diff --git a/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget.go b/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget.go
index ed1326170..d8411e18f 100644
--- a/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget.go
+++ b/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget.go
@@ -11,4 +11,5 @@ type TargetsSDK interface {
 	CreateTargetWithUpstream(ctx context.Context, req sdkkonnectops.CreateTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...sdkkonnectops.Option) (*sdkkonnectops.CreateTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error)
 	UpsertTargetWithUpstream(ctx context.Context, req sdkkonnectops.UpsertTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...sdkkonnectops.Option) (*sdkkonnectops.UpsertTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error)
 	DeleteTargetWithUpstream(ctx context.Context, req sdkkonnectops.DeleteTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...sdkkonnectops.Option) (*sdkkonnectops.DeleteTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error)
+	ListTargetWithUpstream(ctx context.Context, request sdkkonnectops.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...sdkkonnectops.Option) (*sdkkonnectops.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error)
 }
diff --git a/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget_mock.go b/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget_mock.go
index dbc1f71f3..7988af137 100644
--- a/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget_mock.go
+++ b/controller/konnect/ops/kongtarget_mock.go
@@ -170,6 +170,80 @@ func (_c *MockTargetsSDK_DeleteTargetWithUpstream_Call) RunAndReturn(run func(co
 	return _c
 }
 
+// ListTargetWithUpstream provides a mock function with given fields: ctx, request, opts
+func (_m *MockTargetsSDK) ListTargetWithUpstream(ctx context.Context, request operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...operations.Option) (*operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error) {
+	_va := make([]interface{}, len(opts))
+	for _i := range opts {
+		_va[_i] = opts[_i]
+	}
+	var _ca []interface{}
+	_ca = append(_ca, ctx, request)
+	_ca = append(_ca, _va...)
+	ret := _m.Called(_ca...)
+
+	if len(ret) == 0 {
+		panic("no return value specified for ListTargetWithUpstream")
+	}
+
+	var r0 *operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse
+	var r1 error
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func(context.Context, operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, ...operations.Option) (*operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error)); ok {
+		return rf(ctx, request, opts...)
+	}
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func(context.Context, operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, ...operations.Option) *operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse); ok {
+		r0 = rf(ctx, request, opts...)
+	} else {
+		if ret.Get(0) != nil {
+			r0 = ret.Get(0).(*operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(1).(func(context.Context, operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, ...operations.Option) error); ok {
+		r1 = rf(ctx, request, opts...)
+	} else {
+		r1 = ret.Error(1)
+	}
+
+	return r0, r1
+}
+
+// MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call is a *mock.Call that shadows Run/Return methods with type explicit version for method 'ListTargetWithUpstream'
+type MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call struct {
+	*mock.Call
+}
+
+// ListTargetWithUpstream is a helper method to define mock.On call
+//   - ctx context.Context
+//   - request operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest
+//   - opts ...operations.Option
+func (_e *MockTargetsSDK_Expecter) ListTargetWithUpstream(ctx interface{}, request interface{}, opts ...interface{}) *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call {
+	return &MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call{Call: _e.mock.On("ListTargetWithUpstream",
+		append([]interface{}{ctx, request}, opts...)...)}
+}
+
+func (_c *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call) Run(run func(ctx context.Context, request operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...operations.Option)) *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call {
+	_c.Call.Run(func(args mock.Arguments) {
+		variadicArgs := make([]operations.Option, len(args)-2)
+		for i, a := range args[2:] {
+			if a != nil {
+				variadicArgs[i] = a.(operations.Option)
+			}
+		}
+		run(args[0].(context.Context), args[1].(operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest), variadicArgs...)
+	})
+	return _c
+}
+
+func (_c *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call) Return(_a0 *operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse, _a1 error) *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call {
+	_c.Call.Return(_a0, _a1)
+	return _c
+}
+
+func (_c *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call) RunAndReturn(run func(context.Context, operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest, ...operations.Option) (*operations.ListTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error)) *MockTargetsSDK_ListTargetWithUpstream_Call {
+	_c.Call.Return(run)
+	return _c
+}
+
 // UpsertTargetWithUpstream provides a mock function with given fields: ctx, req, opts
 func (_m *MockTargetsSDK) UpsertTargetWithUpstream(ctx context.Context, req operations.UpsertTargetWithUpstreamRequest, opts ...operations.Option) (*operations.UpsertTargetWithUpstreamResponse, error) {
 	_va := make([]interface{}, len(opts))
diff --git a/controller/konnect/ops/ops.go b/controller/konnect/ops/ops.go
index 88f4ea63a..ce58ed913 100644
--- a/controller/konnect/ops/ops.go
+++ b/controller/konnect/ops/ops.go
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ func Create[
 			id, err = getKongKeyForUID(ctx, sdk.GetKeysSDK(), ent)
 		case *configurationv1alpha1.KongUpstream:
 			id, err = getKongUpstreamForUID(ctx, sdk.GetUpstreamsSDK(), ent)
+		case *configurationv1alpha1.KongTarget:
+			id, err = getKongTargetForUID(ctx, sdk.GetTargetsSDK(), ent)
 			// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 			// TODO: add other Konnect types
 		default:
diff --git a/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongkey.go b/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongkey.go
index be2f8fe20..4f2ce3a68 100644
--- a/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongkey.go
+++ b/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongkey.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func createKey(
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed creating %s: %w", key.GetTypeName(), ErrNilResponse)
 	}
 
