diff --git a/pkg/controller/certificates/requestmanager/requestmanager_controller.go b/pkg/controller/certificates/requestmanager/requestmanager_controller.go
index 79a0d9521..30e83674e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/certificates/requestmanager/requestmanager_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/certificates/requestmanager/requestmanager_controller.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ type controller struct {
 
 	// fieldManager is the string which will be used as the Field Manager on
 	// fields created or edited by the cert-manager Kubernetes client during
-	// Apply API calls.
+	// Create or Apply API calls.
 	fieldManager string
 }
 
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ func (c *controller) createNewCertificateRequest(ctx context.Context, crt *cmapi
 		},
 	}
 
-	cr, err = c.client.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(cr.Namespace).Create(ctx, cr, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+	cr, err = c.client.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(cr.Namespace).Create(ctx, cr, metav1.CreateOptions{FieldManager: c.fieldManager})
 	if err != nil {
 		c.recorder.Eventf(crt, corev1.EventTypeWarning, reasonRequestFailed, "Failed to create CertificateRequest: "+err.Error())
 		return err
diff --git a/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go b/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go
index 3be825859..96c56e771 100644
--- a/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/certificaterequests/apply_test.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func Test_Apply(t *testing.T) {
 	req.Annotations = nil
 
 	t.Log("creating CertificateRequest")
-	_, err = cmClient.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(namespace).Create(ctx, req, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+	_, err = cmClient.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(namespace).Create(ctx, req, metav1.CreateOptions{FieldManager: "cert-manager-test"})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	t.Log("ensuring apply will can set annotations and labels")
diff --git a/test/integration/certificaterequests/condition_list_type_test.go b/test/integration/certificaterequests/condition_list_type_test.go
index a7b9d774d..18bc097e4 100644
--- a/test/integration/certificaterequests/condition_list_type_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/certificaterequests/condition_list_type_test.go
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-Copyright 2020 The cert-manager Authors.
+Copyright 2022 The cert-manager Authors.
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func Test_ConditionsListType(t *testing.T) {
 	req.Name = name
 
 	t.Log("creating CertificateRequest")
-	_, err = aliceCMClient.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(namespace).Create(ctx, req, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+	_, err = aliceCMClient.CertmanagerV1().CertificateRequests(namespace).Create(ctx, req, metav1.CreateOptions{FieldManager: "cert-manager-test"})
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	t.Log("ensuring alice can set Ready condition")