diff --git a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue.go b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue.go
index 2c2f2bdafb3..23287e9898f 100644
--- a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue.go
+++ b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue.go
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ import (
 
 type componentHandler struct{}
 
-var enableVAP bool
-
 func init() { //nolint:gochecknoinits
 	cr.Add(&componentHandler{})
 }
diff --git a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller.go b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller.go
index 58fde2339ed..37da9104d0f 100644
--- a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller.go
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (s *componentHandler) NewComponentReconciler(ctx context.Context, mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
-	enableVAP = cluster.GetClusterInfo().Version.GTE(semver.MustParse("4.17.0"))
-	_, err := reconciler.ReconcilerFor(mgr, &componentApi.Kueue{}).
+	b := reconciler.ReconcilerFor(mgr, &componentApi.Kueue{}).
 		// customized Owns() for Component with new predicates
 		Owns(&corev1.ConfigMap{}).
 		Owns(&corev1.Secret{}).
@@ -60,16 +59,6 @@ func (s *componentHandler) NewComponentReconciler(ctx context.Context, mgr ctrl.
 		Owns(&promv1.PrometheusRule{}).
 		Owns(&admissionregistrationv1.MutatingWebhookConfiguration{}).
 		Owns(&admissionregistrationv1.ValidatingWebhookConfiguration{}).
-		// We need dynamically "watch" VAP, because we want it to be configable by user and it can be left behind when kueue is removed.
-		OwnsGVK(
-			gvk.ValidatingAdmissionPolicy,
-			reconciler.Dynamic(vapPredicate),
-		).
-		// We need dynamically "own" VAPB, because we want it has owner so when kueue is removed it gets cleaned.
-		WatchesGVK(
-			gvk.ValidatingAdmissionPolicyBinding,
-			reconciler.Dynamic(vapPredicate),
-		).
 		Owns(&appsv1.Deployment{}, reconciler.WithPredicates(resources.NewDeploymentPredicate())).
 		Watches(
 			&extv1.CustomResourceDefinition{},
@@ -92,10 +81,15 @@ func (s *componentHandler) NewComponentReconciler(ctx context.Context, mgr ctrl.
 		)).
 		WithAction(updatestatus.NewAction()).
 		// must be the final action
-		WithAction(gc.NewAction()).
-		Build(ctx)
+		WithAction(gc.NewAction())
+
+	if cluster.GetClusterInfo().Version.GTE(semver.MustParse("4.17.0")) {
+		b = b.OwnsGVK(gvk.ValidatingAdmissionPolicy)           // "own" VAP, because we want it has owner so when kueue is removed it gets cleaned.
+		b = b.WatchesGVK(gvk.ValidatingAdmissionPolicyBinding) // "watch" VAPB, because we want it to be configable by user and it can be left behind when kueue is remov
+		b = b.WithAction(extraInitialize)
+	}
 
-	if err != nil {
+	if _, err := b.Build(ctx); err != nil {
 		return err // no need customize error, it is done in the caller main
 	}
 
diff --git a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller_actions.go b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller_actions.go
index 4e0c506d303..d8324f5ed6c 100644
--- a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller_actions.go
+++ b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_controller_actions.go
@@ -14,10 +14,12 @@ import (
 
 func initialize(_ context.Context, rr *odhtypes.ReconciliationRequest) error {
 	rr.Manifests = append(rr.Manifests, manifestsPath())
+	return nil
+}
+
+func extraInitialize(_ context.Context, rr *odhtypes.ReconciliationRequest) error {
 	// Add specific manifests if OCP is greater or equal 4.17.
-	if enableVAP {
-		rr.Manifests = append(rr.Manifests, extramanifestsPath())
-	}
+	rr.Manifests = append(rr.Manifests, extramanifestsPath())
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_support.go b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_support.go
index ca5980a72f4..4632b0ca8ad 100644
--- a/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_support.go
+++ b/controllers/components/kueue/kueue_support.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package kueue
 
 import (
-	"context"
-
 	conditionsv1 "github.com/openshift/custom-resource-status/conditions/v1"
 
 	componentApi "github.com/opendatahub-io/opendatahub-operator/v2/apis/components/v1alpha1"
@@ -43,8 +41,3 @@ func extramanifestsPath() odhtypes.ManifestInfo {
 		SourcePath: "rhoai/ocp-4.17-addons",
 	}
 }
-
-// return true if OCP is greater or equal 4.17.
-func vapPredicate(context.Context, *odhtypes.ReconciliationRequest) bool {
-	return enableVAP
-}