diff --git a/config/rbac/role.yaml b/config/rbac/role.yaml
index 0fcf395b9..568979d96 100644
--- a/config/rbac/role.yaml
+++ b/config/rbac/role.yaml
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ rules:
 - apiGroups:
   - config.openshift.io
   resources:
+  - clusterversions
   - infrastructures
   verbs:
   - get
diff --git a/controllers/setup.go b/controllers/setup.go
index e4d892ac8..43eb187d4 100644
--- a/controllers/setup.go
+++ b/controllers/setup.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"kubevirt.io/ssp-operator/internal/common"
@@ -36,64 +37,75 @@ func CreateAndStartReconciler(ctx context.Context, mgr controllerruntime.Manager
 		node_labeller.New(),
 	}
 
-	var requiredCrds []string
-	for i := range sspOperands {
-		requiredCrds = append(requiredCrds, sspOperands[i].RequiredCrds()...)
-	}
-
 	mgrCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	defer cancel()
+	mgrCtx = logr.NewContext(mgrCtx, mgr.GetLogger())
 
-	crdWatch := crd_watch.New(requiredCrds...)
-	// Cleanly stops the manager and exit. The pod will be restarted.
-	crdWatch.AllCrdsAddedHandler = cancel
-	crdWatch.SomeCrdRemovedHandler = cancel
-
-	err = crdWatch.Init(mgrCtx, mgr.GetAPIReader())
+	runningOnOpenShift, err := common.RunningOnOpenshift(ctx, mgr.GetAPIReader())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if missingCrds := crdWatch.MissingCrds(); len(missingCrds) > 0 {
-		mgr.GetLogger().Error(nil, "Some required crds are missing. The operator will not create any new resources.",
-			"missingCrds", missingCrds,
-		)
-	}
+	if runningOnOpenShift {
+		var requiredCrds []string
+		for i := range sspOperands {
+			requiredCrds = append(requiredCrds, sspOperands[i].RequiredCrds()...)
+		}
 
-	err = mgr.Add(crdWatch)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+		crdWatch := crd_watch.New(requiredCrds...)
+		// Cleanly stops the manager and exit. The pod will be restarted.
+		crdWatch.AllCrdsAddedHandler = cancel
+		crdWatch.SomeCrdRemovedHandler = cancel
 
-	infrastructureTopology, err := common.GetInfrastructureTopology(mgrCtx, mgr.GetAPIReader())
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get infrastructure topology: %w", err)
-	}
+		err = crdWatch.Init(mgrCtx, mgr.GetAPIReader())
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-	serviceController, err := CreateServiceController(mgrCtx, mgr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create service controller: %w", err)
-	}
+		if missingCrds := crdWatch.MissingCrds(); len(missingCrds) > 0 {
+			mgr.GetLogger().Error(nil, "Some required crds are missing. The operator will not create any new resources.",
+				"missingCrds", missingCrds,
+			)
+		}
 
-	err = mgr.Add(manager.RunnableFunc(func(ctx context.Context) error {
-		err := serviceController.Start(ctx, mgr)
+		infrastructureTopology, err := common.GetInfrastructureTopology(mgrCtx, mgr.GetAPIReader())
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("error starting serviceController: %w", err)
+			return err
 		}
 
-		mgr.GetLogger().Info("Services Controller started")
+		err = mgr.Add(crdWatch)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-		return nil
-	}))
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error adding service controller: %w", err)
-	}
+		serviceController, err := CreateServiceController(mgrCtx, mgr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create service controller: %w", err)
+		}
 
-	reconciler := NewSspReconciler(mgr.GetClient(), mgr.GetAPIReader(), infrastructureTopology, sspOperands, crdWatch)
+		err = mgr.Add(manager.RunnableFunc(func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			err := serviceController.Start(ctx, mgr)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error starting serviceController: %w", err)
+			}
 
-	err = reconciler.setupController(mgr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+			mgr.GetLogger().Info("Services Controller started")
+
+			return nil
+		}))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error adding service controller: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		reconciler := NewSspReconciler(mgr.GetClient(), mgr.GetAPIReader(), infrastructureTopology, sspOperands, crdWatch)
+
+		err = reconciler.setupController(mgr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+	} else { // if !runningOnOpenShift
+		mgr.GetLogger().Info("SSP operator is running in inactive mode. The operator will not react to any event.")
 	}
 
 	mgr.GetLogger().Info("starting manager")
diff --git a/controllers/ssp_controller.go b/controllers/ssp_controller.go
index b73142365..1774e88a2 100644
--- a/controllers/ssp_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/ssp_controller.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ var _ reconcile.Reconciler = &sspReconciler{}
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=ssp.kubevirt.io,resources=ssps,verbs=get;list;watch;create;update;patch;delete
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=ssp.kubevirt.io,resources=ssps/status,verbs=get;update;patch
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=ssp.kubevirt.io,resources=ssps/finalizers,verbs=update
-// +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=config.openshift.io,resources=infrastructures,verbs=get;list;watch
+// +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=config.openshift.io,resources=infrastructures;clusterversions,verbs=get;list;watch
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=apiextensions.k8s.io,resources=customresourcedefinitions,verbs=list
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=ssp.kubevirt.io,resources=kubevirtcommontemplatesbundles,verbs=get;list;watch;create;update;patch;delete
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups=ssp.kubevirt.io,resources=kubevirtmetricsaggregations,verbs=get;list;watch;create;update;patch;delete
diff --git a/internal/common/environment.go b/internal/common/environment.go
index 6dbdd3ebf..6252c4f53 100644
--- a/internal/common/environment.go
+++ b/internal/common/environment.go
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	osconfv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/meta"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 )
@@ -33,6 +36,23 @@ func GetOperatorVersion() string {
 	return EnvOrDefault(OperatorVersionKey, defaultOperatorVersion)
 }
 
+func RunningOnOpenshift(ctx context.Context, cl client.Reader) (bool, error) {
+	clusterVersion := &osconfv1.ClusterVersion{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name: "version",
+		},
+	}
+	if err := cl.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKeyFromObject(clusterVersion), clusterVersion); err != nil {
+		if meta.IsNoMatchError(err) || apierrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			// Not on OpenShift
+			return false, nil
+		} else {
+			return false, err
+		}
+	}
+	return true, nil
+}
+
 func GetInfrastructureTopology(ctx context.Context, c client.Reader) (osconfv1.TopologyMode, error) {
 	infraConfig := &osconfv1.Infrastructure{}
 	if err := c.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Name: "cluster"}, infraConfig); err != nil {