diff --git a/apis/projectcontour/v1/httpproxy.go b/apis/projectcontour/v1/httpproxy.go
index 0f28dbc3d50..c4c00ea3de2 100644
--- a/apis/projectcontour/v1/httpproxy.go
+++ b/apis/projectcontour/v1/httpproxy.go
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ type Status struct {
 // +kubebuilder:printcolumn:name="Status",type="string",JSONPath=".status.currentStatus",description="The current status of the HTTPProxy"
 // +kubebuilder:printcolumn:name="Status Description",type="string",JSONPath=".status.description",description="Description of the current status"
 // +kubebuilder:resource:scope=Namespaced,path=httpproxies,shortName=proxy;proxies,singular=httpproxy
+// +kubebuilder:subresource:status
 type HTTPProxy struct {
 	metav1.TypeMeta   `json:",inline"`
 	metav1.ObjectMeta `json:"metadata"`
diff --git a/examples/contour/01-crds.yaml b/examples/contour/01-crds.yaml
index b1b6aba66af..6c0b10d06a6 100644
--- a/examples/contour/01-crds.yaml
+++ b/examples/contour/01-crds.yaml
@@ -479,7 +479,8 @@ spec:
     - proxies
     singular: httpproxy
   scope: Namespaced
-  subresources: {}
+  subresources:
+    status: {}
   validation:
     openAPIV3Schema:
       description: HTTPProxy is an Ingress CRD specification
diff --git a/examples/contour/02-rbac.yaml b/examples/contour/02-rbac.yaml
index bfcb123346c..0ec7f944c0c 100644
--- a/examples/contour/02-rbac.yaml
+++ b/examples/contour/02-rbac.yaml
@@ -79,6 +79,12 @@ rules:
   - put
   - post
   - patch
+- apiGroups:
+  - "projectcontour.io"
+  resources:
+  - "httpproxies/status"
+  verbs:
+  - update
 - apiGroups: ["networking.x.k8s.io"]
   resources: ["gatewayclasses", "gateways", "httproutes", "tcproutes"]
   verbs:
diff --git a/internal/k8s/status.go b/internal/k8s/status.go
index e7be313d31b..93661111be5 100644
--- a/internal/k8s/status.go
+++ b/internal/k8s/status.go
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 
 	jsonpatch "github.com/evanphx/json-patch"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/dynamic"
 
@@ -177,23 +180,27 @@ func (irs *StatusWriter) setIngressRouteStatus(existing, updated *ingressroutev1
 }
 
 func (irs *StatusWriter) setHTTPProxyStatus(existing, updated *projcontour.HTTPProxy) error {
-	existingBytes, err := json.Marshal(existing)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	// Need to set the resource version of the updated endpoints to the resource
-	// version of the current service. Otherwise, the resulting patch does not
-	// have a resource version, and the server complains.
-	updated.ResourceVersion = existing.ResourceVersion
-	updatedBytes, err := json.Marshal(updated)
+
+	usUpdated, err := toUnstructured(updated, projcontour.SchemeGroupVersion.WithKind("HTTPProxy"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	patchBytes, err := jsonpatch.CreateMergePatch(existingBytes, updatedBytes)
+
+	_, err = irs.Client.Resource(projcontour.HTTPProxyGVR).Namespace(existing.GetNamespace()).UpdateStatus(context.TODO(), usUpdated, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
+	return err
+}
+
+func toUnstructured(obj runtime.Object, gvk schema.GroupVersionKind) (*unstructured.Unstructured, error) {
+
+	obj.GetObjectKind().SetGroupVersionKind(gvk)
+	objMsi, err := runtime.DefaultUnstructuredConverter.ToUnstructured(obj)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	_, err = irs.Client.Resource(projcontour.HTTPProxyGVR).Namespace(existing.GetNamespace()).Patch(context.TODO(), existing.GetName(), types.MergePatchType, patchBytes, metav1.PatchOptions{})
-	return err
+	us := &unstructured.Unstructured{}
+	us.SetUnstructuredContent(objMsi)
+
+	return us, nil
+
 }
diff --git a/internal/k8s/status_test.go b/internal/k8s/status_test.go
index 0b86a152101..704003af5ff 100644
--- a/internal/k8s/status_test.go
+++ b/internal/k8s/status_test.go
@@ -131,11 +131,10 @@ func TestSetIngressRouteStatus(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSetHTTPProxyStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	type testcase struct {
-		msg           string
-		desc          string
-		existing      *projectcontour.HTTPProxy
-		expectedPatch string
-		expectedVerbs []string
+		msg      string
+		desc     string
+		existing *projectcontour.HTTPProxy
+		expected *projectcontour.HTTPProxy
 	}
 
