diff --git a/config/deploy/kustomization.yaml b/config/deploy/kustomization.yaml
index c7bc3e15a..26f469419 100644
--- a/config/deploy/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/deploy/kustomization.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
----
-apiVersion: kustomize.config.k8s.io/v1beta1
-kind: Kustomization
 namespace: kuadrant-system
 resources:
   - ../default
   - ../dependencies
-patchesStrategicMerge:
-- manager_debug_mode.yaml
diff --git a/config/deploy/manager_debug_mode.yaml b/config/deploy/manager_debug_mode.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 136c25eb6..000000000
--- a/config/deploy/manager_debug_mode.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-metadata:
-  labels:
-    app: kuadrant
-    control-plane: controller-manager
-  name: kuadrant-operator-controller-manager
-  namespace: kuadrant-system
-spec:
-  template:
-    spec:
-      containers:
-      - name: manager
-        env:
-        - name: LOG_LEVEL
-          value: debug
-        - name: LOG_MODE
-          value: development
diff --git a/make/development-environments.mk b/make/development-environments.mk
index 11ed736b5..68c883fe3 100644
--- a/make/development-environments.mk
+++ b/make/development-environments.mk
@@ -50,9 +50,10 @@ namespace: ## Creates a namespace where to deploy Kuadrant Operator
 local-deploy: ## Deploy Kuadrant Operator from the current code
 	$(MAKE) docker-build IMG=$(IMAGE_TAG_BASE):dev
 	$(MAKE) kind-load-image IMG=$(IMAGE_TAG_BASE):dev
-
 	$(MAKE) deploy IMG=$(IMAGE_TAG_BASE):dev
 	kubectl -n $(KUADRANT_NAMESPACE) wait --timeout=300s --for=condition=Available deployments --all
+	./utils/kuadrant-operator-debug-mode.sh
+	kubectl -n $(KUADRANT_NAMESPACE) wait --timeout=300s --for=condition=Available deployments --all
 
 .PHONY: env-setup
 env-setup: ## Install deploy kuadrant dependencies and configured gatewayapi provider
diff --git a/utils/kuadrant-operator-debug-mode.sh b/utils/kuadrant-operator-debug-mode.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a7ab7a2d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/kuadrant-operator-debug-mode.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+kubectl patch deployment kuadrant-operator-controller-manager -n kuadrant-system  --patch-file=/dev/stdin <<-EOF
+---
+spec:
+  template:
+    spec:
+      containers:
+        - name: manager
+          env:
+          - name: LOG_LEVEL
+            value: debug
+          - name: LOG_MODE
+            value: development
+EOF