diff --git a/internal/controller/appwrapper/appwrapper_controller.go b/internal/controller/appwrapper/appwrapper_controller.go
index 2968e1d..be369a6 100644
--- a/internal/controller/appwrapper/appwrapper_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/appwrapper/appwrapper_controller.go
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 			}
 		}
 
+		if err := awstatus.EnsureComponentStatusInitialized(ctx, aw); err != nil {
+			return ctrl.Result{}, err
+		}
+
 		return r.updateStatus(ctx, aw, workloadv1beta2.AppWrapperSuspended)
 
 	case workloadv1beta2.AppWrapperSuspended: // no components deployed
@@ -159,11 +163,6 @@ func (r *AppWrapperReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 			return ctrl.Result{}, nil // remain suspended
 		}
 
-		// Normally already done as a side-effect of Kueue calling PodSets(), but be absolutely certain before we start using it.
-		if err := awstatus.EnsureComponentStatusInitialized(ctx, aw); err != nil {
-			return ctrl.Result{}, err
-		}
-
 		// begin deployment
 		meta.SetStatusCondition(&aw.Status.Conditions, metav1.Condition{
 			Type:    string(workloadv1beta2.QuotaReserved),
diff --git a/internal/controller/appwrapper/suite_test.go b/internal/controller/appwrapper/suite_test.go
index bc09f31..268b88a 100644
--- a/internal/controller/appwrapper/suite_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/appwrapper/suite_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log/zap"
 
 	workloadv1beta2 "github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/api/v1beta2"
-	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/internal/controller/awstatus"
 	kueue "sigs.k8s.io/kueue/apis/kueue/v1beta1"
 )
 
@@ -101,7 +100,6 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func() {
 	k8sClient, err = client.New(cfg, client.Options{Scheme: scheme})
 	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 	Expect(k8sClient).NotTo(BeNil())
-	awstatus.CacheClient(k8sClient)
 })
 
 var _ = AfterSuite(func() {
diff --git a/internal/controller/awstatus/status_utils.go b/internal/controller/awstatus/status_utils.go
index bc747e0..b17df17 100644
--- a/internal/controller/awstatus/status_utils.go
+++ b/internal/controller/awstatus/status_utils.go
@@ -21,40 +21,9 @@ import (
 
 	workloadv1beta2 "github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/api/v1beta2"
 	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/pkg/utils"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 )
 
-var (
-	cachedClient client.Client
-)
-
-const controllerName = "workload.codeflare.dev-appwrapper"
-
-// CacheClient initializes cachedClient; must be called during startup
-func CacheClient(k8sclient client.Client) {
-	cachedClient = k8sclient
-}
-
-// BaseSSAAppWrapper creates a new object based on the input AppWrapper that
-// only contains the fields necessary to identify the original object.
-// The object can be used as a base for Server-Side-Apply.
-func BaseSSAAppWrapper(aw *workloadv1beta2.AppWrapper) *workloadv1beta2.AppWrapper {
-	patch := &workloadv1beta2.AppWrapper{
-		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			UID:       aw.UID,
-			Name:      aw.Name,
-			Namespace: aw.Namespace,
-		},
-		TypeMeta: metav1.TypeMeta{
-			APIVersion: workloadv1beta2.GroupVersion.String(),
-			Kind:       "AppWrapper",
-		},
-	}
-	return patch
-}
-
 // EnsureComponentStatusInitialized initializes aw.Status.ComponenetStatus, including performing PodSet inference for known GVKs
 func EnsureComponentStatusInitialized(ctx context.Context, aw *workloadv1beta2.AppWrapper) error {
 	if len(aw.Status.ComponentStatus) == len(aw.Spec.Components) {
@@ -81,8 +50,5 @@ func EnsureComponentStatusInitialized(ctx context.Context, aw *workloadv1beta2.A
 		}
 	}
 	aw.Status.ComponentStatus = compStatus
-
-	patch := BaseSSAAppWrapper(aw)
-	patch.Status.ComponentStatus = compStatus
-	return cachedClient.Status().Patch(ctx, patch, client.Apply, client.FieldOwner(controllerName), client.ForceOwnership)
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/controller/setup.go b/pkg/controller/setup.go
index 38d3306..3dfe145 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/setup.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/setup.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	cert "github.com/open-policy-agent/cert-controller/pkg/rotator"
 
 	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/internal/controller/appwrapper"
-	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/internal/controller/awstatus"
 	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/internal/controller/workload"
 	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/internal/webhook"
 	"github.com/project-codeflare/appwrapper/pkg/config"
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@ import (
 
 // SetupControllers creates and configures all components of the AppWrapper controller
 func SetupControllers(mgr ctrl.Manager, awConfig *config.AppWrapperConfig) error {
-	awstatus.CacheClient(mgr.GetClient())
 	if awConfig.EnableKueueIntegrations {
 		if err := workload.WorkloadReconciler(
 			mgr.GetClient(),