diff --git a/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/projectannotations.go b/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/projectannotations.go
index 1d929b38c4..2084121763 100644
--- a/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/projectannotations.go
+++ b/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/projectannotations.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (p *projectNamespaceAdmitter) Admit(request *admission.Request) (*admission
 	response.Result = &metav1.Status{
 		Status:  "Failure",
 		Message: constructedReason,
-		Reason:  metav1.StatusReasonUnauthorized,
+		Reason:  metav1.StatusReasonForbidden,
 		Code:    http.StatusForbidden,
 	}
 	return response, nil
diff --git a/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/psalabels.go b/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/psalabels.go
index 167bad8c83..8e9b4ce1f7 100644
--- a/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/psalabels.go
+++ b/pkg/resources/core/v1/namespace/psalabels.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func (p *psaLabelAdmitter) Admit(request *admission.Request) (*admissionv1.Admis
 		response.Result = &metav1.Status{
 			Status:  "Failure",
 			Message: resp.Status.Reason,
-			Reason:  metav1.StatusReasonUnauthorized,
+			Reason:  metav1.StatusReasonForbidden,
 			Code:    http.StatusForbidden,
 		}
 	}