diff --git a/dask_kubernetes/operator/controller/controller.py b/dask_kubernetes/operator/controller/controller.py
index ab1d2c482..46271ae44 100644
--- a/dask_kubernetes/operator/controller/controller.py
+++ b/dask_kubernetes/operator/controller/controller.py
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 import aiohttp
 import kopf
 import kr8s
-from kr8s.asyncio.objects import Pod, Deployment
-import kubernetes_asyncio as kubernetes
+from kr8s.asyncio.objects import Pod, Deployment, Service
 from importlib_metadata import entry_points
 
 from dask_kubernetes.operator._objects import (
@@ -287,79 +286,52 @@ async def daskcluster_create_components(
 ):
     """When the DaskCluster status.phase goes into Created create the cluster components."""
     logger.info("Creating Dask cluster components.")
-    async with kubernetes.client.api_client.ApiClient() as api_client:
-        api = kubernetes.client.CoreV1Api(api_client)
-        custom_api = kubernetes.client.CustomObjectsApi(api_client)
 
-        annotations = _get_annotations(meta)
-        labels = _get_labels(meta)
-        scheduler_spec = spec.get("scheduler", {})
-        if "metadata" in scheduler_spec:
-            if "annotations" in scheduler_spec["metadata"]:
-                annotations.update(**scheduler_spec["metadata"]["annotations"])
-            if "labels" in scheduler_spec["metadata"]:
-                labels.update(**scheduler_spec["metadata"]["labels"])
-        data = build_scheduler_deployment_spec(
-            name, namespace, scheduler_spec.get("spec"), annotations, labels
-        )
-        kopf.adopt(data)
-        pod = await api.list_namespaced_pod(
-            namespace=namespace,
-            label_selector=f"dask.org/component=scheduler,dask.org/cluster-name={name}",
-        )
-        if not pod.items:
-            await kubernetes.client.AppsV1Api(api_client).create_namespaced_deployment(
-                namespace=namespace,
-                body=data,
-            )
-            logger.info(
-                f"Scheduler deployment {data['metadata']['name']} created in {namespace}."
-            )
+    # Create scheduler deployment
+    annotations = _get_annotations(meta)
+    labels = _get_labels(meta)
+    scheduler_spec = spec.get("scheduler", {})
+    if "metadata" in scheduler_spec:
+        if "annotations" in scheduler_spec["metadata"]:
+            annotations.update(**scheduler_spec["metadata"]["annotations"])
+        if "labels" in scheduler_spec["metadata"]:
+            labels.update(**scheduler_spec["metadata"]["labels"])
+    data = build_scheduler_deployment_spec(
+        name, namespace, scheduler_spec.get("spec"), annotations, labels
+    )
+    kopf.adopt(data)
+    scheduler_deployment = await Deployment(data, namespace=namespace)
+    if not await scheduler_deployment.exists():
+        await scheduler_deployment.create()
+    logger.info(
+        f"Scheduler deployment {scheduler_deployment.name} created in {namespace}."
+    )
 
-        data = build_scheduler_service_spec(
-            name, scheduler_spec.get("service"), annotations, labels
-        )
-        kopf.adopt(data)
-        service = await api.list_namespaced_service(
-            namespace=namespace,
-            label_selector=f"dask.org/component=scheduler,dask.org/cluster-name={name}",
-        )
-        if not service.items:
-            await api.create_namespaced_service(
-                namespace=namespace,
-                body=data,
-            )
-        logger.info(
-            f"Scheduler service {data['metadata']['name']} created in {namespace}."
-        )
+    # Create scheduler service
+    data = build_scheduler_service_spec(
+        name, scheduler_spec.get("service"), annotations, labels
+    )
+    kopf.adopt(data)
+    scheduler_service = await Service(data, namespace=namespace)
+    if not await scheduler_service.exists():
+        await scheduler_service.create()
+    logger.info(f"Scheduler service {data['metadata']['name']} created in {namespace}.")
+
+    # Create default worker group
+    worker_spec = spec.get("worker", {})
+    annotations = _get_annotations(meta)
+    labels = _get_labels(meta)
+    if "metadata" in worker_spec:
+        if "annotations" in worker_spec["metadata"]:
+            annotations.update(**worker_spec["metadata"]["annotations"])
+        if "labels" in worker_spec["metadata"]:
+            labels.update(**worker_spec["metadata"]["labels"])
+    data = build_default_worker_group_spec(name, worker_spec, annotations, labels)
+    worker_group = await DaskWorkerGroup(data, namespace=namespace)
+    if not await worker_group.exists():
+        await worker_group.create()
+    logger.info(f"Worker group {data['metadata']['name']} created in {namespace}.")
 
-        worker_spec = spec.get("worker", {})
-        annotations = _get_annotations(meta)
-        labels = _get_labels(meta)
-        if "metadata" in worker_spec:
-            if "annotations" in worker_spec["metadata"]:
-                annotations.update(**worker_spec["metadata"]["annotations"])
-            if "labels" in worker_spec["metadata"]:
-                labels.update(**worker_spec["metadata"]["labels"])
-        data = build_default_worker_group_spec(name, worker_spec, annotations, labels)
-        worker_group = await custom_api.list_namespaced_custom_object(
-            group="kubernetes.dask.org",
-            version="v1",
-            plural="daskworkergroups",
-            namespace=namespace,
-            label_selector=f"dask.org/component=workergroup,dask.org/cluster-name={name}",
-        )
-        if not worker_group["items"]:
-            await custom_api.create_namespaced_custom_object(
-                group="kubernetes.dask.org",
-                version="v1",
-                plural="daskworkergroups",
-                namespace=namespace,
-                body=data,
-            )
-            logger.info(
-                f"Worker group {data['metadata']['name']} created in {namespace}."
-            )
     patch.status["phase"] = "Pending"
 
 
@@ -382,8 +354,8 @@ async def handle_scheduler_service_status(
 
 
 @kopf.on.create("daskworkergroup.kubernetes.dask.org")
-async def daskworkergroup_create(body, logger, **kwargs):
-    wg = await DaskWorkerGroup(body)
+async def daskworkergroup_create(body, namespace, logger, **kwargs):
+    wg = await DaskWorkerGroup(body, namespace=namespace)
     cluster = await wg.cluster()
     await cluster.adopt(wg)
     logger.info(f"Successfully adopted by {cluster.name}")
@@ -393,6 +365,7 @@ async def daskworkergroup_create(body, logger, **kwargs):
         body=body,
         logger=logger,
         new=wg.replicas,
+        namespace=namespace,
         **kwargs,
     )