diff --git a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
index 6a835598a3..11d4288421 100644
--- a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
+++ b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
@@ -45,12 +45,6 @@
             <version>${josdk.version}</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-            <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-            <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
-            <scope>provided</scope>
-        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
             <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
@@ -86,7 +80,19 @@
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>3.11.0</version>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+                <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
+                <executions>
+                    <execution>
+                        <goals>
+                            <goal>generate</goal>
+                        </goals>
+                    </execution>
+                </executions>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>
diff --git a/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml b/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
index d0840f420a..fccdec8aab 100644
--- a/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
+++ b/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
@@ -30,11 +30,6 @@
       <version>${project.version}</version>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-      <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-slf4j2-impl</artifactId>
@@ -75,6 +70,23 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+        <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>generate</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <phase>process-test-classes</phase>
+            <configuration>
+              <classesToScan>${project.build.testOutputDirectory}</classesToScan>
+              <classpath>WITH_ALL_DEPENDENCIES_AND_TESTS</classpath>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/VersionTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/VersionTest.java
index f59b619996..d902a75860 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/VersionTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/config/VersionTest.java
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 
 class VersionTest {
 
diff --git a/operator-framework/pom.xml b/operator-framework/pom.xml
index 455b1268fd..b2f43380e8 100644
--- a/operator-framework/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework/pom.xml
@@ -108,6 +108,23 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+        <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>generate</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <phase>process-test-classes</phase>
+            <configuration>
+              <classesToScan>${project.build.testOutputDirectory}</classesToScan>
+              <classpath>WITH_ALL_DEPENDENCIES_AND_TESTS</classpath>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 930178b9fa..78f5a6c268 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
     <fabric8-httpclient-impl.name>jdk</fabric8-httpclient-impl.name>
 
     <junit.version>5.10.1</junit.version>
-    <fabric8-client.version>6.13.4</fabric8-client.version>
+    <fabric8-client.version>7.0-SNAPSHOT</fabric8-client.version>
     <slf4j.version>2.0.12</slf4j.version>
     <log4j.version>2.24.2</log4j.version>
     <mokito.version>5.14.2</mokito.version>
@@ -247,6 +247,18 @@
       <url>https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/</url>
     </repository>
   </repositories>
+
+  <pluginRepositories>
+    <pluginRepository>
+      <snapshots>
+        <enabled>true</enabled>
+        <updatePolicy>always</updatePolicy>
+      </snapshots>
+      <id>ossrh</id>
+      <url>https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/</url>
+    </pluginRepository>
+  </pluginRepositories>
+
   <build>
     <pluginManagement>
       <plugins>
diff --git a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
index 46d555966c..27aec54945 100644
--- a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@
       <artifactId>mysql-connector-java</artifactId>
       <version>8.0.30</version>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-      <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-slf4j2-impl</artifactId>
@@ -82,6 +77,18 @@
 
   <build>
     <plugins>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+        <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>generate</goal>
+            </goals>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
index d22260c614..0dab30ee60 100644
--- a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@
       <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
       <artifactId>kubernetes-httpclient-vertx</artifactId>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-      <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-slf4j2-impl</artifactId>
@@ -104,6 +99,22 @@
           </to>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+      </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+        <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>generate</goal>
+            </goals>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 
diff --git a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
index 34b6846b94..995152f555 100644
--- a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
@@ -44,11 +44,6 @@
       <artifactId>takes</artifactId>
       <version>1.24.4</version>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-      <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.awaitility</groupId>
       <artifactId>awaitility</artifactId>
@@ -75,6 +70,22 @@
           </to>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+      </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+        <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${fabric8-client.version}</version>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>generate</goal>
+            </goals>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>