diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/AbstractDependentResource.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/AbstractDependentResource.java
index 8dc62b4ca7..a96c4b03ec 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/AbstractDependentResource.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/AbstractDependentResource.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public ReconcileResult<R> reconcile(P primary, Context<P> context) {
   protected ReconcileResult<R> reconcile(P primary, R actualResource, Context<P> context) {
     if (creatable() || updatable()) {
       if (actualResource == null) {
-        if (creatable) {
+        if (creatable()) {
           var desired = getOrComputeDesired(context);
           throwIfNull(desired, primary, "Desired");
           logForOperation("Creating", primary, desired);
@@ -244,12 +244,12 @@ protected void handleDelete(P primary, R secondary, Context<P> context) {
   }
 
   protected boolean isCreatable() {
-    return creatable;
+    return creatable();
   }
 
   @SuppressWarnings("unused")
   protected boolean isUpdatable() {
-    return updatable;
+    return updatable();
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceReconciler.java b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceReconciler.java
index 23135f81b1..827961b77f 100644
--- a/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceReconciler.java
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/main/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceReconciler.java
@@ -148,12 +148,12 @@ public R create(R desired, P primary, Context<P> context) {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected boolean isCreatable() {
+    protected boolean creatable() {
       return bulkDependentResource instanceof Creator<?, ?>;
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected boolean isUpdatable() {
+    protected boolean updatable() {
       return bulkDependentResource instanceof Updater<?, ?>;
     }
 
diff --git a/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceCapabilitiesTest.java b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceCapabilitiesTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bfd8873d9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operator-framework-core/src/test/java/io/javaoperatorsdk/operator/processing/dependent/BulkDependentResourceCapabilitiesTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Java Operator SDK Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.dependent;
+
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ConfigMap;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.ConfigMapBuilder;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.Context;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.dependent.Deleter;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.api.reconciler.dependent.ReconcileResult.Operation;
+import io.javaoperatorsdk.operator.processing.dependent.Matcher.Result;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+
+/**
+ * A {@link BulkDependentResource} does not have to implement every one of {@link Creator}, {@link
+ * Updater} and {@link Deleter}. The capabilities of the bulk resource itself must therefore be
+ * honoured, not those of the internal per-item wrapper (which implements all three).
+ */
+@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+class BulkDependentResourceCapabilitiesTest {
+
+  private static final ConfigMap PRIMARY =
+      new ConfigMapBuilder().withNewMetadata().withName("primary").endMetadata().build();
+
+  @Test
+  void doesNotAttemptUpdateWhenBulkResourceIsNotUpdater() {
+    var result = new CreateAndDeleteOnlyBulk().reconcile(PRIMARY, mock(Context.class));
+
+    assertThat(result.getSingleOperation()).isEqualTo(Operation.NONE);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void doesNotAttemptCreateWhenBulkResourceIsNotCreator() {
+    var result = new DeleteOnlyBulk().reconcile(PRIMARY, mock(Context.class));
+
+    assertThat(result.getResourceOperations()).isEmpty();
+  }
+
+  /** Can be created and deleted, but deliberately is not an {@link Updater}. */
+  private static class CreateAndDeleteOnlyBulk extends BaseBulk
+      implements Creator<ConfigMap, ConfigMap>, Deleter<ConfigMap> {
+
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, ConfigMap> getSecondaryResources(
+        ConfigMap primary, Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      // an actual resource exists, but differs from the desired one
+      var actual = new LinkedHashMap<String, ConfigMap>();
+      actual.put("a", configMap(Map.of("key", "actual")));
+      return actual;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ConfigMap create(ConfigMap desired, ConfigMap primary, Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      throw new AssertionError("create must not be called, the resource already exists");
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Can only be deleted: neither {@link Creator} nor {@link Updater}. */
+  private static class DeleteOnlyBulk extends BaseBulk implements Deleter<ConfigMap> {
+
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, ConfigMap> getSecondaryResources(
+        ConfigMap primary, Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      return Map.of();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private abstract static class BaseBulk extends AbstractDependentResource<ConfigMap, ConfigMap>
+      implements BulkDependentResource<ConfigMap, ConfigMap, String> {
+
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, ConfigMap> desiredResources(ConfigMap primary, Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      var desired = new LinkedHashMap<String, ConfigMap>();
+      desired.put("a", configMap(Map.of("key", "desired")));
+      return desired;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void deleteTargetResource(
+        ConfigMap primary, ConfigMap resource, String key, Context<ConfigMap> context) {}
+
+    @Override
+    public Result<ConfigMap> match(
+        ConfigMap actualResource,
+        ConfigMap desired,
+        ConfigMap primary,
+        Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      return Result.computed(false, desired);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Result<ConfigMap> match(
+        ConfigMap resource, ConfigMap primary, Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      return Result.computed(false, resource);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected Optional<ConfigMap> selectTargetSecondaryResource(
+        Set<ConfigMap> secondaryResources, ConfigMap primary, Context<ConfigMap> context) {
+      return Optional.empty();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void onCreated(ConfigMap primary, ConfigMap created, Context<ConfigMap> context) {}
+
+    @Override
+    protected void onUpdated(
+        ConfigMap primary, ConfigMap updated, ConfigMap actual, Context<ConfigMap> context) {}
+
+    @Override
+    public Class<ConfigMap> resourceType() {
+      return ConfigMap.class;
+    }
+  }
+
+  private static ConfigMap configMap(Map<String, String> data) {
+    return new ConfigMapBuilder()
+        .withNewMetadata()
+        .withName("a")
+        .endMetadata()
+        .withData(data)
+        .build();
+  }
+}