diff --git a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
index fe9d29300e..01d9f11b8a 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 2010056cda..b02b3e1d53 100644
--- a/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
+++ b/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
@@ -37,11 +37,6 @@
       <version>${project.version}</version>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-      <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-slf4j-impl</artifactId>
@@ -82,7 +77,24 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
+        <artifactId>crd-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${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>
 
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>
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 1f18cbc2a9..1aceaa6556 100644
--- a/operator-framework/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework/pom.xml
@@ -59,11 +59,6 @@
       <artifactId>compile-testing</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
-      <artifactId>crd-generator-apt</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <!-- This is just here to make some special test using Route, Openshift is actually not used in tests -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>io.fabric8</groupId>
@@ -115,6 +110,23 @@
           </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/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/CRDMappingInTestExtensionIT.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/CRDMappingInTestExtensionIT.java
index 09b52f1078..5325742d5f 100644
--- a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/CRDMappingInTestExtensionIT.java
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/CRDMappingInTestExtensionIT.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ void correctlyAppliesManuallySpecifiedCRD() {
   @Group("crd.example")
   @Version("v1")
   @Kind("Test")
-  private static class TestCR extends CustomResource<Void, Void> implements Namespaced {
+  public static class TestCR extends CustomResource<Void, Void> implements Namespaced {
   }
 
   @ControllerConfiguration
diff --git a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/config/runtime/TestCustomResource.java b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/config/runtime/TestCustomResource.java
index 0f94ae92e4..1a75ffaa94 100644
--- a/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/config/runtime/TestCustomResource.java
+++ b/operator-framework/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/config/runtime/TestCustomResource.java
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@
 
 @Group("sample.javaoperatorsdk")
 @Version("v1")
-class TestCustomResource extends CustomResource<Void, Void> implements Namespaced {
+public class TestCustomResource extends CustomResource<Void, Void> implements Namespaced {
 }
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index c7395808b7..7ccb99dcf6 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
         <fabric8-httpclient-impl.name>okhttp</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>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
         <log4j.version>2.24.2</log4j.version>
         <mokito.version>5.14.2</mokito.version>
@@ -241,6 +241,17 @@
         </repository>
     </repositories>
 
+    <pluginRepositories>
+        <pluginRepository>
+            <id>ossrh</id>
+            <url>https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/</url>
+            <snapshots>
+                <enabled>true</enabled>
+                <updatePolicy>always</updatePolicy>
+            </snapshots>
+        </pluginRepository>
+    </pluginRepositories>
+
     <distributionManagement>
         <snapshotRepository>
             <id>ossrh</id>
diff --git a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
index 05976306a9..0017ac74ed 100644
--- a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
@@ -52,11 +52,6 @@
             <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-slf4j-impl</artifactId>
@@ -85,6 +80,18 @@
 
     <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>
@@ -113,4 +120,4 @@
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>
diff --git a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
index 7bf3ce14d5..471d43d4ed 100644
--- a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
@@ -48,11 +48,6 @@
             <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-slf4j-impl</artifactId>
@@ -110,9 +105,20 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.12.1</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/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
index 348581cd38..cda7e1e46f 100644
--- a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
@@ -47,11 +47,6 @@
             <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>
@@ -81,9 +76,20 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.12.1</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>