diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-k8s.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-k8s.yml
index 221452db4..bd1d25311 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify-k8s.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-k8s.yml
@@ -211,8 +211,6 @@ jobs:
             key.pem: $(cat ${{ github.run_id }}-key.pem | base64 -w 0)
           EOF
 
-          kubectl create ns fulcio-system
-
           make ko-apply
 
           kubectl wait --for=condition=Available --timeout=5m -n fulcio-system deployment/fulcio-server
diff --git a/config/deployment.yaml b/config/deployment.yaml
index de9439104..36f3beff8 100644
--- a/config/deployment.yaml
+++ b/config/deployment.yaml
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Namespace
+metadata:
+  name: fulcio-system
+  labels:
+    name: fulcio-system
+---
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 metadata: