diff --git a/cmd/catalog/main.go b/cmd/catalog/main.go
index d282dfebb3..b82f1689cb 100644
--- a/cmd/catalog/main.go
+++ b/cmd/catalog/main.go
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	apiextensionsv1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1"
+	apiregistrationv1 "k8s.io/kube-aggregator/pkg/apis/apiregistration/v1"
+
 	configv1client "github.com/openshift/client-go/config/clientset/versioned/typed/config/v1"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	k8sscheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
@@ -88,6 +91,14 @@ func (o *options) run(ctx context.Context, logger *logrus.Logger) error {
 	if o.setWorkloadUserID {
 		workloadUserID = defaultWorkLoadUserID
 	}
+
+	// the scheme is used by the catalog operator to create
+	// a validatingroundtripper that ensures that all created
+	// resources are appropriately labeled
+	scheme := k8sscheme.Scheme
+	_ = apiextensionsv1.AddToScheme(scheme)   // required by opClient
+	_ = apiregistrationv1.AddToScheme(scheme) // required by opClient
+
 	// TODO(tflannag): Use options pattern for catalog operator
 	// Create a new instance of the operator.
 	op, err := catalog.NewOperator(
@@ -100,7 +111,7 @@ func (o *options) run(ctx context.Context, logger *logrus.Logger) error {
 		o.opmImage,
 		o.utilImage,
 		o.catalogNamespace,
-		k8sscheme.Scheme,
+		scheme,
 		o.installPlanTimeout,
 		o.bundleUnpackTimeout,
 		workloadUserID,
diff --git a/cmd/olm/main.go b/cmd/olm/main.go
index 6d76606dc3..715ae9aea0 100644
--- a/cmd/olm/main.go
+++ b/cmd/olm/main.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func main() {
 	config := mgr.GetConfig()
 
 	// create a config that validates we're creating objects with labels
-	validatingConfig := validatingroundtripper.Wrap(config)
+	validatingConfig := validatingroundtripper.Wrap(config, mgr.GetScheme())
 
 	versionedConfigClient, err := configclientset.NewForConfig(config)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/operators/catalog/operator.go b/pkg/controller/operators/catalog/operator.go
index ebdd6313a4..09c28a7319 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/operators/catalog/operator.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/operators/catalog/operator.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func NewOperator(ctx context.Context, kubeconfigPath string, clock utilclock.Clo
 	}
 
 	// create a config that validates we're creating objects with labels
-	validatingConfig := validatingroundtripper.Wrap(config)
+	validatingConfig := validatingroundtripper.Wrap(config, scheme)
 
 	// Create a new client for dynamic types (CRs)
 	dynamicClient, err := dynamic.NewForConfig(validatingConfig)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/operators/validatingroundtripper/validating_round_tripper.go b/pkg/controller/operators/validatingroundtripper/validating_round_tripper.go
index c9c1cbd395..333bc7740e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/operators/validatingroundtripper/validating_round_tripper.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/operators/validatingroundtripper/validating_round_tripper.go
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@ package validatingroundtripper
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer"
+
 	"github.com/operator-framework/operator-lifecycle-manager/pkg/controller/install"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/yaml"
@@ -13,23 +17,69 @@ import (
 
 type validatingRoundTripper struct {
 	delegate http.RoundTripper
+	codecs   serializer.CodecFactory
+}
+
+func (rt *validatingRoundTripper) decodeYAMLOrJSON(body io.Reader) (*unstructured.Unstructured, error) {
+	dec := yaml.NewYAMLOrJSONDecoder(body, 10)
+	unstructuredObject := &unstructured.Unstructured{}
+	if err := dec.Decode(unstructuredObject); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error decoding yaml/json object to an unstructured object: %w", err)
+	}
+	return unstructuredObject, nil
+}
+
+func (rt *validatingRoundTripper) decodeProtobuf(body io.Reader) (*unstructured.Unstructured, error) {
+	data, err := io.ReadAll(body)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read request body: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	decoder := rt.codecs.UniversalDeserializer()
+	obj, _, err := decoder.Decode(data, nil, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to decode protobuf data: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	unstructuredObj, err := runtime.DefaultUnstructuredConverter.ToUnstructured(obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to convert object to unstructured: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return &unstructured.Unstructured{Object: unstructuredObj}, nil
+}
+
+func (rt *validatingRoundTripper) decodeRequestBody(req *http.Request) (*unstructured.Unstructured, error) {
+	b, err := req.GetBody()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("failed to get request body: %w", err))
+	}
+	defer b.Close()
+
+	switch req.Header.Get("Content-Type") {
+	case "application/vnd.kubernetes.protobuf":
+		return rt.decodeProtobuf(b)
+	default:
+		return rt.decodeYAMLOrJSON(b)
+	}
 }
 
