diff --git a/cmd/catalogd/main.go b/cmd/catalogd/main.go
index 64efd83edc..e6e4758b2e 100644
--- a/cmd/catalogd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/catalogd/main.go
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ import (
 	clientgoscheme "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/metadata"
 	_ "k8s.io/client-go/plugin/pkg/client/auth"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
@@ -97,7 +95,6 @@ type config struct {
 	webhookPort          int
 	pullCasDir           string
 	globalPullSecret     string
-	kubeconfig           string
 	// Generated config
 	globalPullSecretKey *k8stypes.NamespacedName
 }
@@ -139,7 +136,6 @@ func init() {
 	flags.IntVar(&cfg.webhookPort, "webhook-server-port", 9443, "Webhook server port")
 	flags.StringVar(&cfg.pullCasDir, "pull-cas-dir", "", "The directory of TLS certificate authorities to use for verifying HTTPS connections to image registries.")
 	flags.StringVar(&cfg.globalPullSecret, "global-pull-secret", "", "Global pull secret (<namespace>/<name>)")
-	flags.StringVar(&cfg.kubeconfig, "kubeconfig", "", "Path to kubeconfig file for API server access. Uses in-cluster config if empty.")
 
 	// adds version subcommand
 	catalogdCmd.AddCommand(versionCommand)
@@ -277,20 +273,8 @@ func run(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Create manager with kubeconfig support for non-default kubeconfig
-	var restConfig *rest.Config
-	if cfg.kubeconfig != "" {
-		setupLog.Info("loading kubeconfig from file", "path", cfg.kubeconfig)
-		restConfig, err = clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags("", cfg.kubeconfig)
-		if err != nil {
-			setupLog.Error(err, "unable to load kubeconfig")
-			return err
-		}
-	} else {
-		restConfig = ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
-	}
-
-	mgr, err := ctrl.NewManager(restConfig, ctrl.Options{
+	// Create manager
+	mgr, err := ctrl.NewManager(ctrl.GetConfigOrDie(), ctrl.Options{
 		Scheme:                        scheme,
 		Metrics:                       metricsServerOptions,
 		PprofBindAddress:              cfg.pprofAddr,
diff --git a/cmd/operator-controller/main.go b/cmd/operator-controller/main.go
index 5c953d05cc..aeca882f01 100644
--- a/cmd/operator-controller/main.go
+++ b/cmd/operator-controller/main.go
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/discovery/cached/memory"
 	corev1client "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
 	_ "k8s.io/client-go/plugin/pkg/client/auth"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
-	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/clientcmd"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 	"pkg.package-operator.run/boxcutter/managedcache"
@@ -107,7 +105,6 @@ type config struct {
 	catalogdCasDir       string
 	pullCasDir           string
 	globalPullSecret     string
-	kubeconfig           string
 }
 
 type reconcilerConfigurator interface {
@@ -187,7 +184,6 @@ func init() {
 	flags.StringVar(&cfg.cachePath, "cache-path", "/var/cache", "The local directory path used for filesystem based caching")
 	flags.StringVar(&cfg.systemNamespace, "system-namespace", "", "Configures the namespace that gets used to deploy system resources.")
 	flags.StringVar(&cfg.globalPullSecret, "global-pull-secret", "", "The <namespace>/<name> of the global pull secret that is going to be used to pull bundle images.")
-	flags.StringVar(&cfg.kubeconfig, "kubeconfig", "", "Path to kubeconfig file for API server access. Uses in-cluster config if empty.")
 
 	//adds version sub command
 	operatorControllerCmd.AddCommand(versionCommand)
@@ -329,18 +325,7 @@ func run() error {
 			"Metrics will not be served since the TLS certificate and key file are not provided.")
 	}
 
-	// Load REST config with kubeconfig support for non-default kubeconfig
-	var restConfig *rest.Config
-	if cfg.kubeconfig != "" {
-		setupLog.Info("loading kubeconfig from file", "path", cfg.kubeconfig)
-		restConfig, err = clientcmd.BuildConfigFromFlags("", cfg.kubeconfig)
-		if err != nil {
-			setupLog.Error(err, "unable to load kubeconfig")
-			return err
-		}
-	} else {
-		restConfig = ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
-	}
+	restConfig := ctrl.GetConfigOrDie()
 	mgr, err := ctrl.NewManager(restConfig, ctrl.Options{
 		Scheme:                        scheme.Scheme,
 		Metrics:                       metricsServerOptions,