diff --git a/pkg/api/utils.go b/pkg/api/utils.go
index 8fd1f51..f26b4aa 100644
--- a/pkg/api/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/api/utils.go
@@ -233,6 +233,14 @@ func NewAPIClusterFromCRD(cluster synv1alpha1.Cluster) *Cluster {
 		apiCluster.DynamicFacts = &facts
 	}
 
+	acm, err := crdCompileMetaToAPICompileMeta(cluster.Status.CompileMeta)
+	if err != nil {
+		// TODO(bastjan) fix error handling
+		fmt.Println("ERROR failed to convert compile meta:", err.Error())
+	} else {
+		apiCluster.ClusterProperties.CompileMeta = acm
+	}
+
 	if cluster.Spec.GitRepoTemplate != nil {
 		if stewardKey, ok := cluster.Spec.GitRepoTemplate.DeployKeys["steward"]; ok {
 			sshKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", stewardKey.Type, stewardKey.Key)
@@ -375,6 +383,13 @@ func SyncCRDFromAPICluster(source ClusterProperties, target *synv1alpha1.Cluster
 			target.Status.Facts[key] = string(encodedFact)
 		}
 	}
+
+	clcm, err := apiCompileMetaToCRDCompileMeta(source.CompileMeta)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to convert compile meta: %w", err)
+	}
+	target.Status.CompileMeta = clcm
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -413,3 +428,39 @@ func newGitRepoTemplate(repo *GitRepo, name string) (*synv1alpha1.GitRepoTemplat
 	}
 	return nil, nil
 }
+
+// crdCompileMetaToAPICompileMeta converts a CRD compile meta to an API compile meta.
+// Uses json marshalling to convert the structs since their codegen representations are very different.
+// Errors only if the marshalling fails.
+func crdCompileMetaToAPICompileMeta(crdCompileMeta synv1alpha1.CompileMeta) (*ClusterCompileMeta, error) {
+	j, err := json.Marshal(crdCompileMeta)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal compile meta for conversion: %w", err)
+	}
+	var apiCompileMeta *ClusterCompileMeta
+	err = json.Unmarshal(j, apiCompileMeta)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal compile meta for conversion: %w", err)
+	}
+	return apiCompileMeta, nil
+}
+
+// apiCompileMetaToCRDCompileMeta converts an API compile meta to a CRD compile meta.
+// Uses json marshalling to convert the structs since their codegen representations are very different.
+// Errors only if the marshalling fails.
+func apiCompileMetaToCRDCompileMeta(apiCompileMeta *ClusterCompileMeta) (synv1alpha1.CompileMeta, error) {
+	if apiCompileMeta == nil {
+		return synv1alpha1.CompileMeta{}, nil
+	}
+
+	j, err := json.Marshal(apiCompileMeta)
+	if err != nil {
+		return synv1alpha1.CompileMeta{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal compile meta for conversion: %w", err)
+	}
+	var crdCompileMeta synv1alpha1.CompileMeta
+	err = json.Unmarshal(j, &crdCompileMeta)
+	if err != nil {
+		return synv1alpha1.CompileMeta{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal compile meta for conversion: %w", err)
+	}
+	return crdCompileMeta, nil
+}