEsG2FLrt0GPNkU5iK5GWxU=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1 h1:n9Xl7H1Xvksem4KFG4PYbdQCQxqc/tTUyrgXaOhHSzk=
 k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1/go.mod h1:3Jpz1GvMt720eyJH1ckRHK1EDfpxISzJ7I9OYgaDtPE=
 k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20250318190949-c8a335a9a2ff h1:/usPimJzUKKu+m+TE36gUyGcf03XZEP0ZIKgKj35LS4=
@@ -821,8 +825,8 @@ sigs.k8s.io/apiserver-network-proxy/konnectivity-client v0.31.2 h1:jpcvIRr3GLoUo
 sigs.k8s.io/apiserver-network-proxy/konnectivity-client v0.31.2/go.mod h1:Ve9uj1L+deCXFrPOk1LpFXqTg7LCFzFso6PA48q/XZw=
 sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4 h1:X3c+Odnxz+iPTRobG4tp092+CvBU9UK0t/bRf+n0DGU=
 sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4/go.mod h1:xg2XB0K5ShQzAgsoujxuKN4LNXR2LfwwHsPj7Iaw+XY=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.17.2 h1:jNFOKps8WnaRKZU2R+4vRCHnXyJanVmXBWqkuUPFyFg=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.17.2/go.mod h1:4q5tZG2JniS5M5bkiXY2/potOiXyhoZVw/U48vLkXk0=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.18.0 h1:rGxGZCZTV2wJreeRgqVoWab/mfcumTMmSwKzoM9xrsE=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.18.0/go.mod h1:gLKoiGBriyNh+x1rWtUQnakUYEujErjXs9pf+x/8n1U=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20241010143419-9aa6b5e7a4b3 h1:/Rv+M11QRah1itp8VhT6HoVx1Ray9eB4DBr+K+/sCJ8=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20241010143419-9aa6b5e7a4b3/go.mod h1:18nIHnGi6636UCz6m8i4DhaJ65T6EruyzmoQqI2BVDo=
 sigs.k8s.io/kubebuilder/v4 v4.5.2 h1:57lmVU1zwjOZAF28hBhZyaxE6qXreHYekI4yt/Q5rEU=