diff --git a/tools/k8s/condition_builder.go b/tools/k8s/condition_builder.go
index bd15dfbff..cf957331b 100644
--- a/tools/k8s/condition_builder.go
+++ b/tools/k8s/condition_builder.go
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 package k8s
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	korifiv1alpha1 "code.cloudfoundry.org/korifi/controllers/api/v1alpha1"
-	"code.cloudfoundry.org/korifi/tools"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
 )
@@ -72,53 +70,3 @@ func (b *ReadyConditionBuilder) Build() metav1.Condition {
 
 	return result
 }
-
-type NotReadyError struct {
-	cause        error
-	reason       string
-	message      string
-	requeueAfter *time.Duration
-	requeue      bool
-	noRequeue    bool
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) Error() string {
-	if e.cause != nil {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", e.message, e.cause.Error())
-	}
-	return e.message
-}
-
-func NewNotReadyError() NotReadyError {
-	return NotReadyError{}
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) WithCause(cause error) NotReadyError {
-	e.cause = cause
-	return e
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) WithRequeue() NotReadyError {
-	e.requeue = true
-	return e
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) WithRequeueAfter(duration time.Duration) NotReadyError {
-	e.requeueAfter = tools.PtrTo(duration)
-	return e
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) WithNoRequeue() NotReadyError {
-	e.noRequeue = true
-	return e
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) WithReason(reason string) NotReadyError {
-	e.reason = reason
-	return e
-}
-
-func (e NotReadyError) WithMessage(message string) NotReadyError {
-	e.message = message
-	return e
-}
diff --git a/tools/k8s/reconcile.go b/tools/k8s/reconcile.go
index c7fb6d43b..b30154e84 100644
--- a/tools/k8s/reconcile.go
+++ b/tools/k8s/reconcile.go
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
+	"time"
 
+	"code.cloudfoundry.org/korifi/tools"
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	k8serrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
@@ -75,7 +77,12 @@ func (r *PatchingReconciler[T, PT]) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Requ
 
 		var notReadyErr NotReadyError
 		if errors.As(delegateErr, &notReadyErr) {
-			readyConditionBuilder.WithReason(notReadyErr.reason).WithMessage(notReadyErr.message)
+			reason := notReadyErr.reason
+			if reason == "" {
+				reason = "Unknown"
+			}
+
+			readyConditionBuilder.WithReason(reason).WithMessage(notReadyErr.message)
 
 			if notReadyErr.noRequeue {
 				result = ctrl.Result{}
@@ -104,3 +111,59 @@ func (r *PatchingReconciler[T, PT]) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Requ
 func (r *PatchingReconciler[T, PT]) SetupWithManager(mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
 	return r.objectReconciler.SetupWithManager(mgr).Complete(r)
 }
+
+type NotReadyError struct {
+	cause        error
+	reason       string
+	message      string
+	requeueAfter *time.Duration
+	requeue      bool
+	noRequeue    bool
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) Error() string {
+	if e.cause == nil {
+		return e.message
+	}
+
+	message := e.message
+	if message != "" {
+		message = message + ": "
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", message, e.cause.Error())
+}
+
+func NewNotReadyError() NotReadyError {
+	return NotReadyError{}
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) WithCause(cause error) NotReadyError {
+	e.cause = cause
+	return e
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) WithRequeue() NotReadyError {
+	e.requeue = true
+	return e
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) WithRequeueAfter(duration time.Duration) NotReadyError {
+	e.requeueAfter = tools.PtrTo(duration)
+	return e
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) WithNoRequeue() NotReadyError {
+	e.noRequeue = true
+	return e
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) WithReason(reason string) NotReadyError {
+	e.reason = reason
+	return e
+}
+
+func (e NotReadyError) WithMessage(message string) NotReadyError {
+	e.message = message
+	return e
+}
diff --git a/tools/k8s/reconcile_test.go b/tools/k8s/reconcile_test.go
index 5bfcaed6c..dccf79d9d 100644
--- a/tools/k8s/reconcile_test.go
+++ b/tools/k8s/reconcile_test.go
@@ -222,10 +222,10 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile", func() {
 
 		When("the object reconciliation fails with NotReady error", func() {
 			BeforeEach(func() {
-				objectReconciler.reconcileResourceError = k8s.NewNotReadyError().WithReason("TestReason").WithMessage("TestMessage")
+				objectReconciler.reconcileResourceError = k8s.NewNotReadyError()
 			})
 
