diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5e76312e895..4548ed0fdaa 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 * Fix #4383: bump snakeyaml from 1.30 to 1.31
 
 #### New Features
+* Feat: add annotation @PreserveUnknownFields for marking generated field have `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined
 
 #### _**Note**_: Breaking changes in the API
 
diff --git a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/AbstractJsonSchema.java b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/AbstractJsonSchema.java
index 747ad6ad7c4..0c8b88906b3 100644
--- a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/AbstractJsonSchema.java
+++ b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/AbstractJsonSchema.java
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractJsonSchema<T, B> {
   public static final String ANNOTATION_REQUIRED = "io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Required";
   public static final String ANNOTATION_NOT_NULL = "javax.validation.constraints.NotNull";
   public static final String ANNOTATION_SCHEMA_FROM = "io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaFrom";
+  public static final String ANNOTATION_PERSERVE_UNKNOWN_FIELDS = "io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.PreserveUnknownFields";
   public static final String ANNOTATION_SCHEMA_SWAP = "io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaSwap";
 
   public static final String JSON_NODE_TYPE = "com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode";
@@ -123,21 +124,25 @@ protected static class SchemaPropsOptions {
     final boolean nullable;
     final boolean required;
 
+    final boolean preserveUnknownFields;
+
     SchemaPropsOptions() {
       min = Optional.empty();
       max = Optional.empty();
       pattern = Optional.empty();
       nullable = false;
       required = false;
+      preserveUnknownFields = false;
     }
 
     public SchemaPropsOptions(Optional<Double> min, Optional<Double> max, Optional<String> pattern,
-        boolean nullable, boolean required) {
+        boolean nullable, boolean required, boolean preserveUnknownFields) {
       this.min = min;
       this.max = max;
       this.pattern = pattern;
       this.nullable = nullable;
       this.required = required;
+      this.preserveUnknownFields = preserveUnknownFields;
     }
 
     public Optional<Double> getMin() {
@@ -159,6 +164,10 @@ public boolean isNullable() {
     public boolean getRequired() {
       return nullable;
     }
+
+    public boolean isPreserveUnknownFields() {
+      return preserveUnknownFields;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -321,7 +330,8 @@ private T internalFromImpl(TypeDef definition, Set<String> visited, List<Interna
           facade.max,
           facade.pattern,
           facade.nullable,
-          facade.required);
+          facade.required,
+          facade.preserveSelfUnknownFields);
 
       addProperty(possiblyRenamedProperty, builder, possiblyUpdatedSchema, options);
     }
@@ -352,6 +362,7 @@ private static class PropertyOrAccessor {
     private boolean required;
     private boolean ignored;
     private boolean preserveUnknownFields;
+    private boolean preserveSelfUnknownFields;
     private String description;
     private TypeRef schemaFrom;
 
@@ -416,6 +427,9 @@ public void process() {
           case ANNOTATION_JSON_ANY_SETTER:
             preserveUnknownFields = true;
             break;
+          case ANNOTATION_PERSERVE_UNKNOWN_FIELDS:
+            preserveSelfUnknownFields = true;
+            break;
           case ANNOTATION_SCHEMA_FROM:
             schemaFrom = extractClassRef(a.getParameters().get("type"));
             break;
@@ -455,6 +469,10 @@ public boolean isPreserveUnknownFields() {
       return preserveUnknownFields;
     }
 
+    public boolean isPreserveSelfUnknownFields() {
+      return preserveSelfUnknownFields;
+    }
+
     public String getDescription() {
       return description;
     }
@@ -494,6 +512,7 @@ private static class PropertyFacade {
     private boolean required;
     private boolean ignored;
     private boolean preserveUnknownFields;
+    private boolean preserveSelfUnknownFields;
     private final Property original;
     private String nameContributedBy;
     private String descriptionContributedBy;
@@ -583,6 +602,10 @@ public Property process() {
           preserveUnknownFields = true;
         }
 
+        if (p.isPreserveSelfUnknownFields()) {
+          preserveSelfUnknownFields = true;
+        }
+
         if (p.contributeSchemaFrom()) {
           schemaFrom = p.getSchemaFrom();
         }
diff --git a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/annotation/PreserveUnknownFields.java b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/annotation/PreserveUnknownFields.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..94b84618f07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/annotation/PreserveUnknownFields.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Red Hat, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation;
+
+import java.lang.annotation.*;
+
+/*
+ * Used to emit 'x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields'
+ */
+@Target(ElementType.FIELD)
+@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
+public @interface PreserveUnknownFields {
+}
diff --git a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchema.java b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchema.java
index 01ab8882881..d0aea6a64e0 100644
--- a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchema.java
+++ b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchema.java
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ public void addProperty(Property property, JSONSchemaPropsBuilder builder,
         schema.setNullable(true);
       }
 
