diff --git a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java
index 0598cfc198..8ace4a3a0a 100644
--- a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java
+++ b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/AbstractOperatorExtension.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.KubernetesResourceList;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.NamespaceBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
-import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.NonNamespaceOperation;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.Resource;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.utils.KubernetesResourceUtil;
@@ -50,9 +49,9 @@ protected AbstractOperatorExtension(
       Duration infrastructureTimeout,
       boolean oneNamespacePerClass,
       boolean preserveNamespaceOnError,
-      boolean waitForNamespaceDeletion) {
-
-    this.kubernetesClient = new KubernetesClientBuilder().build();
+      boolean waitForNamespaceDeletion,
+      KubernetesClient kubernetesClient) {
+    this.kubernetesClient = kubernetesClient;
     this.configurationService = configurationService;
     this.infrastructure = infrastructure;
     this.infrastructureTimeout = infrastructureTimeout;
diff --git a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension.java b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension.java
index 4b23fe0805..0b8aa401a4 100644
--- a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension.java
+++ b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.HasMetadata;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.rbac.ClusterRoleBinding;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientBuilder;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.config.ConfigurationService;
 
 public class ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension extends AbstractOperatorExtension {
@@ -36,10 +38,12 @@ private ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension(
       Duration infrastructureTimeout,
       boolean preserveNamespaceOnError,
       boolean waitForNamespaceDeletion,
-      boolean oneNamespacePerClass) {
+      boolean oneNamespacePerClass,
+      KubernetesClient kubernetesClient) {
     super(configurationService, infrastructure, infrastructureTimeout, oneNamespacePerClass,
         preserveNamespaceOnError,
-        waitForNamespaceDeletion);
+        waitForNamespaceDeletion,
+        kubernetesClient);
     this.operatorDeployment = operatorDeployment;
     this.operatorDeploymentTimeout = operatorDeploymentTimeout;
   }
@@ -104,6 +108,7 @@ protected void deleteOperator() {
   public static class Builder extends AbstractBuilder<Builder> {
     private final List<HasMetadata> operatorDeployment;
     private Duration deploymentTimeout;
+    private KubernetesClient kubernetesClient;
 
     protected Builder() {
       super();
@@ -135,6 +140,11 @@ public Builder withOperatorDeployment(HasMetadata... hms) {
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder withKubernetesClient(KubernetesClient kubernetesClient) {
+      this.kubernetesClient = kubernetesClient;
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension build() {
       return new ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension(
           configurationService,
@@ -144,7 +154,8 @@ public ClusterDeployedOperatorExtension build() {
           infrastructureTimeout,
           preserveNamespaceOnError,
           waitForNamespaceDeletion,
-          oneNamespacePerClass);
+          oneNamespacePerClass,
+          kubernetesClient != null ? kubernetesClient : new KubernetesClientBuilder().build());
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java
index f7627a5555..6c4a4bc5ab 100644
--- a/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java
+++ b/operator-framework-junit5/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/junit/LocallyRunOperatorExtension.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.HasMetadata;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.CustomResource;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.LocalPortForward;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.Operator;
 import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.ReconcilerUtils;
@@ -48,14 +50,16 @@ private LocallyRunOperatorExtension(
       Duration infrastructureTimeout,
       boolean preserveNamespaceOnError,
       boolean waitForNamespaceDeletion,
-      boolean oneNamespacePerClass) {
+      boolean oneNamespacePerClass,
+      KubernetesClient kubernetesClient) {
     super(
         configurationService,
         infrastructure,
         infrastructureTimeout,
         oneNamespacePerClass,
         preserveNamespaceOnError,
-        waitForNamespaceDeletion);
+        waitForNamespaceDeletion,
+        kubernetesClient);
     this.reconcilers = reconcilers;
     this.portForwards = portForwards;
     this.localPortForwards = new ArrayList<>(portForwards.size());
@@ -194,6 +198,7 @@ public static class Builder extends AbstractBuilder<Builder> {
     private final List<ReconcilerSpec> reconcilers;
     private final List<PortForwardSpec> portForwards;
     private final List<Class<? extends CustomResource>> additionalCustomResourceDefinitions;
+    private KubernetesClient kubernetesClient;
 
     protected Builder() {
       super();
@@ -243,6 +248,10 @@ public Builder withPortForward(String namespace, String labelKey, String labelVa
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder withKubernetesClient(KubernetesClient kubernetesClient) {
+      this.kubernetesClient = kubernetesClient;
+      return this;
+    }
 
     public Builder withAdditionalCustomResourceDefinition(
         Class<? extends CustomResource> customResource) {
@@ -260,7 +269,8 @@ public LocallyRunOperatorExtension build() {
           infrastructureTimeout,
           preserveNamespaceOnError,
           waitForNamespaceDeletion,
-          oneNamespacePerClass);
+          oneNamespacePerClass,
+          kubernetesClient != null ? kubernetesClient : new KubernetesClientBuilder().build());
     }
   }