diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1b5817e5..ae18c75a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -42,11 +42,8 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
   environment variables by name, so an override replaces the operator's value instead of
   producing a duplicated entry whose precedence depended on Kubernetes' duplicate-name
   handling ([#1011]).
-- BREAKING: Remove the `app.kubernetes.io/component` and `app.kubernetes.io/role-group` labels
-  from the resources they don't apply to (previously set to `none` or a placeholder value).
-  Broker StatefulSets created by older operator versions cannot be updated in place: after the
-  operator upgrade, delete each broker StatefulSet so that the operator immediately recreates it
-  with the new labels ([#1011]).
+- Remove the `app.kubernetes.io/component` and `app.kubernetes.io/role-group` labels from the
+  resources they don't apply to ([#1011], [#1052]).
 - Make operations infallible where dependent on static inputs ([#1017]).
 - Internal operator refactoring: build each role group through per-role modules (brokers,
   controllers) and a shared role group builder, with the broker and controller configuration held
@@ -103,6 +100,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 [#1046]: https://github.com/stackabletech/kafka-operator/pull/1046
 [#1047]: https://github.com/stackabletech/kafka-operator/pull/1047
 [#1049]: https://github.com/stackabletech/kafka-operator/pull/1049
+[#1052]: https://github.com/stackabletech/kafka-operator/pull/1052
 
 ## [26.7.0] - 2026-07-21
 
diff --git a/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/mod.rs b/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/mod.rs
index 33775c00..9a17d584 100644
--- a/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //! Builders that assemble Kubernetes resources for kafka rolegroups.
 
-use std::marker::PhantomData;
+use std::{marker::PhantomData, str::FromStr};
 
 use snafu::{ResultExt, Snafu};
 use stackable_operator::{
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use stackable_operator::{
         policy::v1::PodDisruptionBudget,
     },
     kvp::Labels,
-    v2::kvp::label,
+    v2::{kvp::label, types::operator::ProductVersion},
 };
 use strum::IntoEnumIterator;
 
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ pub mod resource;
 pub mod role_group;
 pub mod security;
 
+// Placeholder value for the `app.kubernetes.io/version` label on resources whose labels are
+// immutable once deployed. See `recommended_labels_for_unversioned_role_group_resources`.
+stackable_operator::constant!(UNVERSIONED_PRODUCT_VERSION: ProductVersion = "none");
+
 #[derive(Snafu, Debug)]
 pub enum Error {
     #[snafu(display("failed to build broker role group {role_group}"))]
@@ -195,14 +199,25 @@ pub(crate) fn recommended_labels_for_role_group_resources(
     )
 }
 
+/// The recommended labels for role-group resources that carry no product version.
+///
+/// The `app.kubernetes.io/version` label is set to the placeholder `none` rather than being
+/// omitted, because that is what operator versions up to 26.7 wrote. Omitting it would change the
+/// `volumeClaimTemplates` of already deployed StatefulSets, and since those templates are
+/// immutable, Kubernetes rejects the update and the operator can no longer reconcile the
+/// StatefulSet.
+///
+/// This is also why `label::recommended_labels_for_unversioned_role_group_resources`, which drops
+/// the label entirely, is not used here.
 pub(crate) fn recommended_labels_for_unversioned_role_group_resources(
     cluster: &ValidatedCluster,
     role_name: &RoleName,
     role_group_name: &RoleGroupName,
 ) -> Labels {
-    label::recommended_labels_for_unversioned_role_group_resources(
+    label::recommended_labels_for_role_group_resources(
         &cluster.name,
         &PRODUCT_NAME,
+        &UNVERSIONED_PRODUCT_VERSION,
         &OPERATOR_NAME,
         &CONTROLLER_NAME,
         role_name,
@@ -231,7 +246,7 @@ mod tests {
     use strum::IntoEnumIterator;
 
     use super::{
-        build,
+        UNVERSIONED_PRODUCT_VERSION, build,
         kerberos::KERBEROS_VOLUME_NAME,
         properties::ConfigFileName,
         role_group::controller::QUORUM_MANAGER_CONTAINER_NAME,
@@ -452,6 +467,12 @@ mod tests {
         )
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_constants() {
+        // Test that dereferencing the constant does not panic.
+        let _ = *UNVERSIONED_PRODUCT_VERSION;
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn build_succeeds_when_every_kraft_role_group_is_scaled_to_zero() {
         let kafka = minimal_kafka(
diff --git a/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/role_group/broker.rs b/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/role_group/broker.rs
index 10ea1abb..7b840aad 100644
--- a/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/role_group/broker.rs
+++ b/rust/operator-binary/src/controller/build/role_group/broker.rs
@@ -196,8 +196,7 @@ fn volume_claim_templates(
     role_group_name: &RoleGroupName,
     config: &ValidatedBrokerConfig,
 ) -> Vec<PersistentVolumeClaim> {
-    // Used for PVC templates, which cannot be modified once they are deployed. The version label
-    // is omitted so the labels stay stable across version upgrades.
+    // The PVC templates are immutable once deployed, so their labels must stay stable.
     let unversioned_recommended_labels =
         recommended_labels_for_unversioned_role_group_resources(cluster, &ROLE, role_group_name);