diff --git a/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/attrs/k8s.rs b/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/attrs/k8s.rs
index c241b17f7..60fc4521c 100644
--- a/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/attrs/k8s.rs
+++ b/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/attrs/k8s.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ pub(crate) struct KubernetesSkipArguments {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, FromMeta)]
 pub(crate) struct KubernetesCrateArguments {
     pub(crate) kube_core: Option<Path>,
+    pub(crate) kube_client: Option<Path>,
     pub(crate) k8s_openapi: Option<Path>,
     pub(crate) schemars: Option<Path>,
     pub(crate) serde: Option<Path>,
diff --git a/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/codegen/container/mod.rs b/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/codegen/container/mod.rs
index fbbff4006..df147c88a 100644
--- a/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/codegen/container/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/stackable-versioned-macros/src/codegen/container/mod.rs
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ impl From<KubernetesArguments> for KubernetesOptions {
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct KubernetesCrateOptions {
+    pub(crate) kube_client: Override<Path>,
     pub(crate) kube_core: Override<Path>,
     pub(crate) k8s_openapi: Override<Path>,
     pub(crate) schemars: Override<Path>,
@@ -319,6 +320,7 @@ pub(crate) struct KubernetesCrateOptions {
 impl Default for KubernetesCrateOptions {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
+            kube_client: Override::Default(parse_quote! { ::kube::client }),
             k8s_openapi: Override::Default(parse_quote! { ::k8s_openapi }),
             serde_json: Override::Default(parse_quote! { ::serde_json }),
             kube_core: Override::Default(parse_quote! { ::kube::core }),
@@ -344,6 +346,10 @@ impl From<KubernetesCrateArguments> for KubernetesCrateOptions {
             crate_options.kube_core = Override::Overridden(kube_core);
         }
 
+        if let Some(kube_client) = args.kube_client {
+            crate_options.kube_client = Override::Overridden(kube_client);
+        }
+
         if let Some(schemars) = args.schemars {
             crate_options.schemars = Override::Overridden(schemars);
         }
@@ -361,6 +367,7 @@ impl ToTokens for KubernetesCrateOptions {
         let mut crate_overrides = TokenStream::new();
 
         let KubernetesCrateOptions {
+            kube_client: _,
             k8s_openapi,
             serde_json,
             kube_core,
diff --git a/crates/stackable-versioned/CHANGELOG.md b/crates/stackable-versioned/CHANGELOG.md
index 9fee8c70c..fcc86810c 100644
--- a/crates/stackable-versioned/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/crates/stackable-versioned/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,11 +4,18 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- Add `kube_client` crate override to `k8s(crates())` to specify a custom import path. This override
+  will not be passed to the `#[kube()]` attribute, but will only be available to internal
+  `#[versioned]` macro code ([#1038]).
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - Correctly handle fields added in later versions ([#1031]).
 
 [#1031]: https://github.com/stackabletech/operator-rs/pull/1031
+[#1038]: https://github.com/stackabletech/operator-rs/pull/1038
 
 ## [0.7.1] - 2025-04-02