diff --git a/pkg/operator/operator.go b/pkg/operator/operator.go
index 0577dc9188..50a7533733 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/operator.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/operator.go
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func NewOperator() (context.Context, *Operator) {
 	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodeClaim{}, "status.providerID", func(o client.Object) []string {
 		return []string{o.(*v1.NodeClaim).Status.ProviderID}
 	}), "failed to setup nodeclaim provider id indexer")
-	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodeClaim{}, "spec.nodeClassRef.apiVersion", func(o client.Object) []string {
+	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodeClaim{}, "spec.nodeClassRef.group", func(o client.Object) []string {
 		return []string{o.(*v1.NodeClaim).Spec.NodeClassRef.Group}
 	}), "failed to setup nodeclaim nodeclassref apiversion indexer")
 	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodeClaim{}, "spec.nodeClassRef.kind", func(o client.Object) []string {
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ func NewOperator() (context.Context, *Operator) {
 	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodeClaim{}, "spec.nodeClassRef.name", func(o client.Object) []string {
 		return []string{o.(*v1.NodeClaim).Spec.NodeClassRef.Name}
 	}), "failed to setup nodeclaim nodeclassref name indexer")
-	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodePool{}, "spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.apiVersion", func(o client.Object) []string {
+	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodePool{}, "spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.group", func(o client.Object) []string {
 		return []string{o.(*v1.NodePool).Spec.Template.Spec.NodeClassRef.Group}
 	}), "failed to setup nodepool nodeclassref apiversion indexer")
 	lo.Must0(mgr.GetFieldIndexer().IndexField(ctx, &v1.NodePool{}, "spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.kind", func(o client.Object) []string {
diff --git a/pkg/utils/nodeclaim/nodeclaim.go b/pkg/utils/nodeclaim/nodeclaim.go
index c03a8b46c6..02d326df7b 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/nodeclaim/nodeclaim.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/nodeclaim/nodeclaim.go
@@ -95,9 +95,9 @@ func NodeClassEventHandler(c client.Client) handler.EventHandler {
 	return handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(func(ctx context.Context, o client.Object) (requests []reconcile.Request) {
 		nodeClaimList := &v1.NodeClaimList{}
 		if err := c.List(ctx, nodeClaimList, client.MatchingFields{
-			"spec.nodeClassRef.apiVersion": object.GVK(o).GroupVersion().String(),
-			"spec.nodeClassRef.kind":       object.GVK(o).Kind,
-			"spec.nodeClassRef.name":       o.GetName(),
+			"spec.nodeClassRef.group": object.GVK(o).Group,
+			"spec.nodeClassRef.kind":  object.GVK(o).Kind,
+			"spec.nodeClassRef.name":  o.GetName(),
 		}); err != nil {
 			return requests
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/utils/nodepool/nodepool.go b/pkg/utils/nodepool/nodepool.go
index dcb496aff3..e6e51de3bd 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/nodepool/nodepool.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/nodepool/nodepool.go
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ func NodeClassEventHandler(c client.Client) handler.EventHandler {
 	return handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(func(ctx context.Context, o client.Object) (requests []reconcile.Request) {
 		nodePoolList := &v1.NodePoolList{}
 		if err := c.List(ctx, nodePoolList, client.MatchingFields{
-			"spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.apiVersion": object.GVK(o).GroupVersion().String(),
-			"spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.kind":       object.GVK(o).Kind,
-			"spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.name":       o.GetName(),
+			"spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.group": object.GVK(o).Group,
+			"spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.kind":  object.GVK(o).Kind,
+			"spec.template.spec.nodeClassRef.name":  o.GetName(),
 		}); err != nil {
 			return requests
 		}