diff --git a/charts/redpanda/chart_test.go b/charts/redpanda/chart_test.go
index a18c9e994..34391247d 100644
--- a/charts/redpanda/chart_test.go
+++ b/charts/redpanda/chart_test.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func TestIntegrationChart(t *testing.T) {
 			}),
 		})
 
-		pods, err := kube.List[corev1.PodList](ctx, env.Ctl(), client.MatchingLabels{
+		pods, err := kube.List[corev1.PodList](ctx, env.Ctl(), release.Namespace, client.MatchingLabels{
 			"app.kubernetes.io/instance":  release.Name,
 			"app.kubernetes.io/component": release.Chart + "-statefulset",
 		})
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ func TestIntegrationChart(t *testing.T) {
 			}),
 		})
 
-		pods, err := kube.List[corev1.PodList](ctx, env.Ctl(), client.MatchingLabels{
+		pods, err := kube.List[corev1.PodList](ctx, env.Ctl(), release.Namespace, client.MatchingLabels{
 			"app.kubernetes.io/instance":  release.Name,
 			"app.kubernetes.io/component": release.Chart + "-statefulset",
 		})
diff --git a/charts/redpanda/client/client.go b/charts/redpanda/client/client.go
index e75db0aec..977be8791 100644
--- a/charts/redpanda/client/client.go
+++ b/charts/redpanda/client/client.go
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/sasl/scram"
 	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/sr"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
-	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 
 	"github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda-operator/charts/redpanda/v5"
@@ -482,9 +481,9 @@ func srvLookup(dot *helmette.Dot, dialer DialContextFunc, service string) ([]*ne
 				// Querying for k8s-app=kube-dns is a generally accepted / safe
 				// way of finding the kube DNS. We could alternatively find the
 				// kube-dns service and use its label selector.
-				pods, err := kube.List[corev1.PodList](ctx, ctl, client.MatchingLabels{
+				pods, err := kube.List[corev1.PodList](ctx, ctl, kube.NamespaceSystem, client.MatchingLabels{
 					"k8s-app": "kube-dns",
-				}, client.InNamespace(metav1.NamespaceSystem))
+				})
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/kube/ctl.go b/pkg/kube/ctl.go
index f5cf8eb99..ee0854ee6 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/ctl.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/ctl.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	k8serrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
@@ -35,8 +36,11 @@ type (
 	Object     = client.Object
 	ObjectList = client.ObjectList
 	ObjectKey  = client.ObjectKey
+)
 
-	InNamespace = client.InNamespace
+const (
+	NamespaceAll    = metav1.NamespaceAll
+	NamespaceSystem = metav1.NamespaceSystem
 )
 
 type Option interface {
@@ -149,11 +153,17 @@ func (c *Ctl) GetAndWait(ctx context.Context, key ObjectKey, obj Object, cond Co
 }
 
 // List fetches a list of objects into `objs` from Kubernetes.
+//
+// Cluster scoped resources should pass `""` as namespace.
+//
 // Usage:
 //
 //	var pods corev1.PodList
 //	ctl.List(ctx, &pods)
-func (c *Ctl) List(ctx context.Context, objs client.ObjectList, opts ...client.ListOption) error {
+func (c *Ctl) List(ctx context.Context, namespace string, objs ObjectList, opts ...client.ListOption) error {
+	// Top level namespace parameter takes precedence over anything specified
+	// in opts. The other way around is less straightforward.
+	opts = append(opts, client.InNamespace(namespace))
 	if err := c.client.List(ctx, objs, opts...); err != nil {
 		return errors.WithStack(err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kube/ctl_test.go b/pkg/kube/ctl_test.go
index 13b44cb21..62a9d9599 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/ctl_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/ctl_test.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func TestCtl(t *testing.T) {
 	))
 	require.Equal(t, []string{"cm-0", "cm-1", "cm-2"}, seen)
 
-	cms, err := kube.List[corev1.ConfigMapList](ctx, ctl, kube.InNamespace("hello-world"))
+	cms, err := kube.List[corev1.ConfigMapList](ctx, ctl, "hello-world")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Len(t, cms.Items, 3)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kube/generics.go b/pkg/kube/generics.go
index d8fd74034..d7bb64342 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/generics.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/generics.go
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ func ApplyAndWait[T any, PT AddrOfObject[T]](ctx context.Context, ctl *Ctl, obj
 }
 
 // List is a generic equivalent of [Ctl.List].
-func List[T any, L AddrOfObjectList[T]](ctx context.Context, ctl *Ctl, opts ...client.ListOption) (*T, error) {
+func List[T any, L AddrOfObjectList[T]](ctx context.Context, ctl *Ctl, namespace string, opts ...client.ListOption) (*T, error) {
 	var list T
-	if err := ctl.List(ctx, L(&list), opts...); err != nil {
+	if err := ctl.List(ctx, namespace, L(&list), opts...); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return &list, nil