Proposed title of this feature request
Request for OLM to Automatically Clean Up Failed or Stalled InstallPlans and Orphaned OLM Resources.

What is the nature and description of the request?

The customer expects Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) to automatically clean up Failed, Stalled, or Orphaned OLM resources, such as InstallPlans, Subscriptions, and CSVs.

However, this expectation does not align with current OLM design.
By default, OLM intentionally does not automatically delete failed or stalled InstallPlans because doing so can impact running operators or break upgrade workflows.

The customer is requesting a new capability where OLM should automatically perform a comprehensive cleanup of all orphaned OLM objects—including Subscriptions, InstallPlans, and CSVs—without requiring manual intervention, even in edge-case scenarios such as:

• Failed InstallPlans

• Upgrades that leave dangling objects

• Improper or partial operator uninstalls

• Resource corruption or manual deletion outside of OLM

This would require a design change in OLM behavior.

Why does the customer need this? (List the business requirements here)

• To reduce manual intervention required during operator lifecycle issues.

• To avoid orphaned OLM resources that cause confusion or block future operator upgrades.

• To maintain cleaner cluster states automatically, especially in large multi-tenant clusters.

• To minimize operational and maintenance overhead for administrators who manage numerous operators.

• To ensure smoother automation pipelines where manual cleanup is not feasible.

List any affected packages or components.

• Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM)