diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessor.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessor.java
index bdaf575814..ea1df583a0 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessor.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessor.java
@@ -102,8 +102,16 @@ public synchronized void handleEvent(Event event) {
     try {
       log.debug("Received event: {}", event);
 
+      final var optionalState = resourceStateManager.getOrCreateOnResourceEvent(event);
+      if (optionalState.isEmpty()) {
+        log.debug(
+            "Skipping event, since no state present and it is not a resource event. Resource ID:"
+                + " {}",
+            event.getRelatedCustomResourceID());
+        return;
+      }
+      var state = optionalState.orElseThrow();
       final var resourceID = event.getRelatedCustomResourceID();
-      final var state = resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(event.getRelatedCustomResourceID());
       MDCUtils.addResourceIDInfo(resourceID);
       metrics.receivedEvent(event, metricsMetadata);
       handleEventMarking(event, state);
@@ -231,7 +239,7 @@ synchronized void eventProcessingFinished(
       return;
     }
     ResourceID resourceID = executionScope.getResourceID();
-    final var state = resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(resourceID);
+    final var state = resourceStateManager.getOrThrow(resourceID);
     log.debug(
         "Event processing finished. Scope: {}, PostExecutionControl: {}",
         executionScope,
@@ -378,13 +386,13 @@ private void cleanupOnSuccessfulExecution(ExecutionScope<P> executionScope) {
     log.debug(
         "Cleanup for successful execution for resource: {}", getName(executionScope.getResource()));
     if (isRetryConfigured()) {
-      resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(executionScope.getResourceID()).setRetry(null);
+      resourceStateManager.getOrThrow(executionScope.getResourceID()).setRetry(null);
     }
     retryEventSource().cancelOnceSchedule(executionScope.getResourceID());
   }
 
   private ResourceState getOrInitRetryExecution(ExecutionScope<P> executionScope) {
-    final var state = resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(executionScope.getResourceID());
+    final var state = resourceStateManager.getOrThrow(executionScope.getResourceID());
     RetryExecution retryExecution = state.getRetry();
     if (retryExecution == null) {
       retryExecution = retry.initExecution();
@@ -404,7 +412,7 @@ private boolean isControllerUnderExecution(ResourceState state) {
   }
 
   private void unsetUnderExecution(ResourceID resourceID) {
-    resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(resourceID).setUnderProcessing(false);
+    resourceStateManager.getOrThrow(resourceID).setUnderProcessing(false);
   }
 
   private boolean isRetryConfigured() {
@@ -430,7 +438,7 @@ public synchronized void start() throws OperatorException {
   }
 
   public boolean isNextReconciliationImminent(ResourceID resourceID) {
-    return resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(resourceID).eventPresent();
+    return resourceStateManager.getOrThrow(resourceID).eventPresent();
   }
 
   private void handleAlreadyMarkedEvents() {
@@ -495,7 +503,7 @@ private String controllerName() {
   }
 
   public synchronized boolean isUnderProcessing(ResourceID resourceID) {
-    return isControllerUnderExecution(resourceStateManager.getOrCreate(resourceID));
+    return isControllerUnderExecution(resourceStateManager.getOrThrow(resourceID));
   }
 
   public synchronized boolean isRunning() {
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManager.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManager.java
index 6932e1ca5e..f45e317d94 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManager.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManager.java
@@ -2,17 +2,39 @@
 
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.event.source.controller.ResourceEvent;
+
 class ResourceStateManager {
   // maybe we should have a way for users to specify a hint on the amount of CRs their reconciler
   // will process to avoid under- or over-sizing the state maps and avoid too many resizing that
   // take time and memory?
   private final Map<ResourceID, ResourceState> states = new ConcurrentHashMap<>(100);
 