-	key.Status.Konnect.SetKonnectID(*resp.Key.ID)
+	key.SetKonnectID(*resp.Key.ID)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongtarget.go b/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongtarget.go
index d172d6116..1addec4b3 100644
--- a/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongtarget.go
+++ b/controller/konnect/ops/ops_kongtarget.go
@@ -37,12 +37,14 @@ func createTarget(
 	})
 
 	if errWrapped := wrapErrIfKonnectOpFailed(err, CreateOp, target); errWrapped != nil {
-		SetKonnectEntityProgrammedConditionFalse(target, "FailedToCreate", errWrapped.Error())
 		return errWrapped
 	}
 
-	target.Status.Konnect.SetKonnectID(*resp.Target.ID)
-	SetKonnectEntityProgrammedCondition(target)
+	if resp == nil || resp.Target == nil || resp.Target.ID == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed creating %s: %w", target.GetTypeName(), ErrNilResponse)
+	}
+
+	target.SetKonnectID(*resp.Target.ID)
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -68,11 +70,9 @@ func updateTarget(
 	})
 
 	if errWrapped := wrapErrIfKonnectOpFailed(err, UpdateOp, target); errWrapped != nil {
-		SetKonnectEntityProgrammedConditionFalse(target, "FailedToUpdate", errWrapped.Error())
 		return errWrapped
 	}
 
-	SetKonnectEntityProgrammedCondition(target)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -128,3 +128,30 @@ func kongTargetToTargetWithoutParents(target *configurationv1alpha1.KongTarget)
 		Tags:   GenerateTagsForObject(target, target.Spec.Tags...),
 	}
 }
+
+// getKongTargetForUID returns the Konnect ID of the KongTarget
+// that matches the UID of the provided KongTarget.
+func getKongTargetForUID(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	sdk TargetsSDK,
+	target *configurationv1alpha1.KongTarget,
+) (string, error) {
+	reqList := sdkkonnectops.ListTargetWithUpstreamRequest{
+		// NOTE: only filter on object's UID.
+		// Other fields like name might have changed in the meantime but that's OK.
+		// Those will be enforced via subsequent updates.
+		Tags:           lo.ToPtr(UIDLabelForObject(target)),
+		ControlPlaneID: target.GetControlPlaneID(),
+	}
+
+	resp, err := sdk.ListTargetWithUpstream(ctx, reqList)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed listing %s: %w", target.GetTypeName(), err)
+	}
+
+	if resp == nil || resp.Object == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed listing %s: %w", target.GetTypeName(), ErrNilResponse)
+	}
+
+	return getMatchingEntryFromListResponseData(sliceToEntityWithIDSlice(resp.Object.Data), target)
+}