diff --git a/kapitan/refs/cmd_parser.py b/kapitan/refs/cmd_parser.py
index f94496376..5cedeb751 100644
--- a/kapitan/refs/cmd_parser.py
+++ b/kapitan/refs/cmd_parser.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from kapitan.refs.secrets.gpg import GPGSecret, lookup_fingerprints
 from kapitan.refs.secrets.vaultkv import VaultSecret
 from kapitan.refs.secrets.vaulttransit import VaultTransit
-from kapitan.resources import inventory_reclass
+from kapitan.resources import get_inventory
 from kapitan.utils import fatal_error, search_target_token_paths
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def ref_write(args, ref_controller):
         type_name, token_path = token_name.split(":")
         recipients = [dict((("name", name),)) for name in args.recipients]
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError(
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def ref_write(args, ref_controller):
         type_name, token_path = token_name.split(":")
         key = args.key
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError(
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ def ref_write(args, ref_controller):
         type_name, token_path = token_name.split(":")
         key = args.key
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError(
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ def ref_write(args, ref_controller):
         type_name, token_path = token_name.split(":")
         key = args.key
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError(
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ def ref_write(args, ref_controller):
         vault_params = {}
         encoding = "original"
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError(
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ def ref_write(args, ref_controller):
         _data = data.encode()
         vault_params = {}
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError("parameters.kapitan.secrets not defined in {}".format(args.target_name))
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ def secret_update(args, ref_controller):
             for name in args.recipients
         ]
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError("parameters.kapitan.secrets not defined in {}".format(args.target_name))
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ def secret_update(args, ref_controller):
     elif token_name.startswith("gkms:"):
         key = args.key
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError("parameters.kapitan.secrets not defined in {}".format(args.target_name))
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ def secret_update(args, ref_controller):
     elif token_name.startswith("azkms:"):
         key = args.key
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError("parameters.kapitan.secrets not defined in {}".format(args.target_name))
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ def secret_update(args, ref_controller):
     elif token_name.startswith("awskms:"):
         key = args.key
         if args.target_name:
-            inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+            inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
             kap_inv_params = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]["parameters"]["kapitan"]
             if "secrets" not in kap_inv_params:
                 raise KapitanError("parameters.kapitan.secrets not defined in {}".format(args.target_name))
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ def secret_update_validate(args, ref_controller):
     "Validate and/or update target secrets"
     # update gpg recipients/gkms/awskms key for all secrets in secrets_path
     # use --refs-path to set scanning path
-    inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+    inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
     targets = set(inv["nodes"].keys())
     secrets_path = os.path.abspath(args.refs_path)
     target_token_paths = search_target_token_paths(secrets_path, targets)
diff --git a/kapitan/resources.py b/kapitan/resources.py
index e568d6618..c17ad13be 100644
--- a/kapitan/resources.py
+++ b/kapitan/resources.py
@@ -282,14 +282,14 @@ def inventory(search_paths, target, inventory_path=None):
         raise InventoryError(f"Inventory not found in search paths: {search_paths}")
 
     if target is None:
-        return inventory_reclass(full_inv_path)["nodes"]
+        return get_inventory(full_inv_path)["nodes"]
 
-    return inventory_reclass(full_inv_path)["nodes"][target]
+    return get_inventory(full_inv_path)["nodes"][target]
 
 
 def generate_inventory(args):
     try:
-        inv = inventory_reclass(args.inventory_path)
+        inv = get_inventory(args.inventory_path)
         if args.target_name != "":
             inv = inv["nodes"][args.target_name]
             if args.pattern != "":
@@ -306,6 +306,23 @@ def generate_inventory(args):
         sys.exit(1)
 
 
+def get_inventory(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound=False):
+    """
+    generic inventory function that makes inventory backend pluggable
+    default backend is reclass
+    """
+
+    # if inventory is already cached theres nothing to do
+    if cached.inv:
+        return cached.inv
+
+    logger.debug("Using reclass as inventory backend")
+    inv = inventory_reclass(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound)
+
+    cached.inv = inv
+    return inv
+
+
 def inventory_reclass(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound=False):
     """
     Runs a reclass inventory in inventory_path
@@ -316,12 +333,8 @@ def inventory_reclass(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound=False):
 
     Does not throw errors if a class is not found while --fetch flag is enabled
     """
-    # if inventory is already cached theres nothing to do
-    if cached.inv:
-        return cached.inv
-
     # set default values initially
-    reclass_config = reclass_config_defaults = {
+    reclass_config = {
         "storage_type": "yaml_fs",
         "inventory_base_uri": inventory_path,
         "nodes_uri": "targets",
@@ -360,12 +373,10 @@ def inventory_reclass(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound=False):
         class_mappings = reclass_config.get("class_mappings")  # this defaults to None (disabled)
         _reclass = reclass.core.Core(storage, class_mappings, reclass.settings.Settings(reclass_config))
 
-        cached.inv = _reclass.inventory()
+        return _reclass.inventory()
     except ReclassException as e:
         if isinstance(e, NotFoundError):
             logger.error("Inventory reclass error: inventory not found")
         else:
             logger.error("Inventory reclass error: %s", e.message)
         raise InventoryError(e.message)
-
-    return cached.inv
diff --git a/kapitan/targets.py b/kapitan/targets.py
index c5e18e36f..4d06da5ec 100644
--- a/kapitan/targets.py
+++ b/kapitan/targets.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 from kapitan.inputs.kadet import Kadet
 from kapitan.inputs.remove import Remove
 from kapitan.remoteinventory.fetch import fetch_inventories, list_sources
-from kapitan.resources import inventory_reclass
+from kapitan.resources import get_inventory
 from kapitan.utils import dictionary_hash, directory_hash, hashable_lru_cache
 from kapitan.validator.kubernetes_validator import KubernetesManifestValidator
 
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ def generate_inv_cache_hashes(inventory_path, targets, cache_paths):
             ...
     }
     """
-    inv = inventory_reclass(inventory_path)
+    inv = get_inventory(inventory_path)
     cached.inv_cache = {}
     cached.inv_cache["inventory"] = {}
     cached.inv_cache["folder"] = {}
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ def generate_inv_cache_hashes(inventory_path, targets, cache_paths):
 def changed_targets(inventory_path, output_path):
     """returns a list of targets that have changed since last compilation"""
     targets = []
-    inv = inventory_reclass(inventory_path)
+    inv = get_inventory(inventory_path)
 
     saved_inv_cache = None
     saved_inv_cache_path = os.path.join(output_path, "compiled/.kapitan_cache")
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ def save_inv_cache(compile_path, targets):
 def load_target_inventory(inventory_path, targets, ignore_class_notfound=False):
     """returns a list of target objects from the inventory"""
     target_objs = []
-    inv = inventory_reclass(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound)
+    inv = get_inventory(inventory_path, ignore_class_notfound)
 
     # if '-t' is set on compile, only loop through selected targets
     if targets:
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ def search_targets(inventory_path, targets, labels):
         )
 
     targets_found = []
-    inv = inventory_reclass(inventory_path)
+    inv = get_inventory(inventory_path)
 
     for target_name in inv["nodes"]:
         matched_all_labels = False