diff --git a/.secrets.baseline b/.secrets.baseline
index cce6547bce..e790f26a49 100644
--- a/.secrets.baseline
+++ b/.secrets.baseline
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@
         "filename": "e2e/e2e_test.go",
         "hashed_secret": "7f38822bc2b03e97325ff310099f457f6f788daf",
         "is_verified": false,
-        "line_number": 268
+        "line_number": 290
       }
     ],
     "fleetshard/pkg/central/cloudprovider/dbclient_moq.go": [
@@ -586,5 +586,5 @@
       }
     ]
   },
-  "generated_at": "2024-01-25T17:36:32Z"
+  "generated_at": "2024-02-05T19:02:34Z"
 }
diff --git a/e2e/e2e_test.go b/e2e/e2e_test.go
index 92cc27a6fe..e6c47aa39a 100644
--- a/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ b/e2e/e2e_test.go
@@ -258,6 +258,28 @@ var _ = Describe("Central", Ordered, func() {
 			assertEqualSecrets(actualSecrets, expectedSecrets)
 		})
 
+		It("should set central-tls OwnerReference after restore", func() {
+			centralTLSSecret := &corev1.Secret{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      k8s.CentralTLSSecretName,
+					Namespace: namespaceName,
+				},
+			}
+
+			Eventually(func() (err error) {
+				if err := k8sClient.Get(ctx, ctrlClient.ObjectKeyFromObject(centralTLSSecret), centralTLSSecret); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+
+				if len(centralTLSSecret.GetObjectMeta().GetOwnerReferences()) == 0 {
+					return fmt.Errorf("OwnerReference for %s is empty", k8s.CentralTLSSecretName)
+				}
+
+				return nil
+			}).WithPolling(time.Second * 10).WithTimeout(defaultTimeout).Should(Succeed())
+
+		})
+
 		It("should delete and recreate secret backup for admin reset API", func() {
 			secretBackup := k8s.NewSecretBackup(k8sClient, false)
 			oldSecrets, err := secretBackup.CollectSecrets(ctx, namespaceName)
diff --git a/fleetshard/pkg/central/reconciler/reconciler.go b/fleetshard/pkg/central/reconciler/reconciler.go
index c1dd7dd4ac..e1f515e1a6 100644
--- a/fleetshard/pkg/central/reconciler/reconciler.go
+++ b/fleetshard/pkg/central/reconciler/reconciler.go
@@ -234,6 +234,10 @@ func (r *CentralReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, remoteCentral private
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if err = r.ensureSecretHasOwnerReference(ctx, k8s.CentralTLSSecretName, &remoteCentral, central); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	if !centralDeploymentReady || !centralTLSSecretFound {
 		if isRemoteCentralProvisioning(remoteCentral) && !needsReconcile { // no changes detected, wait until central become ready
 			return nil, ErrCentralNotChanged
@@ -905,6 +909,39 @@ func (r *CentralReconciler) encryptSecrets(secrets map[string]*corev1.Secret) (m
 
 }
 
+// ensureSecretHasOwnerReference is used to make sure the central-tls secret has it's
+// owner reference properly set after a restore operation so that the automatic cert rotation
+// in the operator is working
+func (r *CentralReconciler) ensureSecretHasOwnerReference(ctx context.Context, secretName string, remoteCentral *private.ManagedCentral, central *v1alpha1.Central) error {
+	secret, err := r.getSecret(remoteCentral.Metadata.Namespace, secretName)
+	if err != nil {
+		if apiErrors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			// no need to ensure correct owner reference if the secret doesn't exist
+			return nil
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if len(secret.ObjectMeta.OwnerReferences) != 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	centralCR := &v1alpha1.Central{}
+	if err := r.client.Get(ctx, ctrlClient.ObjectKeyFromObject(central), centralCR); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("getting current central CR from k8s: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	secret.OwnerReferences = []metav1.OwnerReference{
+		*metav1.NewControllerRef(centralCR, v1alpha1.CentralGVK),
+	}
+
+	if err := r.client.Update(ctx, secret); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("updating %s secret: %w", k8s.CentralTLSSecretName, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (r *CentralReconciler) ensureDeclarativeConfigurationSecretCleaned(ctx context.Context, remoteCentralNamespace string) error {
 	secret := &corev1.Secret{}
 	secretKey := ctrlClient.ObjectKey{ // pragma: allowlist secret
diff --git a/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route.go b/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route.go
index 51386161fb..8f2fd00eee 100644
--- a/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route.go
+++ b/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package k8s
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/stackrox/acs-fleet-manager/fleetshard/config"
 	"github.com/stackrox/rox/pkg/errox"
 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ func (s *RouteService) configureReencryptRoute(ctx context.Context, route *opens
 	annotatedRoute.Spec.Host = remoteCentral.Spec.UiEndpoint.Host
 
 	namespace := remoteCentral.Metadata.Namespace
-	centralTLSSecret, retrievalErr := getSecret(ctx, s.client, centralTLSSecretName, namespace)
+	centralTLSSecret, retrievalErr := getSecret(ctx, s.client, CentralTLSSecretName, namespace)
 	if retrievalErr != nil {
 		wrappedErr := fmt.Errorf(
 			"getting central-tls secret for tenant %s: %w",
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ func (s *RouteService) configureReencryptRoute(ctx context.Context, route *opens
 	}
 	centralCA, ok := centralTLSSecret.Data["ca.pem"]
 	if !ok {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not find centrals ca certificate 'ca.pem' in secret/%s", centralTLSSecretName)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not find centrals ca certificate 'ca.pem' in secret/%s", CentralTLSSecretName)
 	}
 
 	if annotatedRoute.Spec.TLS == nil {
diff --git a/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route_test.go b/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route_test.go
index ab8fcf7e0c..be0333f5bd 100644
--- a/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route_test.go
+++ b/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/route_test.go
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ func TestPassThroughRouteLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 var (
 	centralTLSSecret = &coreV1.Secret{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      centralTLSSecretName,
+			Name:      CentralTLSSecretName,
 			Namespace: testNamespace,
 		},
 		Data: map[string][]byte{
diff --git a/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/secret.go b/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/secret.go
index 55cbd2ffe5..b477aefc1b 100644
--- a/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/secret.go
+++ b/fleetshard/pkg/k8s/secret.go
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	centralTLSSecretName           = "central-tls"            // pragma: allowlist secret
+	CentralTLSSecretName           = "central-tls"            // pragma: allowlist secret
 	centralDBPasswordSecretName    = "central-db-password"    // pragma: allowlist secret
 	centralEncryptionKeySecretName = "central-encryption-key" // pragma: allowlist secret
 )
 
 var defaultSecretsToWatch = []string{
-	centralTLSSecretName,
+	CentralTLSSecretName,
 	centralEncryptionKeySecretName,
 }