diff --git a/pkg/meta/meta.go b/pkg/meta/meta.go
index c6df1b2..386d638 100644
--- a/pkg/meta/meta.go
+++ b/pkg/meta/meta.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func TypedReferenceTo(o metav1.Object, of schema.GroupVersionKind) *v1alpha1.Typ
 }
 
 // AsOwner converts the supplied object reference to an owner reference.
-func AsOwner(r *corev1.ObjectReference) metav1.OwnerReference {
+func AsOwner(r *v1alpha1.TypedReference) metav1.OwnerReference {
 	return metav1.OwnerReference{
 		APIVersion: r.APIVersion,
 		Kind:       r.Kind,
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func AsOwner(r *corev1.ObjectReference) metav1.OwnerReference {
 
 // AsController converts the supplied object reference to a controller
 // reference. You may also consider using metav1.NewControllerRef.
-func AsController(r *corev1.ObjectReference) metav1.OwnerReference {
+func AsController(r *v1alpha1.TypedReference) metav1.OwnerReference {
 	c := true
 	ref := AsOwner(r)
 	ref.Controller = &c
diff --git a/pkg/meta/meta_test.go b/pkg/meta/meta_test.go
index d08fe3a..73dc92b 100644
--- a/pkg/meta/meta_test.go
+++ b/pkg/meta/meta_test.go
@@ -131,14 +131,13 @@ func TestTypedReferenceTo(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestAsOwner(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := map[string]struct {
-		r    *corev1.ObjectReference
+		r    *v1alpha1.TypedReference
 		want metav1.OwnerReference
 	}{
 		"Successful": {
-			r: &corev1.ObjectReference{
+			r: &v1alpha1.TypedReference{
 				APIVersion: groupVersion,
 				Kind:       kind,
-				Namespace:  name,
 				Name:       name,
 				UID:        uid,
 			},
@@ -165,14 +164,13 @@ func TestAsController(t *testing.T) {
 	controller := true
 
 	tests := map[string]struct {
-		r    *corev1.ObjectReference
+		r    *v1alpha1.TypedReference
 		want metav1.OwnerReference
 	}{
 		"Successful": {
-			r: &corev1.ObjectReference{
+			r: &v1alpha1.TypedReference{
 				APIVersion: groupVersion,
 				Kind:       kind,
-				Namespace:  name,
 				Name:       name,
 				UID:        uid,
 			},
diff --git a/pkg/reference/reference_test.go b/pkg/reference/reference_test.go
index eebdedc..5aae047 100644
--- a/pkg/reference/reference_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reference/reference_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp/cmpopts"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ func TestResolve(t *testing.T) {
 	controlled := &fake.Managed{}
 	controlled.SetName(value)
 	meta.SetExternalName(controlled, value)
-	meta.AddControllerReference(controlled, meta.AsController(&corev1.ObjectReference{UID: types.UID("very-unique")}))
+	meta.AddControllerReference(controlled, meta.AsController(&v1alpha1.TypedReference{UID: types.UID("very-unique")}))
 
 	type args struct {
 		ctx context.Context
@@ -268,7 +267,7 @@ func TestResolveMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 	controlled := &fake.Managed{}
 	controlled.SetName(value)
 	meta.SetExternalName(controlled, value)
-	meta.AddControllerReference(controlled, meta.AsController(&corev1.ObjectReference{UID: types.UID("very-unique")}))
+	meta.AddControllerReference(controlled, meta.AsController(&v1alpha1.TypedReference{UID: types.UID("very-unique")}))
 
 	type args struct {
 		ctx context.Context
diff --git a/pkg/resource/resource.go b/pkg/resource/resource.go
index 614aa66..b425feb 100644
--- a/pkg/resource/resource.go
+++ b/pkg/resource/resource.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func LocalConnectionSecretFor(o LocalConnectionSecretOwner, kind schema.GroupVer
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Namespace:       o.GetNamespace(),
 			Name:            o.GetWriteConnectionSecretToReference().Name,
-			OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{meta.AsController(meta.ReferenceTo(o, kind))},
+			OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{meta.AsController(meta.TypedReferenceTo(o, kind))},
 		},
 		Type: SecretTypeConnection,
 		Data: make(map[string][]byte),
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func ConnectionSecretFor(o ConnectionSecretOwner, kind schema.GroupVersionKind)
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 			Namespace:       o.GetWriteConnectionSecretToReference().Namespace,
 			Name:            o.GetWriteConnectionSecretToReference().Name,
-			OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{meta.AsController(meta.ReferenceTo(o, kind))},
+			OwnerReferences: []metav1.OwnerReference{meta.AsController(meta.TypedReferenceTo(o, kind))},
 		},
 		Type: SecretTypeConnection,
 		Data: make(map[string][]byte),