diff --git a/tools/populate-owners/README.md b/tools/populate-owners/README.md
index 7bbbc94801ce..068505a0d211 100644
--- a/tools/populate-owners/README.md
+++ b/tools/populate-owners/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ For example, if [openshift/origin][] and [openshift/installer][] both defined an
 After namespacing aliases, the utility writes `OWNERS_ALIASES` to the root of this repository.
 If no upstreams define aliases, then the utility removes `OWNER_ALIASES` from the root of this repository.
 
-The utility also iterates through the `ci-operator/jobs/{organization}/{repository}` and `ci-operator/config/{organization}/{repository}` directories, writing `OWNERS` to reflect the upstream configuration.
+The utility also iterates through the `ci-operator/{type}/{organization}/{repository}` for `{type}` in `config`, `jobs`, and `templates`, writing `OWNERS` to reflect the upstream configuration.
 If the upstream did not have an `OWNERS` file, the utility removes the associated `ci-operator/*/{organization}/{repository}/OWNERS`.
 
 [openshift/origin]: https://github.com/openshift/origin
diff --git a/tools/populate-owners/main.go b/tools/populate-owners/main.go
index fcde596f0fc7..279e542a3ef5 100644
--- a/tools/populate-owners/main.go
+++ b/tools/populate-owners/main.go
@@ -93,15 +93,17 @@ func orgRepos(dir string) (orgRepos []*orgRepo, err error) {
 	return orgRepos, err
 }
 
-func (orgRepo *orgRepo) getConfig(dir string) (err error) {
-	path := filepath.Join(dir, orgRepo.Organization, orgRepo.Repository)
-	info, err := os.Stat(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+func (orgRepo *orgRepo) getDirectories(dirs ...string) (err error) {
+	for _, dir := range dirs {
+		path := filepath.Join(dir, orgRepo.Organization, orgRepo.Repository)
+		info, err := os.Stat(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-	if info.IsDir() {
-		orgRepo.Directories = append(orgRepo.Directories, path)
+		if info.IsDir() {
+			orgRepo.Directories = append(orgRepo.Directories, path)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -305,14 +307,16 @@ func pullOwners(directory string) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	orgRepos, err := orgRepos(filepath.Join(repoRoot, "ci-operator", "jobs"))
+	operatorRoot := filepath.Join(repoRoot, "ci-operator")
+	orgRepos, err := orgRepos(filepath.Join(operatorRoot, "jobs"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	config := filepath.Join(repoRoot, "ci-operator", "config")
+	config := filepath.Join(operatorRoot, "config")
+	templates := filepath.Join(operatorRoot, "templates")
 	for _, orgRepo := range orgRepos {
-		err = orgRepo.getConfig(config)
+		err = orgRepo.getDirectories(config, templates)
 		if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/tools/populate-owners/main_test.go b/tools/populate-owners/main_test.go
index 333a46a432f2..c77286e79f0a 100644
--- a/tools/populate-owners/main_test.go
+++ b/tools/populate-owners/main_test.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func TestOrgRepos(t *testing.T) {
 	assertEqual(t, orgRepos, expected)
 }
 
-func TestGetConfig(t *testing.T) {
+func TestGetDirectories(t *testing.T) {
 	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "populate-owners-")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func TestGetConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	for _, test := range []struct{
+	for _, test := range []struct {
 		name     string
 		input    *orgRepo
 		expected *orgRepo
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ func TestGetConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			error: regexp.MustCompile("^stat .*/c/d: no such file or directory"),
 		},
 	} {
-		t.Run(test.name, func (t *testing.T) {
-			err := test.input.getConfig(dir)
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := test.input.getDirectories(dir)
 			if test.error == nil {
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatal(err)