 	run := func(t *testing.T, name string, tc testcase) {
@@ -143,17 +142,22 @@ func TestSetHTTPProxyStatus(t *testing.T) {
 
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Helper()
-			var gotPatchBytes []byte
+			var gotObj runtime.Object
 			s := runtime.NewScheme()
 			projcontour.AddKnownTypes(s)
+			usc, err := NewUnstructuredConverter()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
 			client := fake.NewSimpleDynamicClient(s, tc.existing)
 
-			client.PrependReactor("patch", "httpproxies", func(action k8stesting.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
-				switch patchAction := action.(type) {
+			client.PrependReactor("*", "httpproxies", func(action k8stesting.Action) (bool, runtime.Object, error) {
+				switch updateAction := action.(type) {
 				default:
 					return true, nil, fmt.Errorf("got unexpected action of type: %T", action)
-				case k8stesting.PatchActionImpl:
-					gotPatchBytes = patchAction.GetPatch()
+				case k8stesting.UpdateActionImpl:
+					gotObj = updateAction.GetObject()
 					return true, tc.existing, nil
 				}
 			})
@@ -165,12 +169,19 @@ func TestSetHTTPProxyStatus(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			if len(client.Actions()) != len(tc.expectedVerbs) {
-				t.Fatalf("Expected verbs mismatch: want: %d, got: %d", len(tc.expectedVerbs), len(client.Actions()))
+			toProxy, err := usc.Convert(gotObj)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 
-			if tc.expectedPatch != string(gotPatchBytes) {
-				t.Fatalf("expected patch: %s, got: %s", tc.expectedPatch, string(gotPatchBytes))
+			if toProxy == nil && tc.expected == nil {
+				return
+			}
+
+			assert.Equal(t, toProxy, tc.expected)
+
+			if toProxy == nil && tc.expected != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Did not get expected update, %#v", tc.expected)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -188,8 +199,16 @@ func TestSetHTTPProxyStatus(t *testing.T) {
 				Description:   "",
 			},
 		},
-		expectedPatch: `{"status":{"currentStatus":"valid","description":"this is a valid HTTPProxy"}}`,
-		expectedVerbs: []string{"patch"},
+		expected: &projcontour.HTTPProxy{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "test",
+				Namespace: "default",
+			},
+			Status: projcontour.Status{
+				CurrentStatus: "valid",
+				Description:   "this is a valid HTTPProxy",
+			},
+		},
 	})
 
 	run(t, "no update", testcase{
@@ -205,8 +224,7 @@ func TestSetHTTPProxyStatus(t *testing.T) {
 				Description:   "this is a valid HTTPProxy",
 			},
 		},
-		expectedPatch: ``,
-		expectedVerbs: []string{},
+		expected: nil,
 	})
 
 	run(t, "replace existing status", testcase{
@@ -222,8 +240,16 @@ func TestSetHTTPProxyStatus(t *testing.T) {
 				Description:   "boo hiss",
 			},
 		},
-		expectedPatch: `{"status":{"currentStatus":"valid","description":"this is a valid HTTPProxy"}}`,
-		expectedVerbs: []string{"patch"},
+		expected: &projcontour.HTTPProxy{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      "test",
+				Namespace: "default",
+			},
+			Status: projcontour.Status{
+				CurrentStatus: "valid",
+				Description:   "this is a valid HTTPProxy",
+			},
+		},
 	})
 }