-  public ResourceState getOrCreate(ResourceID resourceID) {
-    return states.computeIfAbsent(resourceID, ResourceState::new);
+  public Optional<ResourceState> getOrCreateOnResourceEvent(Event event) {
+    var resourceId = event.getRelatedCustomResourceID();
+    var state = states.get(event.getRelatedCustomResourceID());
+    if (state != null) {
+      return Optional.of(state);
+    }
+    if (event instanceof ResourceEvent) {
+      state = new ResourceState(resourceId);
+      states.put(resourceId, state);
+      return Optional.of(state);
+    } else {
+      return Optional.empty();
+    }
+  }
+
+  public ResourceState getOrThrow(ResourceID resourceID) {
+    var state = states.get(resourceID);
+    if (state == null) {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("No state for resource id: " + resourceID);
+    }
+    return state;
   }
 
   public ResourceState remove(ResourceID resourceID) {
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessorTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessorTest.java
index fe2e6e9514..9819eb7ee9 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessorTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/EventProcessorTest.java
@@ -276,6 +276,30 @@ void cancelScheduleOnceEventsOnSuccessfulExecution() {
     verify(retryTimerEventSourceMock, times(1)).cancelOnceSchedule(eq(crID));
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void skipsGenericEventIfNoResourceEventReceivedBefore() {
+    var crID = new ResourceID("test-cr", TEST_NAMESPACE);
+    eventProcessor =
+        spy(
+            new EventProcessor(
+                controllerConfiguration(null, LinearRateLimiter.deactivatedRateLimiter()),
+                reconciliationDispatcherMock,
+                eventSourceManagerMock,
+                metricsMock));
+
+    verify(reconciliationDispatcherMock, timeout(100).times(0)).handleExecution(any());
+
+    eventProcessor.start();
+    eventProcessor.handleEvent(new Event(crID));
+
+    await()
+        .pollDelay(Duration.ofMillis(100))
+        .untilAsserted(
+            () -> {
+              verify(reconciliationDispatcherMock, never()).handleExecution(any());
+            });
+  }
+
   @Test
   void startProcessedMarkedEventReceivedBefore() {
     var crID = new ResourceID("test-cr", TEST_NAMESPACE);
@@ -287,7 +311,7 @@ void startProcessedMarkedEventReceivedBefore() {
                 eventSourceManagerMock,
                 metricsMock));
     when(controllerEventSourceMock.get(eq(crID))).thenReturn(Optional.of(testCustomResource()));
-    eventProcessor.handleEvent(new Event(crID));
+    eventProcessor.handleEvent(new ResourceEvent(ResourceAction.ADDED, crID, testCustomResource()));
 
     verify(reconciliationDispatcherMock, timeout(100).times(0)).handleExecution(any());
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManagerTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManagerTest.java
index 2c4d9fa4f3..0d5c2868a7 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManagerTest.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/event/ResourceStateManagerTest.java
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.TestUtils;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.event.source.controller.ResourceAction;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.event.source.controller.ResourceEvent;
+
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 class ResourceStateManagerTest {
@@ -19,8 +23,8 @@ void init() {
     manager.remove(sampleResourceID);
     manager.remove(sampleResourceID2);
 
-    state = manager.getOrCreate(sampleResourceID);
-    state2 = manager.getOrCreate(sampleResourceID2);
+    state = manager.getOrThrow(sampleResourceID);
+    state2 = manager.getOrThrow(sampleResourceID2);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@ public void cleansUp() {
 
     manager.remove(sampleResourceID);
 
-    state = manager.getOrCreate(sampleResourceID);
+    state = manager.getOrThrow(sampleResourceID);
     assertThat(state.deleteEventPresent()).isFalse();
     assertThat(state.eventPresent()).isFalse();
   }
@@ -87,4 +91,26 @@ public void listsResourceIDSWithEventsPresent() {
     assertThat(res).hasSize(1);
     assertThat(res.get(0).getId()).isEqualTo(sampleResourceID2);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void createStateOnlyOnResourceEvent() {
+    var state = manager.getOrCreateOnResourceEvent(new Event(new ResourceID("newEvent")));
+
+    assertThat(state).isEmpty();
+
+    state =
+        manager.getOrCreateOnResourceEvent(
+            new ResourceEvent(
+                ResourceAction.ADDED, new ResourceID("newEvent"), TestUtils.testCustomResource()));
+
+    assertThat(state).isNotNull();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void createsOnlyResourceEventReturnsPreviouslyCreatedState() {
+    manager.getOrThrow(new ResourceID("newEvent"));
+
+    var res = manager.getOrCreateOnResourceEvent(new Event(new ResourceID("newEvent")));
+    assertThat(res).isNotNull();
+  }
 }