 func (rt *validatingRoundTripper) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 	if req.Method == "POST" {
-		b, err := req.GetBody()
+		unstructuredObject, err := rt.decodeRequestBody(req)
+
 		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-		dec := yaml.NewYAMLOrJSONDecoder(b, 10)
-		unstructuredObject := &unstructured.Unstructured{}
-		if err := dec.Decode(unstructuredObject); err != nil {
-			panic(fmt.Errorf("error decoding object to an unstructured object: %w", err))
+			return nil, err
 		}
+
 		gvk := unstructuredObject.GroupVersionKind()
 		if gvk.Kind != "Event" {
-			if labels := unstructuredObject.GetLabels(); labels[install.OLMManagedLabelKey] != install.OLMManagedLabelValue {
-				panic(fmt.Errorf("%s.%s/%v %s/%s does not have labels[%s]=%s", gvk.Kind, gvk.Group, gvk.Version, unstructuredObject.GetNamespace(), unstructuredObject.GetName(), install.OLMManagedLabelKey, install.OLMManagedLabelValue))
+			labels := unstructuredObject.GetLabels()
+			if labels[install.OLMManagedLabelKey] != install.OLMManagedLabelValue {
+				panic(fmt.Errorf("%s.%s/%v %s/%s does not have labels[%s]=%s",
+					gvk.Kind, gvk.Group, gvk.Version,
+					unstructuredObject.GetNamespace(), unstructuredObject.GetName(),
+					install.OLMManagedLabelKey, install.OLMManagedLabelValue))
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -40,14 +90,17 @@ var _ http.RoundTripper = (*validatingRoundTripper)(nil)
 
 // Wrap is meant to be used in developer environments and CI to make it easy to find places
 // where we accidentally create Kubernetes objects without our management label.
-func Wrap(cfg *rest.Config) *rest.Config {
+func Wrap(cfg *rest.Config, scheme *runtime.Scheme) *rest.Config {
 	if _, set := os.LookupEnv("CI"); !set {
 		return cfg
 	}
 
 	cfgCopy := *cfg
 	cfgCopy.Wrap(func(rt http.RoundTripper) http.RoundTripper {
-		return &validatingRoundTripper{delegate: rt}
+		return &validatingRoundTripper{
+			delegate: rt,
+			codecs:   serializer.NewCodecFactory(scheme),
+		}
 	})
 	return &cfgCopy
 }
diff --git a/pkg/lib/operatorclient/client.go b/pkg/lib/operatorclient/client.go
index cc89369fb7..b53d2da7d4 100644
--- a/pkg/lib/operatorclient/client.go
+++ b/pkg/lib/operatorclient/client.go
@@ -172,25 +172,25 @@ func NewClientFromConfig(kubeconfig string, logger *logrus.Logger) ClientInterfa
 }
 
 func NewClientFromRestConfig(config *rest.Config) (client ClientInterface, err error) {
-	kubernetes, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
+	k8s, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	apiextensions, err := apiextensions.NewForConfig(config)
+	apiext, err := apiextensions.NewForConfig(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	apiregistration, err := apiregistration.NewForConfig(config)
+	apireg, err := apiregistration.NewForConfig(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
 	client = &Client{
-		kubernetes,
-		apiextensions,
-		apiregistration,
+		k8s,
+		apiext,
+		apireg,
 	}
 
 	return