diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e7826ce613..134fa87fff 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -31,8 +31,27 @@ jobs:
           echo "tmp_version_branch=v4" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
       - if: ${{ startsWith(github.event.release.tag_name, 'v5.' ) }}
         run: |
-          echo "Setting version_branch to main"
-          echo "tmp_version_branch=main" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          RELEASE_VERSION="${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}"
+          RELEASE_VERSION="${RELEASE_VERSION#v}"
+          RELEASE_MAJOR_MINOR=$(echo "$RELEASE_VERSION" | cut -d. -f1-2)
+
+          MAIN_POM_VERSION=$(curl -fsSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${{ github.repository }}/main/pom.xml" | yq -p xml '.project.version')
+          if [ -z "$MAIN_POM_VERSION" ]; then
+            echo "Failed to determine main branch POM version"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          MAIN_MAJOR_MINOR=$(echo "$MAIN_POM_VERSION" | cut -d. -f1-2)
+
+          echo "Release tag major.minor: $RELEASE_MAJOR_MINOR"
+          echo "Main branch major.minor: $MAIN_MAJOR_MINOR"
+
+          if [ "$RELEASE_MAJOR_MINOR" = "$MAIN_MAJOR_MINOR" ]; then
+            echo "Setting version_branch to main"
+            echo "tmp_version_branch=main" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          else
+            echo "Setting version_branch to ${RELEASE_MAJOR_MINOR}.x"
+            echo "tmp_version_branch=${RELEASE_MAJOR_MINOR}.x" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          fi
       - if: ${{ env.tmp_version_branch == '' }}
         name: Fail if version_branch is not set
         run: |
diff --git a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/pom.xml b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/pom.xml
index 8626f78cb7..155dfde7f1 100644
--- a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>bootstrapper</artifactId>
diff --git a/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml b/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
index 151083a082..e3e1f9b986 100644
--- a/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
+++ b/caffeine-bounded-cache-support/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>caffeine-bounded-cache-support</artifactId>
diff --git a/micrometer-support/pom.xml b/micrometer-support/pom.xml
index 56b78197a5..1c02a4a136 100644
--- a/micrometer-support/pom.xml
+++ b/micrometer-support/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>micrometer-support</artifactId>
diff --git a/operator-framework-bom/pom.xml b/operator-framework-bom/pom.xml
index 8793a087fa..ebb49975bc 100644
--- a/operator-framework-bom/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework-bom/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
   <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
   <artifactId>operator-framework-bom</artifactId>
-  <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
   <name>Operator SDK - Bill of Materials</name>
   <description>Java SDK for implementing Kubernetes operators</description>
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/pom.xml b/operator-framework-core/pom.xml
index 3b9bcbc471..69c6c52f94 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework-core/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
   </parent>
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerWrapper.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerWrapper.java
index 2a6c7ef206..e4c42ae171 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerWrapper.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/source/informer/InformerWrapper.java
@@ -217,16 +217,14 @@ public boolean isRunning() {
 
   @Override
   public Status getStatus() {
-    var status = isRunning() && hasSynced() && isWatching() ? Status.HEALTHY : Status.UNHEALTHY;
+    var status = isRunning() && hasSynced() ? Status.HEALTHY : Status.UNHEALTHY;
     log.debug(
-        "Informer status: {} for type: {}, namespace: {}, details [is running: {}, has synced: {},"
-            + " is watching: {}]",
+        "Informer status: {} for type: {}, namespace: {}, details [is running: {}, has synced: {}]",
         status,
         informer.getApiTypeClass().getSimpleName(),
         namespaceIdentifier,
         isRunning(),
-        hasSynced(),
-        isWatching());
+        hasSynced());
     return status;
   }
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-junit5/pom.xml b/operator-framework-junit5/pom.xml
index 62e351241a..0bf86760ee 100644
--- a/operator-framework-junit5/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework-junit5/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>operator-framework-junit-5</artifactId>
diff --git a/operator-framework/pom.xml b/operator-framework/pom.xml
index 549d6b9e2e..908afcd72c 100644
--- a/operator-framework/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>operator-framework</artifactId>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index fb19f9b97f..1d383041a6 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
   <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
   <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-  <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
   <name>Operator SDK for Java</name>
   <description>Java SDK for implementing Kubernetes operators</description>
diff --git a/sample-operators/controller-namespace-deletion/pom.xml b/sample-operators/controller-namespace-deletion/pom.xml
index 67b04eb31a..118f1323a3 100644
--- a/sample-operators/controller-namespace-deletion/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/controller-namespace-deletion/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>sample-operators</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sample-controller-namespace-deletion</artifactId>
diff --git a/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml b/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml
index 1feb5ffb2e..dfc4b9342c 100644
--- a/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>sample-operators</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sample-leader-election</artifactId>
diff --git a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
index 77b105e0c6..efd229caf0 100644
--- a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>sample-operators</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sample-mysql-schema-operator</artifactId>
diff --git a/sample-operators/pom.xml b/sample-operators/pom.xml
index 9387ffaa9a..8d240bb650 100644
--- a/sample-operators/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sample-operators</artifactId>
diff --git a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
index 1d58e67575..0e5c4b7e89 100644
--- a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>sample-operators</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sample-tomcat-operator</artifactId>
diff --git a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
index f6fa568dd1..5de47adc95 100644
--- a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>sample-operators</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>sample-webpage-operator</artifactId>
diff --git a/test-index-processor/pom.xml b/test-index-processor/pom.xml
index e9ac365ad9..0652b0cd7e 100644
--- a/test-index-processor/pom.xml
+++ b/test-index-processor/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>io.javaoperatorsdk</groupId>
     <artifactId>java-operator-sdk</artifactId>
-    <version>5.2.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.2.6-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>test-index-processor</artifactId>