diff --git a/internal/controller/deployment_controller.go b/internal/controller/deployment_controller.go
index 28d2c91aa..da3c1c13a 100644
--- a/internal/controller/deployment_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/deployment_controller.go
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func (r *DeploymentReconciler) Update(ctx context.Context, l logr.Logger, deploy
 	})
 
 	if !deployment.Spec.DryRun {
-		ownerRef := metav1.OwnerReference{
+		ownerRef := &metav1.OwnerReference{
 			APIVersion: hmc.GroupVersion.String(),
 			Kind:       hmc.DeploymentKind,
 			Name:       deployment.Name,
diff --git a/internal/controller/management_controller.go b/internal/controller/management_controller.go
index da1a8a26c..b7a6048b8 100644
--- a/internal/controller/management_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/management_controller.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func (r *ManagementReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 		return ctrl.Result{}, r.Client.Update(ctx, management)
 	}
 
-	ownerRef := metav1.OwnerReference{
+	ownerRef := &metav1.OwnerReference{
 		APIVersion: hmc.GroupVersion.String(),
 		Kind:       hmc.ManagementKind,
 		Name:       management.Name,
diff --git a/internal/controller/release_controller.go b/internal/controller/release_controller.go
index 3057f9d3c..9344f62a8 100644
--- a/internal/controller/release_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/release_controller.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func (p *Poller) reconcileHMCTemplates(ctx context.Context) error {
 		Name:      helmChart.Name,
 		Namespace: helmChart.Namespace,
 	}
-	_, operation, err = helm.ReconcileHelmRelease(ctx, p.Client, hmcTemplatesReleaseName, hmc.TemplatesNamespace, nil, metav1.OwnerReference{}, chartRef, defaultReconcileInterval, nil)
+	_, operation, err = helm.ReconcileHelmRelease(ctx, p.Client, hmcTemplatesReleaseName, hmc.TemplatesNamespace, nil, nil, chartRef, defaultReconcileInterval, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/helm/release.go b/internal/helm/release.go
index 85275bb0a..4a2c57724 100644
--- a/internal/helm/release.go
+++ b/internal/helm/release.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func ReconcileHelmRelease(
 	name string,
 	namespace string,
 	values *apiextensionsv1.JSON,
-	ownerReference metav1.OwnerReference,
+	ownerReference *metav1.OwnerReference,
 	chartRef *hcv2.CrossNamespaceSourceReference,
 	reconcileInterval time.Duration,
 	dependsOn []meta.NamespacedObjectReference,
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ func ReconcileHelmRelease(
 			helmRelease.Labels = make(map[string]string)
 		}
 		helmRelease.Labels[hmc.HMCManagedLabelKey] = "true"
-		helmRelease.OwnerReferences = []metav1.OwnerReference{ownerReference}
+		if ownerReference != nil {
+			helmRelease.OwnerReferences = []metav1.OwnerReference{*ownerReference}
+		}
 		helmRelease.Spec = hcv2.HelmReleaseSpec{
 			ChartRef:    chartRef,
 			Interval:    metav1.Duration{Duration: reconcileInterval},