diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Cleaner.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Cleaner.java
index 1e75764f80..cd683fbc31 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Cleaner.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/api/reconciler/Cleaner.java
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ public interface Cleaner<P extends HasMetadata> {
    *         that it can be safely deleted.
    * @see DeleteControl#noFinalizerRemoval()
    */
-  DeleteControl cleanup(P resource, Context<P> context);
+  DeleteControl cleanup(P resource, Context<P> context) throws Exception;
 
 }
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java
index af9c3c8d9f..b1bfbe9192 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/Controller.java
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ public Map<String, Object> metadata() {
             }
 
             @Override
-            public DeleteControl execute() {
+            public DeleteControl execute() throws Exception {
               initContextIfNeeded(resource, context);
               WorkflowCleanupResult workflowCleanupResult = null;