+      if (options.isPreserveUnknownFields()) {
+        schema.setXKubernetesPreserveUnknownFields(true);
+      }
+
       builder.addToProperties(property.getName(), schema);
     }
   }
diff --git a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1beta1/JsonSchema.java b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1beta1/JsonSchema.java
index 732a6514d54..65c04b20155 100644
--- a/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1beta1/JsonSchema.java
+++ b/crd-generator/api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1beta1/JsonSchema.java
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ public void addProperty(Property property, JSONSchemaPropsBuilder builder,
         schema.setNullable(true);
       }
 
+      if (options.isPreserveUnknownFields()) {
+        schema.setXKubernetesPreserveUnknownFields(true);
+      }
+
       builder.addToProperties(property.getName(), schema);
     }
   }
diff --git a/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/example/extraction/ExtractionSpec.java b/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/example/extraction/ExtractionSpec.java
index 57dd46c124c..62d7aa2e23b 100644
--- a/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/example/extraction/ExtractionSpec.java
+++ b/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/example/extraction/ExtractionSpec.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package io.fabric8.crd.example.extraction;
 
+import io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.PreserveUnknownFields;
 import io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaFrom;
 
 public class ExtractionSpec {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ public class ExtractionSpec {
   @SchemaFrom(type = FooExtractor.class)
   private Foo foo;
 
+  @PreserveUnknownFields
   private Foo bar;
 
 }
diff --git a/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchemaTest.java b/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchemaTest.java
index 1790fb63b3b..a44ae180853 100644
--- a/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchemaTest.java
+++ b/crd-generator/api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/crd/generator/v1/JsonSchemaTest.java
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ void shouldExtractPropertiesSchemaFromExtractValueAnnotation() {
     JSONSchemaProps bar = spec.get("bar");
     Map<String, JSONSchemaProps> barProps = bar.getProperties();
     assertNotNull(barProps);
+    assertTrue(bar.getXKubernetesPreserveUnknownFields());
 
     // you can change everything
     assertEquals("integer", barProps.get("BAZ").getType());
diff --git a/doc/CRD-generator.md b/doc/CRD-generator.md
index 4275c1ae3df..fb822d3f428 100644
--- a/doc/CRD-generator.md
+++ b/doc/CRD-generator.md
@@ -357,21 +357,44 @@ Corresponding `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` will be generated in
             x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
 ```
 
+You can also annotate a field with `io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.PreserveUnknownFields`:
+
+```java
+interface ExampleInterface {}
+
+public class ExampleSpec {
+    @PreserveUnknownFields
+    ExampleInterface someValue;
+}
+```
+
+will be generated as:
+
+```yaml
+          spec:
+            properties:
+              someValue:
+                type: object
+                x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
+            type: object
+```
+
 ## Features cheatsheet
 
-| Annotation | Description |
-|-----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty`           | The field is named after the provided value instead of looking up the java field name |
-| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonPropertyDescription`| The provided text is be embedded in the `description` of the field                    |
-| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore`             | The field is ignored                                                                  |
-| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonAnyGetter`          | The corresponding object have `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined    |
-| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonAnySetter`          | The corresponding object have `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined    |
-| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Min`                     | The field defines a validation `min`                                                  |
-| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Max`                     | The field defines a validation `max`                                                  |
-| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Pattern`                 | The field defines a validation `pattern`                                              |
-| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Nullable`                | The field is marked as `nullable`                                                     |
-| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Required`                | The field is marked as `required`                                                     |
-| `io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaFrom`          | The field type for the generation is the one coming from the annotation               |
-| `io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaSwap`          | Same as SchemaFrom, but can be applied at any point in the class hierarchy            |
+| Annotation                                                   | Description                                                                           |
+|--------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty`              | The field is named after the provided value instead of looking up the java field name |
+| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonPropertyDescription`   | The provided text is be embedded in the `description` of the field                    |
+| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore`                | The field is ignored                                                                  |
+| `io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.PreserveUnknownFields`  | The field have `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined                   |
+| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonAnyGetter`             | The corresponding object have `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined    |
+| `com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonAnySetter`             | The corresponding object have `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined    |
+| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Min`                        | The field defines a validation `min`                                                  |
+| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Max`                        | The field defines a validation `max`                                                  |
+| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Pattern`                    | The field defines a validation `pattern`                                              |
+| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Nullable`                   | The field is marked as `nullable`                                                     |
+| `io.fabric8.generator.annotation.Required`                   | The field is marked as `required`                                                     |
+| `io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaFrom`             | The field type for the generation is the one coming from the annotation               |
+| `io.fabric8.crd.generator.annotation.SchemaSwap`             | Same as SchemaFrom, but can be applied at any point in the class hierarchy            |
 
 A field of type `com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode` is encoded as an empty object with `x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true` defined.