diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSource.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSource.java
index 8a4c476443..2a3f39322f 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSource.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSource.java
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ private boolean acceptedByFiler(Map<ID, R> cachedResourceMap, Map<ID, R> newReso
     if (onAddFilter != null || genericFilter != null) {
       var anyAddAccepted =
           addedResources.values().stream()
-              .anyMatch(r -> acceptedByGenericFiler(r) && onAddFilter.accept(r));
+              .anyMatch(r -> acceptedByGenericFiler(r) && acceptedByOnAddFilter(r));
       if (anyAddAccepted) {
         return true;
       }
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ private boolean acceptedByFiler(Map<ID, R> cachedResourceMap, Map<ID, R> newReso
     if (onDeleteFilter != null || genericFilter != null) {
       var anyDeleteAccepted =
           deletedResource.values().stream()
-              .anyMatch(r -> acceptedByGenericFiler(r) && onDeleteFilter.accept(r, false));
+              .anyMatch(r -> acceptedByGenericFiler(r) && acceptedByOnDeleteFilter(r));
       if (anyDeleteAccepted) {
         return true;
       }
@@ -197,11 +197,23 @@ private boolean acceptedByFiler(Map<ID, R> cachedResourceMap, Map<ID, R> newReso
               entry -> {
                 var newResource = newResourcesMap.get(entry.getKey());
                 return acceptedByGenericFiler(newResource)
-                    && onUpdateFilter.accept(newResource, entry.getValue());
+                    && acceptedByOnUpdateFilter(newResource, entry.getValue());
               });
     } else return !possibleUpdatedResources.isEmpty();
   }
 
+  private boolean acceptedByOnAddFilter(R resource) {
+    return onAddFilter == null || onAddFilter.accept(resource);
+  }
+
+  private boolean acceptedByOnDeleteFilter(R resource) {
+    return onDeleteFilter == null || onDeleteFilter.accept(resource, false);
+  }
+
+  private boolean acceptedByOnUpdateFilter(R newResource, R oldResource) {
+    return onUpdateFilter == null || onUpdateFilter.accept(newResource, oldResource);
+  }
+
   private boolean acceptedByGenericFiler(R resource) {
     return genericFilter == null || genericFilter.accept(resource);
   }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSourceTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSourceTest.java
index 889cc4da75..6fe97b2fdd 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSourceTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/ExternalResourceCachingEventSourceTest.java
@@ -211,6 +211,43 @@ void genericFilteringEvents() {
     verify(eventHandler, times(0)).handleEvent(any());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void onlyGenericFilterSetDoesNotFailOnAdd() {
+    var eventSource = new TestExternalCachingEventSource();
+    eventSource.setGenericFilter(res -> true);
+    setUpSource(eventSource);
+
+    source.handleResources(primaryID1(), Set.of(testResource1()));
+
+    verify(eventHandler, times(1)).handleEvent(any());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void onlyGenericFilterSetDoesNotFailOnDelete() {
+    var eventSource = new TestExternalCachingEventSource();
+    eventSource.setGenericFilter(res -> true);
+    setUpSource(eventSource);
+
+    source.handleResources(primaryID1(), Set.of(testResource1()));
+    source.handleResources(primaryID1(), Set.of());
+
+    verify(eventHandler, times(2)).handleEvent(any());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void onlyGenericFilterSetDoesNotFailOnUpdate() {
+    var eventSource = new TestExternalCachingEventSource();
+    eventSource.setGenericFilter(res -> true);
+    setUpSource(eventSource);
+
+    source.handleResources(primaryID1(), Set.of(testResource1()));
+    var changed = testResource1();
+    changed.setValue("changedValue");
+    source.handleResources(primaryID1(), Set.of(changed));
+
+    verify(eventHandler, times(2)).handleEvent(any());
+  }
+
   public static class TestExternalCachingEventSource
       extends ExternalResourceCachingEventSource<SampleExternalResource, HasMetadata, String> {
     public TestExternalCachingEventSource() {