diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 220b9672..66d516f3 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/cache v0.12.0
 	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/http/fetch v0.21.0
 	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/kustomize v1.24.0
-	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime v0.90.0
+	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime v0.91.0
 	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/ssa v0.61.0
 	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/tar v0.16.0
 	github.com/fluxcd/pkg/testserver v0.13.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 05e0fc15..e02c844f 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ github.com/fluxcd/pkg/http/fetch v0.21.0 h1:/vHWc+3BIk9q5HFA8khl0NEBb/XFXzZOqpnU
 github.com/fluxcd/pkg/http/fetch v0.21.0/go.mod h1:aFUPa2DLpUHE/dXkhIdaHakVIiZ6GVCWvp5tWkDKSEM=
 github.com/fluxcd/pkg/kustomize v1.24.0 h1:ckFB7hh9FpJA1Oy3bYl88p9On/zsZZTbwlLBgP6eUkA=
 github.com/fluxcd/pkg/kustomize v1.24.0/go.mod h1:cydG0vKpDuUaoP5STpKfxY3zqgzaARv5HsWDOFyt5nA=
-github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime v0.90.0 h1:IONDsN9npJdWqbSAfsI8j10sXpgaLd6ywycKwp35Wwo=
-github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime v0.90.0/go.mod h1:D/gUsaSpyw6Od2QEL7MELi5m+oUmwokuxUVZ+vKQxdo=
+github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime v0.91.0 h1:Z92sOLsJXa+0RIi/vNl87zF5qnsBUdOb60d2a0b4Ulo=
+github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime v0.91.0/go.mod h1:D/gUsaSpyw6Od2QEL7MELi5m+oUmwokuxUVZ+vKQxdo=
 github.com/fluxcd/pkg/sourceignore v0.15.0 h1:tB30fuk4jlB3UGlR7ppJguZ3zaJh1iwuTCEufs91jSM=
 github.com/fluxcd/pkg/sourceignore v0.15.0/go.mod h1:mZ9X6gNtNkq9ZsD35LebEYjePc7DRvB2JdowMNoj6IU=
 github.com/fluxcd/pkg/ssa v0.61.0 h1:GeueQfZVrjPLEzmEkq6gpFTBr1MDcqUihCQDf6AaIo8=
diff --git a/internal/controller/kustomization_manager.go b/internal/controller/kustomization_manager.go
index bd3652bb..3e358e3b 100644
--- a/internal/controller/kustomization_manager.go
+++ b/internal/controller/kustomization_manager.go
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import (
 // KustomizationReconcilerOptions contains options for the KustomizationReconciler.
 type KustomizationReconcilerOptions struct {
 	RateLimiter            workqueue.TypedRateLimiter[reconcile.Request]
+	WatchConfigs           bool
 	WatchConfigsPredicate  predicate.Predicate
 	WatchExternalArtifacts bool
 }
@@ -147,18 +148,22 @@ func (r *KustomizationReconciler) SetupWithManager(ctx context.Context, mgr ctrl
 			&sourcev1.Bucket{},
 			handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.requestsForRevisionChangeOf(indexBucket)),
 			builder.WithPredicates(SourceRevisionChangePredicate{}),
-		).
-		WatchesMetadata(
-			&corev1.ConfigMap{},
-			handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.requestsForConfigDependency(indexConfigMap)),
-			builder.WithPredicates(predicate.ResourceVersionChangedPredicate{}, opts.WatchConfigsPredicate),
-		).
-		WatchesMetadata(
-			&corev1.Secret{},
-			handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.requestsForConfigDependency(indexSecret)),
-			builder.WithPredicates(predicate.ResourceVersionChangedPredicate{}, opts.WatchConfigsPredicate),
 		)
 
+	if opts.WatchConfigs {
+		ctrlBuilder = ctrlBuilder.
+			WatchesMetadata(
+				&corev1.ConfigMap{},
+				handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.requestsForConfigDependency(indexConfigMap)),
+				builder.WithPredicates(predicate.ResourceVersionChangedPredicate{}, opts.WatchConfigsPredicate),
+			).
+			WatchesMetadata(
+				&corev1.Secret{},
+				handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.requestsForConfigDependency(indexSecret)),
+				builder.WithPredicates(predicate.ResourceVersionChangedPredicate{}, opts.WatchConfigsPredicate),
+			)
+	}
+
 	if opts.WatchExternalArtifacts {
 		ctrlBuilder = ctrlBuilder.Watches(
 			&sourcev1.ExternalArtifact{},
diff --git a/internal/features/features.go b/internal/features/features.go
index 3ae5d021..15feee47 100644
--- a/internal/features/features.go
+++ b/internal/features/features.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package features
 
 import (
 	"github.com/fluxcd/pkg/auth"
+	"github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime/controller"
 	feathelper "github.com/fluxcd/pkg/runtime/features"
 )
 
@@ -95,6 +96,9 @@ var features = map[string]bool{
 	// CancelHealthCheckOnNewRevision
 	// opt-in from v1.7
 	CancelHealthCheckOnNewRevision: false,
+	// DisableConfigWatchers
+	// opt-in from v1.7.3
+	controller.FeatureGateDisableConfigWatchers: false,
 }
 
 func init() {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c1a7491e..84a43abb 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -312,6 +312,13 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	disableConfigWatchers, err := features.Enabled(runtimeCtrl.FeatureGateDisableConfigWatchers)
+	if err != nil {
+		setupLog.Error(err, "unable to check feature gate "+runtimeCtrl.FeatureGateDisableConfigWatchers)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	watchConfigs := !disableConfigWatchers
+
 	if err = (&controller.KustomizationReconciler{
 		AdditiveCELDependencyCheck:     additiveCELDependencyCheck,
 		AllowExternalArtifact:          allowExternalArtifact,
@@ -339,6 +346,7 @@ func main() {
 		TokenCache:                     tokenCache,
 	}).SetupWithManager(ctx, mgr, controller.KustomizationReconcilerOptions{
 		RateLimiter:            runtimeCtrl.GetRateLimiter(rateLimiterOptions),
+		WatchConfigs:           watchConfigs,
 		WatchConfigsPredicate:  watchConfigsPredicate,
 		WatchExternalArtifacts: allowExternalArtifact,
 	}); err != nil {