diff --git a/pkg/trait/deployer.go b/pkg/trait/deployer.go
index 7c7dc96811..6b357cc1d1 100644
--- a/pkg/trait/deployer.go
+++ b/pkg/trait/deployer.go
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ func (t *deployerTrait) Apply(e *Environment) error {
 					} else if isIncompatibleServerError(err) {
 						t.L.Info("Fallback to client-side apply to patch resources")
 						hasServerSideApply = false
+					} else {
+						// Keep server-side apply unless server is incompatible with it
+						return err
 					}
 				}
 				if err := t.clientSideApply(env, resource); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/util/test/client.go b/pkg/util/test/client.go
index 69c8f05ae2..46d4fc4890 100644
--- a/pkg/util/test/client.go
+++ b/pkg/util/test/client.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package test
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/apache/camel-k/pkg/apis"
@@ -105,6 +106,11 @@ func (c *FakeClient) GetCurrentNamespace(kubeConfig string) (string, error) {
 	return "", nil
 }
 
+// Patch mimicks patch for server-side apply and simply creates the obj
+func (c *FakeClient) Patch(ctx context.Context, obj controller.Object, patch controller.Patch, opts ...controller.PatchOption) error {
+	return c.Create(ctx, obj)
+}
+
 func (c *FakeClient) Discovery() discovery.DiscoveryInterface {
 	return &FakeDiscovery{
 		DiscoveryInterface: c.Interface.Discovery(),