diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCache.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCache.java
index 43d9dc1fab..2f6a44659e 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCache.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCache.java
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentSkipListMap;
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -55,9 +57,12 @@ public class TemporaryResourceCache<T extends HasMetadata> {
 
   private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(TemporaryResourceCache.class);
 
+  private final ConcurrentSkipListMap<Long, ResourceID> cachedVersions =
+      new ConcurrentSkipListMap<>();
+
   private final Map<ResourceID, T> cache = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
   private final boolean comparableResourceVersions;
-  private String latestResourceVersion;
+  private volatile String latestResourceVersion;
 
   private final Map<ResourceID, EventFilterDetails> activeUpdates = new HashMap<>();
 
@@ -139,7 +144,7 @@ private synchronized EventHandling onEvent(
             "Removing resource from temp cache. comparison: {} unknown state: {}",
             comp,
             unknownState);
-        cache.remove(resourceId);
+        cacheRemove(resourceId);
         // we propagate event only for our update or newer other can be discarded since we know we
         // will receive
         // additional event
@@ -148,6 +153,7 @@ private synchronized EventHandling onEvent(
         result = EventHandling.OBSOLETE;
       }
     }
+    checkStaleResources();
     var ed = activeUpdates.get(resourceId);
     if (ed != null && result != EventHandling.OBSOLETE) {
       log.debug("Setting last event for id: {} delete: {}", resourceId, delete);
@@ -161,6 +167,21 @@ private synchronized EventHandling onEvent(
     }
   }
 
+  private void checkStaleResources() {
+    // todo add only once within an interval check
+    CompletableFuture.runAsync(
+        () -> {
+          var longLatest = Long.parseLong(latestResourceVersion);
+          var head = cachedVersions.headMap(longLatest);
+          for (var entry : head.entrySet()) {
+            synchronized (this) {
+              cache.remove(entry.getValue());
+              cachedVersions.remove(entry.getKey());
+            }
+          }
+        });
+  }
+
   /** put the item into the cache if it's for a later state than what has already been observed. */
   public synchronized void putResource(T newResource) {
     if (!comparableResourceVersions) {
@@ -204,11 +225,24 @@ public synchronized void putResource(T newResource) {
           "Temporarily moving ahead to target version {} for resource id: {}",
           newResource.getMetadata().getResourceVersion(),
           resourceId);
-      cache.put(resourceId, newResource);
+      cacheResource(resourceId, newResource);
     }
   }
 
   public synchronized Optional<T> getResourceFromCache(ResourceID resourceID) {
     return Optional.ofNullable(cache.get(resourceID));
   }
+
+  private void cacheResource(ResourceID resourceId, T resource) {
+    var prevValue = cache.put(resourceId, resource);
+    if (prevValue != null) {
+      cachedVersions.remove(Long.parseLong(prevValue.getMetadata().getResourceVersion()));
+    }
+    cachedVersions.put(Long.parseLong(resource.getMetadata().getResourceVersion()), resourceId);
+  }
+
+  private void cacheRemove(ResourceID resourceId) {
+    var removed = cache.remove(resourceId);
+    cachedVersions.remove(Long.parseLong(removed.getMetadata().getResourceVersion()));
+  }
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryPrimaryResourceCacheTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCacheTest.java
similarity index 99%
rename from operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryPrimaryResourceCacheTest.java
rename to operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCacheTest.java
index 592a552433..a40259c17c 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryPrimaryResourceCacheTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/TemporaryResourceCacheTest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
-class TemporaryPrimaryResourceCacheTest {
+class TemporaryResourceCacheTest {
 
   public static final String RESOURCE_VERSION = "2";