diff --git a/pkg/cluster/client.go b/pkg/cluster/client.go
index cf7deba5..d3b1e8aa 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/client.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/client.go
@@ -6,12 +6,20 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 package cluster
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
 
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	apitypes "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/discovery"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+
+	"github.com/sap/component-operator-runtime/pkg/types"
 )
 
 func NewClient(clnt client.Client, discoveryClient discovery.DiscoveryInterface, eventRecorder record.EventRecorder, config *rest.Config, httpClient *http.Client) Client {
@@ -21,15 +29,23 @@ func NewClient(clnt client.Client, discoveryClient discovery.DiscoveryInterface,
 		eventRecorder:   eventRecorder,
 		config:          config,
 		httpClient:      httpClient,
+		inflightRetries: make(map[apitypes.UID]time.Time),
 	}
 }
 
+const (
+	retryAfter         = time.Second
+	nextRetryNotBefore = time.Minute
+)
+
 type clientImpl struct {
 	client.Client
 	discoveryClient discovery.DiscoveryInterface
 	eventRecorder   record.EventRecorder
 	config          *rest.Config
 	httpClient      *http.Client
+	mu              sync.Mutex
+	inflightRetries map[apitypes.UID]time.Time
 }
 
 func (c *clientImpl) DiscoveryClient() discovery.DiscoveryInterface {
@@ -47,3 +63,70 @@ func (c *clientImpl) Config() *rest.Config {
 func (c *clientImpl) HttpClient() *http.Client {
 	return c.httpClient
 }
+
+func (c *clientImpl) Apply(ctx context.Context, obj runtime.ApplyConfiguration, opts ...client.ApplyOption) error {
+	return c.Client.Apply(ctx, obj, opts...)
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) Create(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, opts ...client.CreateOption) error {
+	return c.retryIfEligible(c.Client.Create(ctx, obj, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) Delete(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, opts ...client.DeleteOption) error {
+	return c.retryIfEligible(c.Client.Delete(ctx, obj, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) Update(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, opts ...client.UpdateOption) error {
+	return c.retryIfEligible(c.Client.Update(ctx, obj, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) Patch(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, patch client.Patch, opts ...client.PatchOption) error {
+	return c.retryIfEligible(c.Client.Patch(ctx, obj, patch, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) DeleteAllOf(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, opts ...client.DeleteAllOfOption) error {
+	return c.Client.DeleteAllOf(ctx, obj, opts...)
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) Status() client.SubResourceWriter {
+	return &subResourceClientImpl{SubResourceClient: c.Client.SubResource("status"), client: c}
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) SubResource(subResource string) client.SubResourceClient {
+	return &subResourceClientImpl{SubResourceClient: c.Client.SubResource(subResource), client: c}
+}
+
+func (c *clientImpl) retryIfEligible(err error, uid apitypes.UID) error {
+	if apierrors.IsConflict(err) && uid != "" {
+		c.mu.Lock()
+		defer c.mu.Unlock()
+		now := time.Now()
+		for uid, notBefore := range c.inflightRetries {
+			if notBefore.After(now) {
+				delete(c.inflightRetries, uid)
+			}
+		}
+		if _, ok := c.inflightRetries[uid]; !ok {
+			c.inflightRetries[uid] = now.Add(nextRetryNotBefore)
+			return types.NewRetriableError(err, ref(retryAfter))
+		}
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+type subResourceClientImpl struct {
+	client.SubResourceClient
+	client *clientImpl
+}
+
+func (s *subResourceClientImpl) Create(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, subResource client.Object, opts ...client.SubResourceCreateOption) error {
+	return s.client.retryIfEligible(s.SubResourceClient.Create(ctx, obj, subResource, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
+
+func (s *subResourceClientImpl) Update(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, opts ...client.SubResourceUpdateOption) error {
+	return s.client.retryIfEligible(s.SubResourceClient.Update(ctx, obj, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
+
+func (s *subResourceClientImpl) Patch(ctx context.Context, obj client.Object, patch client.Patch, opts ...client.SubResourcePatchOption) error {
+	return s.client.retryIfEligible(s.SubResourceClient.Patch(ctx, obj, patch, opts...), obj.GetUID())
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3e9bc314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/*
+SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company and component-operator-runtime contributors
+SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+*/
+
+package cluster
+
+// TODO: consolidate all the util files into an internal reuse package
+
+func ref[T any](x T) *T {
+	return &x
+}
diff --git a/pkg/component/reconciler.go b/pkg/component/reconciler.go
index 66a681dc..eb2c81eb 100755
--- a/pkg/component/reconciler.go
+++ b/pkg/component/reconciler.go
@@ -319,8 +319,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler[T]) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (result
 
 		if err != nil {
 			// convert retriable errors into non-errors (Pending or DeletionPending state), and return specified or default backoff
-			retriableError := &types.RetriableError{}
-			if errors.As(err, retriableError) {
+			if retriableError := new(types.RetriableError); errors.As(err, retriableError) {
 				retryAfter := retriableError.RetryAfter()
 				if retryAfter == nil || *retryAfter == 0 {
 					retryAfter = &retryInterval
@@ -444,8 +443,19 @@ func (r *Reconciler[T]) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (result
 			}
 		}
 		if updateErr := r.client.Status().Update(ctx, component, client.FieldOwner(*r.options.FieldOwner)); updateErr != nil {
-			err = errors.Join(err, updateErr)
-			result = ctrl.Result{}
+			if retriableError := new(types.RetriableError); errors.As(updateErr, retriableError) {
+				log.V(1).Info("error updating status, retrying", "requeue", result.Requeue || result.RequeueAfter > 0, "requeueAfter", result.RequeueAfter.String())
+				retryAfter := retriableError.RetryAfter()
+				if retryAfter == nil || *retryAfter == 0 {
+					retryAfter = &retryInterval
+				}
+				result = ctrl.Result{RequeueAfter: *retryAfter}
+				err = nil
+			} else {
+				log.V(1).Info("error updating status, not retrying")
+				err = errors.Join(err, updateErr)
+				result = ctrl.Result{}
+			}
 		}
 	}()
 
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/reconciler.go b/pkg/reconciler/reconciler.go
index be56d7f9..dcc3ef28 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/reconciler.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/reconciler.go
@@ -1299,6 +1299,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) deleteObject(ctx context.Context, key types.ObjectKey, exis
 			if ok := controllerutil.RemoveFinalizer(crd, r.finalizer); ok {
 				// note: 409 error is very likely here (because of concurrent updates happening through the api server); this is why we retry once
 				if err := r.client.Update(ctx, crd, client.FieldOwner(r.fieldOwner)); err != nil {
+					// TODO: this immediate retry is actually no longer necessary because of the retry logic in the client
 					if i == 1 && apierrors.IsConflict(err) {
 						log.V(1).Info("error while updating CustomResourcedefinition (409 conflict); doing one retry", "error", err.Error())
 						continue
@@ -1324,6 +1325,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) deleteObject(ctx context.Context, key types.ObjectKey, exis
 			if ok := controllerutil.RemoveFinalizer(apiService, r.finalizer); ok {
 				// note: 409 error is very likely here (because of concurrent updates happening through the api server); this is why we retry once
 				if err := r.client.Update(ctx, apiService, client.FieldOwner(r.fieldOwner)); err != nil {
+					// TODO: this immediate retry is actually no longer necessary because of the retry logic in the client
 					if i == 1 && apierrors.IsConflict(err) {
 						log.V(1).Info("error while updating APIService (409 conflict); doing one retry", "error", err.Error())
 						continue