diff --git a/cli/cmd/deploy_components.go b/cli/cmd/deploy_components.go
index 3c9dfeaa..49a71818 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/deploy_components.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/deploy_components.go
@@ -782,8 +782,12 @@ func deployGroupA(dc *deployContext) error {
 			//
 			// --reset-values: pre-chart releases stored flat upstream keys that
 			// now live under the subchart key, and the schema rejects them.
+			//
+			// --skip-crds: applyLocalStrimziCRDs already applied them as the
+			// "kubectl" field manager; Helm 4 re-applying crds/ on a fresh
+			// install conflicts with it over .spec.versions.
 			opArgs := []string{"upgrade", "--install", "strimzi-operator", chartDir, "-n", "strimzi-operator",
-				"--reset-values",
+				"--reset-values", "--skip-crds",
 				"-f", dc.chartOverlay("charts/strimzi-operator"),
 				"--set", "strimzi-kafka-operator.kubernetesServiceDnsDomain=" + clusterDomain,
 				"--set", "crdUpgrade.enabled=false"}
diff --git a/cli/cmd/deploy_components_test.go b/cli/cmd/deploy_components_test.go
index d1e94f6d..4e31bd5b 100644
--- a/cli/cmd/deploy_components_test.go
+++ b/cli/cmd/deploy_components_test.go
@@ -478,6 +478,7 @@ func TestDeployGroupAAppliesLocalStrimziCRDsAndDisablesHook(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, want := range []string{
 		"upgrade --install strimzi-operator /cache/wrapper/1.2.0",
 		"--set crdUpgrade.enabled=false",
+		"--skip-crds",
 		"--set strimziVersion=1.2.0",
 		"--set strimzi-kafka-operator.kubernetesServiceDnsDomain=cluster.test",
 	} {