diff --git a/config/default/manager_auth_proxy_patch.yaml b/config/default/manager_auth_proxy_patch.yaml
index fc94aa59f..8cbe1fa77 100644
--- a/config/default/manager_auth_proxy_patch.yaml
+++ b/config/default/manager_auth_proxy_patch.yaml
@@ -50,3 +50,4 @@ spec:
         - "--health-probe-bind-address=:8081"
         - "--metrics-bind-address=127.0.0.1:8080"
         - "--leader-elect"
+        - "--feature-gates=ForceSemverUpgradeConstraints=true"
diff --git a/pkg/features/features.go b/pkg/features/features.go
index 399bc7356..329737a96 100644
--- a/pkg/features/features.go
+++ b/pkg/features/features.go
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-// Add new feature gates constants (strings)
-// Ex: SomeFeature featuregate.Feature = "SomeFeature"
+	// Add new feature gates constants (strings)
+	// Ex: SomeFeature featuregate.Feature = "SomeFeature"
+
+	ForceSemverUpgradeConstraints featuregate.Feature = "ForceSemverUpgradeConstraints"
 )
 
 var operatorControllerFeatureGates = map[featuregate.Feature]featuregate.FeatureSpec{
 	// Add new feature gate definitions
 	// Ex: SomeFeature: {...}
+
+	ForceSemverUpgradeConstraints: {Default: false, PreRelease: featuregate.Alpha},
 }
 
 var OperatorControllerFeatureGate featuregate.MutableFeatureGate = featuregate.NewFeatureGate()