diff --git a/pkg/watcher/watcher.go b/pkg/watcher/watcher.go
index e34f2a1e..a781fc20 100644
--- a/pkg/watcher/watcher.go
+++ b/pkg/watcher/watcher.go
@@ -4,13 +4,23 @@ import (
 	kapi "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/selection"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 
 	k8sClient "github.com/Mellanox/ib-kubernetes/pkg/k8s-client"
 	resEventHandler "github.com/Mellanox/ib-kubernetes/pkg/watcher/handler"
 )
 
-var kubevirtSelectorString = SelectorMustValidateFromSet(labels.Set{"kubevirt.io": "virt-launcher"}).String()
+// capiClusterNameSelector matches any pod owned by a Cluster API machine —
+// covers both KubeVirt virt-launcher pods (via CAPK) and Virtink VM pods (via CAPCH).
+// CAPI propagates this label onto every machine-owned pod regardless of provider.
+var capiClusterNameSelector = func() string {
+	req, err := labels.NewRequirement("cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name", selection.Exists, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	return labels.NewSelector().Add(*req).String()
+}()
 
 type StopFunc func()
 
@@ -28,11 +38,11 @@ type watcher struct {
 
 func NewWatcher(eventHandler resEventHandler.ResourceEventHandler, client k8sClient.Client) Watcher {
 	resource := eventHandler.GetResourceObject().GetObjectKind().GroupVersionKind().Kind
-	filterByKubevirtLabel := func(options *metav1.ListOptions) {
-		options.LabelSelector = kubevirtSelectorString
+	filterByCAPIClusterName := func(options *metav1.ListOptions) {
+		options.LabelSelector = capiClusterNameSelector
 	}
 	watchList := cache.NewFilteredListWatchFromClient(
-		client.GetRestClient(), resource, kapi.NamespaceAll, filterByKubevirtLabel)
+		client.GetRestClient(), resource, kapi.NamespaceAll, filterByCAPIClusterName)
 	return &watcher{eventHandler: eventHandler, watchList: watchList}
 }
 
@@ -55,13 +65,3 @@ func (w *watcher) RunBackground() StopFunc {
 func (w *watcher) GetHandler() resEventHandler.ResourceEventHandler {
 	return w.eventHandler
 }
-
-// SelectorMustValidateFromSet acts like regex.MustCompile for labels.Selector objects.
-// It will attempt to validate the selector from the label set and panic if it fails.
-func SelectorMustValidateFromSet(set labels.Set) labels.Selector {
-	selector, err := labels.ValidatedSelectorFromSet(set)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	return selector
-}