diff --git a/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks.go b/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks.go
index 6aeee5ea8..154f3a63e 100644
--- a/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks.go
+++ b/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks.go
@@ -192,7 +192,13 @@ func (in *ClientIntents) ConvertTo(dstRaw conversion.Hub) error {
 	dst.Spec.Targets = make([]v2alpha1.Target, len(in.Spec.Calls))
 	for i, call := range in.Spec.Calls {
 		if call.IsTargetInCluster() && call.Type != IntentTypeKafka {
-			kubernetesTarget := v2alpha1.KubernetesTarget{Name: call.GetServerFullyQualifiedName(in.Namespace), Kind: call.GetTargetServerKind()}
+			var name string
+			if call.Name == call.GetTargetServerName() {
+				name = call.Name
+			} else {
+				name = call.GetServerFullyQualifiedName(in.Namespace)
+			}
+			kubernetesTarget := v2alpha1.KubernetesTarget{Name: name, Kind: call.GetTargetServerKind()}
 			if kubernetesTarget.Kind == serviceidentity.KindOtterizeLegacy {
 				// This is an internal kind the user doesn't need to see it
 				kubernetesTarget.Kind = ""
@@ -267,6 +273,12 @@ func (in *ClientIntents) ConvertFrom(srcRaw conversion.Hub) error {
 	in.Spec.Service.Kind = src.Spec.Workload.Kind
 	in.Spec.Calls = make([]Intent, len(src.Spec.Targets))
 	for i, target := range src.Spec.Targets {
+		if target.IsTargetTheKubernetesAPIServer(src.Namespace) {
+			// Using "svc:kubernetes.default" was a common use case in v1alpha3 -
+			// therefore we prefer to convert to this form.
+			in.Spec.Calls[i] = Intent{Name: "svc:" + target.Kubernetes.Name}
+			continue
+		}
 		if target.Kubernetes != nil {
 			in.Spec.Calls[i] = Intent{Name: target.Kubernetes.Name, Kind: target.Kubernetes.Kind}
 			if target.Kubernetes.HTTP != nil {
diff --git a/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks_test.go b/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks_test.go
index 32e715380..fef425de4 100644
--- a/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks_test.go
+++ b/src/operator/api/v1alpha3/webhooks_test.go
@@ -146,6 +146,47 @@ func (t *WebhooksTestSuite) TestProtectedServiceConversion() {
 	t.Require().Equal(original.Spec, converted.Spec)
 }
 
+func (t *WebhooksTestSuite) TestClientIntentsKubernetes() {
+	// Create a ClientIntents with random data
+	original := &ClientIntents{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "test",
+			Namespace: "test",
+		},
+		Spec: &IntentsSpec{
+			Service: Service{
+				Name: "test",
+				Kind: "test",
+			},
+			Calls: []Intent{
+				{
+					Name: "test.test",
+				},
+				{
+					Name: "test2",
+				},
+				{
+					Name: "test3.other-namespace",
+				},
+				{
+					Name: "svc:kubernetes.default",
+				},
+			},
+		}}
+
+	// ConvertTo
+	dstRaw := &v2alpha1.ClientIntents{}
+	err := original.ConvertTo(dstRaw)
+	t.Require().NoError(err)
+
+	// ConvertFrom
+	converted := &ClientIntents{}
+	err = converted.ConvertFrom(dstRaw)
+	t.Require().NoError(err)
+
+	t.Require().Equal(original.Spec, converted.Spec)
+}
+
 func TestWebhooksTestSuite(t *testing.T) {
 	suite.Run(t, new(WebhooksTestSuite))
 }
diff --git a/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks.go b/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks.go
index 362be76c5..91c04ef19 100644
--- a/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks.go
+++ b/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks.go
@@ -192,7 +192,13 @@ func (in *ClientIntents) ConvertTo(dstRaw conversion.Hub) error {
 	dst.Spec.Targets = make([]v2alpha1.Target, len(in.Spec.Calls))
 	for i, call := range in.Spec.Calls {
 		if call.IsTargetInCluster() && call.Type != IntentTypeKafka {
-			kubernetesTarget := v2alpha1.KubernetesTarget{Name: call.GetServerFullyQualifiedName(in.Namespace), Kind: call.GetTargetServerKind()}
+			var name string
+			if call.Name == call.GetTargetServerName() {
+				name = call.Name
+			} else {
+				name = call.GetServerFullyQualifiedName(in.Namespace)
+			}
+			kubernetesTarget := v2alpha1.KubernetesTarget{Name: name, Kind: call.GetTargetServerKind()}
 			if kubernetesTarget.Kind == serviceidentity.KindOtterizeLegacy {
 				// This is an internal kind the user doesn't need to see it
 				kubernetesTarget.Kind = ""
@@ -267,6 +273,12 @@ func (in *ClientIntents) ConvertFrom(srcRaw conversion.Hub) error {
 	in.Spec.Service.Kind = src.Spec.Workload.Kind
 	in.Spec.Calls = make([]Intent, len(src.Spec.Targets))
 	for i, target := range src.Spec.Targets {
+		if target.IsTargetTheKubernetesAPIServer(src.Namespace) {
+			// Using "svc:kubernetes.default" was a common use case in v1alpha3 -
+			// therefore we prefer to convert to this form.
+			in.Spec.Calls[i] = Intent{Name: "svc:" + target.Kubernetes.Name}
+			continue
+		}
 		if target.Kubernetes != nil {
 			in.Spec.Calls[i] = Intent{Name: target.Kubernetes.Name, Kind: target.Kubernetes.Kind}
 			if target.Kubernetes.HTTP != nil {
diff --git a/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks_test.go b/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks_test.go
index b67c635e3..0a57731c1 100644
--- a/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks_test.go
+++ b/src/operator/api/v1beta1/webhooks_test.go
@@ -146,6 +146,47 @@ func (t *WebhooksTestSuite) TestProtectedServiceConversion() {
 	t.Require().Equal(original.Spec, converted.Spec)
 }
 
+func (t *WebhooksTestSuite) TestClientIntentsKubernetes() {
+	// Create a ClientIntents with random data
+	original := &ClientIntents{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+			Name:      "test",
+			Namespace: "test",
+		},
+		Spec: &IntentsSpec{
+			Service: Service{
+				Name: "test",
+				Kind: "test",
+			},
+			Calls: []Intent{
+				{
+					Name: "test.test",
+				},
+				{
+					Name: "test2",
+				},
+				{
+					Name: "test3.other-namespace",
+				},
+				{
+					Name: "svc:kubernetes.default",
+				},
+			},
+		}}
+
+	// ConvertTo
+	dstRaw := &v2alpha1.ClientIntents{}
+	err := original.ConvertTo(dstRaw)
+	t.Require().NoError(err)
+
+	// ConvertFrom
+	converted := &ClientIntents{}
+	err = converted.ConvertFrom(dstRaw)
+	t.Require().NoError(err)
+
+	t.Require().Equal(original.Spec, converted.Spec)
+}
+
 func TestWebhooksTestSuite(t *testing.T) {
 	suite.Run(t, new(WebhooksTestSuite))
 }