diff --git a/pkg/builder/controller.go b/pkg/builder/controller.go
index d5d486dca0..70eda6298b 100644
--- a/pkg/builder/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/builder/controller.go
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@ func (blder *TypedBuilder[request]) Owns(object client.Object, opts ...OwnsOptio
 	return blder
 }
 
+type untypedWatchesInput interface {
+	setPredicates([]predicate.Predicate)
+	setObjectProjection(objectProjection)
+}
+
 // WatchesInput represents the information set by Watches method.
 type WatchesInput[request comparable] struct {
 	obj              client.Object
@@ -140,6 +145,14 @@ type WatchesInput[request comparable] struct {
 	objectProjection objectProjection
 }
 
+func (w *WatchesInput[request]) setPredicates(predicates []predicate.Predicate) {
+	w.predicates = predicates
+}
+
+func (w *WatchesInput[request]) setObjectProjection(objectProjection objectProjection) {
+	w.objectProjection = objectProjection
+}
+
 // Watches defines the type of Object to watch, and configures the ControllerManagedBy to respond to create / delete /
 // update events by *reconciling the object* with the given EventHandler.
 //
@@ -148,7 +161,7 @@ type WatchesInput[request comparable] struct {
 func (blder *TypedBuilder[request]) Watches(
 	object client.Object,
 	eventHandler handler.TypedEventHandler[client.Object, request],
-	opts ...WatchesOption[request],
+	opts ...WatchesOption,
 ) *TypedBuilder[request] {
 	input := WatchesInput[request]{
 		obj:     object,
@@ -193,9 +206,9 @@ func (blder *TypedBuilder[request]) Watches(
 func (blder *TypedBuilder[request]) WatchesMetadata(
 	object client.Object,
 	eventHandler handler.TypedEventHandler[client.Object, request],
-	opts ...WatchesOption[request],
+	opts ...WatchesOption,
 ) *TypedBuilder[request] {
-	opts = append(opts, projectAs[request](projectAsMetadata))
+	opts = append(opts, projectAs(projectAsMetadata))
 	return blder.Watches(object, eventHandler, opts...)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/builder/controller_test.go b/pkg/builder/controller_test.go
index 84cd4bae1c..840bb18513 100644
--- a/pkg/builder/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/builder/controller_test.go
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/scheme"
 )
 
+var _ untypedWatchesInput = (*WatchesInput[struct{}])(nil)
+
 type typedNoop struct{}
 
 func (typedNoop) Reconcile(context.Context, reconcile.Request) (reconcile.Result, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/builder/options.go b/pkg/builder/options.go
index d2e7f311cc..b907b5d020 100644
--- a/pkg/builder/options.go
+++ b/pkg/builder/options.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package builder
 
 import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/predicate"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/reconcile"
 )
 
 // {{{ "Functional" Option Interfaces
@@ -36,9 +35,9 @@ type OwnsOption interface {
 }
 
 // WatchesOption is some configuration that modifies options for a watches request.
-type WatchesOption[request comparable] interface {
+type WatchesOption interface {
 	// ApplyToWatches applies this configuration to the given watches options.
-	ApplyToWatches(*WatchesInput[request])
+	ApplyToWatches(untypedWatchesInput)
 }
 
 // }}}
@@ -53,31 +52,28 @@ func WithPredicates(predicates ...predicate.Predicate) Predicates {
 }
 
 // Predicates filters events before enqueuing the keys.
-type Predicates = TypedPredicates[reconcile.Request]
-
-// TypedPredicates filters events before enqueuing the keys.
-type TypedPredicates[request comparable] struct {
+type Predicates struct {
 	predicates []predicate.Predicate
 }
 
 // ApplyToFor applies this configuration to the given ForInput options.
-func (w TypedPredicates[request]) ApplyToFor(opts *ForInput) {
+func (w Predicates) ApplyToFor(opts *ForInput) {
 	opts.predicates = w.predicates
 }
 
 // ApplyToOwns applies this configuration to the given OwnsInput options.
-func (w TypedPredicates[request]) ApplyToOwns(opts *OwnsInput) {
+func (w Predicates) ApplyToOwns(opts *OwnsInput) {
 	opts.predicates = w.predicates
 }
 
 // ApplyToWatches applies this configuration to the given WatchesInput options.
-func (w TypedPredicates[request]) ApplyToWatches(opts *WatchesInput[request]) {
-	opts.predicates = w.predicates
+func (w Predicates) ApplyToWatches(opts untypedWatchesInput) {
+	opts.setPredicates(w.predicates)
 }
 
 var _ ForOption = &Predicates{}
 var _ OwnsOption = &Predicates{}
-var _ WatchesOption[reconcile.Request] = &Predicates{}
+var _ WatchesOption = &Predicates{}
 
 // }}}
 
@@ -86,21 +82,21 @@ var _ WatchesOption[reconcile.Request] = &Predicates{}
 // projectAs configures the projection on the input.
 // Currently only OnlyMetadata is supported.  We might want to expand
 // this to arbitrary non-special local projections in the future.
-type projectAs[request comparable] objectProjection
+type projectAs objectProjection
 
 // ApplyToFor applies this configuration to the given ForInput options.
-func (p projectAs[request]) ApplyToFor(opts *ForInput) {
+func (p projectAs) ApplyToFor(opts *ForInput) {
 	opts.objectProjection = objectProjection(p)
 }
 
 // ApplyToOwns applies this configuration to the given OwnsInput options.
-func (p projectAs[request]) ApplyToOwns(opts *OwnsInput) {
+func (p projectAs) ApplyToOwns(opts *OwnsInput) {
 	opts.objectProjection = objectProjection(p)
 }
 
 // ApplyToWatches applies this configuration to the given WatchesInput options.
-func (p projectAs[request]) ApplyToWatches(opts *WatchesInput[request]) {
-	opts.objectProjection = objectProjection(p)
+func (p projectAs) ApplyToWatches(opts untypedWatchesInput) {
+	opts.setObjectProjection(objectProjection(p))
 }
 
 var (
@@ -134,11 +130,11 @@ var (
 	// In the first case, controller-runtime will create another cache for the
 	// concrete type on top of the metadata cache; this increases memory
 	// consumption and leads to race conditions as caches are not in sync.
-	OnlyMetadata = projectAs[reconcile.Request](projectAsMetadata)
+	OnlyMetadata = projectAs(projectAsMetadata)
 
-	_ ForOption                        = OnlyMetadata
-	_ OwnsOption                       = OnlyMetadata
-	_ WatchesOption[reconcile.Request] = OnlyMetadata
+	_ ForOption     = OnlyMetadata
+	_ OwnsOption    = OnlyMetadata
+	_ WatchesOption = OnlyMetadata
 )
 
 // }}}