diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9d5a10b9..d3a212fd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include tests/e2e/Makefile
 
-VERSION ?= 1.3.2
+VERSION ?= 1.3.3
 
 # CHANNELS define the bundle channels used in the bundle.
 # Add a new line here if you would like to change its default config. (E.g CHANNELS = "candidate,fast,stable")
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/uffizzicluster_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/uffizzicluster_types.go
index af586568..45f5a2ca 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/uffizzicluster_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/uffizzicluster_types.go
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ type UffizziClusterStatus struct {
 	Host                       *string            `json:"host,omitempty"`
 	LastAppliedConfiguration   *string            `json:"lastAppliedConfiguration,omitempty"`
 	LastAppliedHelmReleaseSpec *string            `json:"lastAppliedHelmReleaseSpec,omitempty"`
-	LastAwakeTime              *string            `json:"lastAwakeTime,omitempty"`
+	LastAwakeTime              metav1.Time        `json:"lastAwakeTime,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // VClusterKubeConfig is the KubeConfig SecretReference of the related VCluster
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 8b39fbcc..da3bff52 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -372,11 +372,7 @@ func (in *UffizziClusterStatus) DeepCopyInto(out *UffizziClusterStatus) {
 		*out = new(string)
 		**out = **in
 	}
-	if in.LastAwakeTime != nil {
-		in, out := &in.LastAwakeTime, &out.LastAwakeTime
-		*out = new(string)
-		**out = **in
-	}
+	in.LastAwakeTime.DeepCopyInto(&out.LastAwakeTime)
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new UffizziClusterStatus.
diff --git a/chart/Chart.yaml b/chart/Chart.yaml
index 511ffa05..8e5e58b5 100644
--- a/chart/Chart.yaml
+++ b/chart/Chart.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ version: 1.3.1
 # incremented each time you make changes to the application. Versions are not expected to
 # follow Semantic Versioning. They should reflect the version the application is using.
 # It is recommended to use it with quotes.
-appVersion: "v1.3.2"
+appVersion: "v1.3.3"
 dependencies:
   - name: common
     repository: https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
diff --git a/chart/templates/uffizziclusters.uffizzi.com_customresourcedefinition.yaml b/chart/templates/uffizziclusters.uffizzi.com_customresourcedefinition.yaml
index 0e424fae..98ea1a82 100644
--- a/chart/templates/uffizziclusters.uffizzi.com_customresourcedefinition.yaml
+++ b/chart/templates/uffizziclusters.uffizzi.com_customresourcedefinition.yaml
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ spec:
               lastAppliedHelmReleaseSpec:
                 type: string
               lastAwakeTime:
+                format: date-time
                 type: string
             type: object
         type: object
diff --git a/chart/values.yaml b/chart/values.yaml
index 504ef423..7819400a 100644
--- a/chart/values.yaml
+++ b/chart/values.yaml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 image:
   repository: docker.io/uffizzi/uffizzi-cluster-operator
-  tag: v1.3.2
+  tag: v1.3.3
 # `flux` dependency values
 flux:
   helmController:
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ flux:
 #  controller:
 #    extraArgs:
 #      enable-ssl-passthrough: true
-
 # To install nginx-ingress and cert-manager charts
 # along with the rest apply the following tags (enabled by default)
 #tags:
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/uffizzi.com_uffizziclusters.yaml b/config/crd/bases/uffizzi.com_uffizziclusters.yaml
index 7e637e04..71bdacfa 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/uffizzi.com_uffizziclusters.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/uffizzi.com_uffizziclusters.yaml
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ spec:
               lastAppliedHelmReleaseSpec:
                 type: string
               lastAwakeTime:
+                format: date-time
                 type: string
             type: object
         type: object
diff --git a/controllers/uffizzicluster_controller.go b/controllers/uffizzicluster_controller.go
index 7431a964..a7b35396 100644
--- a/controllers/uffizzicluster_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/uffizzicluster_controller.go
@@ -152,14 +152,14 @@ func (r *UffizziClusterReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Reque
 			kubeConfig     = uclusteruffizzicomv1alpha1.VClusterKubeConfig{
 				SecretRef: &meta.SecretKeyReference{},
 			}
-			lastAwakeTime = metav1.Now().String()
+			lastAwakeTime = metav1.Now().Rfc3339Copy()
 		)
 		uCluster.Status = uclusteruffizzicomv1alpha1.UffizziClusterStatus{
 			Conditions:     intialConditions,
 			HelmReleaseRef: &helmReleaseRef,
 			Host:           &host,
 			KubeConfig:     kubeConfig,
-			LastAwakeTime:  &lastAwakeTime,
+			LastAwakeTime:  lastAwakeTime,
 		}
 		if err := r.Status().Update(ctx, uCluster); err != nil {
 			logger.Error(err, "Failed to update the default UffizziCluster status")
@@ -322,8 +322,7 @@ func (r *UffizziClusterReconciler) reconcileSleepState(ctx context.Context, uClu
 		}
 		// set status for vcluster waking up
 		lastAwakeTime := metav1.Now().Rfc3339Copy()
-		lastAwakeTimeString := lastAwakeTime.String()
-		uCluster.Status.LastAwakeTime = &lastAwakeTimeString
+		uCluster.Status.LastAwakeTime = lastAwakeTime
 		setCondition(uCluster, Awoken(lastAwakeTime))
 	}
 	if err := r.Status().Update(ctx, uCluster); err != nil {