-			It("sets the ready condition to false with the reason specified", func() {
+			It("sets the ready condition to false with unknown reason", func() {
 				Expect(fakeStatusWriter.PatchCallCount()).To(Equal(1))
 				_, updatedObject, _, _ := fakeStatusWriter.PatchArgsForCall(0)
 				updatedOrg, ok := updatedObject.(*korifiv1alpha1.CFOrg)
@@ -234,16 +234,72 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile", func() {
 				Expect(updatedOrg.Status.Conditions).To(ContainElement(SatisfyAll(
 					HasType(Equal(korifiv1alpha1.StatusConditionReady)),
 					HasStatus(Equal(metav1.ConditionFalse)),
-					HasReason(Equal("TestReason")),
-					HasMessage(Equal("TestMessage")),
+					HasReason(Equal("Unknown")),
+					HasMessage(BeEmpty()),
 				)))
 			})
 
+			When("reason is specified", func() {
+				BeforeEach(func() {
+					objectReconciler.reconcileResourceError = k8s.NewNotReadyError().WithReason("TestReason")
+				})
+
+				It("sets the ready condition to false with the reason specified", func() {
+					Expect(fakeStatusWriter.PatchCallCount()).To(Equal(1))
+					_, updatedObject, _, _ := fakeStatusWriter.PatchArgsForCall(0)
+					updatedOrg, ok := updatedObject.(*korifiv1alpha1.CFOrg)
+					Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
+
+					Expect(updatedOrg.Status.Conditions).To(ContainElement(SatisfyAll(
+						HasType(Equal(korifiv1alpha1.StatusConditionReady)),
+						HasStatus(Equal(metav1.ConditionFalse)),
+						HasReason(Equal("TestReason")),
+					)))
+				})
+			})
+
+			When("message is specified", func() {
+				BeforeEach(func() {
+					objectReconciler.reconcileResourceError = k8s.NewNotReadyError().WithMessage("TestMessage")
+				})
+
+				It("sets the ready condition to false with the message specified", func() {
+					Expect(fakeStatusWriter.PatchCallCount()).To(Equal(1))
+					_, updatedObject, _, _ := fakeStatusWriter.PatchArgsForCall(0)
+					updatedOrg, ok := updatedObject.(*korifiv1alpha1.CFOrg)
+					Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
+
+					Expect(updatedOrg.Status.Conditions).To(ContainElement(SatisfyAll(
+						HasType(Equal(korifiv1alpha1.StatusConditionReady)),
+						HasStatus(Equal(metav1.ConditionFalse)),
+						HasMessage(Equal("TestMessage")),
+					)))
+				})
+			})
+
 			When("cause is specified", func() {
+				BeforeEach(func() {
+					objectReconciler.reconcileResourceError = k8s.NewNotReadyError().WithCause(errors.New("test-err"))
+				})
+
+				It("sets the ready condition to false with the error as message", func() {
+					Expect(fakeStatusWriter.PatchCallCount()).To(Equal(1))
+					_, updatedObject, _, _ := fakeStatusWriter.PatchArgsForCall(0)
+					updatedOrg, ok := updatedObject.(*korifiv1alpha1.CFOrg)
+					Expect(ok).To(BeTrue())
+
+					Expect(updatedOrg.Status.Conditions).To(ContainElement(SatisfyAll(
+						HasType(Equal(korifiv1alpha1.StatusConditionReady)),
+						HasStatus(Equal(metav1.ConditionFalse)),
+						HasMessage(Equal("test-err")),
+					)))
+				})
+			})
+
+			When("cause and message are specified", func() {
 				BeforeEach(func() {
 					objectReconciler.reconcileResourceError = k8s.NewNotReadyError().
 						WithCause(errors.New("test-err")).
-						WithReason("TestReason").
 						WithMessage("TestMessage")
 				})
 
@@ -256,7 +312,6 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconcile", func() {
 					Expect(updatedOrg.Status.Conditions).To(ContainElement(SatisfyAll(
 						HasType(Equal(korifiv1alpha1.StatusConditionReady)),
 						HasStatus(Equal(metav1.ConditionFalse)),
-						HasReason(Equal("TestReason")),
 						HasMessage(Equal("TestMessage: test-err")),
 					)))
 				})