diff --git a/config/manager/kustomization.yaml b/config/manager/kustomization.yaml
index 55c8015c..1f89c672 100644
--- a/config/manager/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/manager/kustomization.yaml
@@ -14,3 +14,12 @@ images:
 - name: controller
   newName: quay.io/cryostat/cryostat-operator
   newTag: 3.0.0-dev
+
+# patchesJson6902:
+# - path: patches/force_openshift_patch.yaml
+#   target:
+#     group: apps
+#     kind: Deployment
+#     name: controller-manager
+#     namespace: system
+#     version: v1
diff --git a/config/manager/patches/force_openshift_patch.yaml b/config/manager/patches/force_openshift_patch.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3d152ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/manager/patches/force_openshift_patch.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+- op: add
+  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-
+  value: --force-openshift
diff --git a/internal/main.go b/internal/main.go
index 51a74676..272f0a6b 100644
--- a/internal/main.go
+++ b/internal/main.go
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ func main() {
 	var probeAddr string
 	var secureMetrics bool
 	var enableHTTP2 bool
+	var forceOpenShift bool
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsAddr, "metrics-bind-address", ":8080", "The address the metric endpoint binds to.")
 	flag.StringVar(&probeAddr, "health-probe-bind-address", ":8081", "The address the probe endpoint binds to.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableLeaderElection, "leader-elect", false,
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.BoolVar(&secureMetrics, "metrics-secure", false,
 		"If set the metrics endpoint is served securely")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false, "If HTTP/2 should be enabled for the metrics and webhook servers.")
+	flag.BoolVar(&forceOpenShift, "force-openshift", false, "Force the controller to consider current platform as OpenShift")
 	opts := zap.Options{
 		Development: true,
 	}
@@ -138,7 +140,7 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	openShift, err := isOpenShift(dc)
+	openShift, err := isOpenShift(dc, forceOpenShift)
 	if err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "could not determine whether manager is running on OpenShift")
 		os.Exit(1)
@@ -205,7 +207,10 @@ func main() {
 	}
 }
 
-func isOpenShift(client discovery.DiscoveryInterface) (bool, error) {
+func isOpenShift(client discovery.DiscoveryInterface, forceOpenShift bool) (bool, error) {
+	if forceOpenShift {
+		return true, nil
+	}
 	return discovery.IsResourceEnabled(client, routev1.GroupVersion.WithResource("routes"))
 }