diff --git a/controller/appcontroller.go b/controller/appcontroller.go
index 5a48f1d41cb097..3659e2f598e2fc 100644
--- a/controller/appcontroller.go
+++ b/controller/appcontroller.go
@@ -1927,6 +1927,27 @@ func (ctrl *ApplicationController) persistAppStatus(orig *appv1.Application, new
 	return patchMs
 }
 
+// resetAppStatusOperationState updates the app status operation state to be nil. If no changes were made, it is a no-op
+func (ctrl *ApplicationController) resetAppStatusOperationState(orig *appv1.Application) {
+	logCtx := getAppLog(orig).WithField("method", "resetAppStatusOperationState")
+	if orig.Status.OperationState == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	newStatus := orig.Status.DeepCopy()
+	newStatus.OperationState = nil
+	patch, _, err := createMergePatch(
+		&appv1.Application{Status: orig.Status},
+		&appv1.Application{Status: *newStatus})
+	if err != nil {
+		logCtx.Errorf("Error constructing app status patch: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	_, err = ctrl.PatchAppWithWriteBack(context.Background(), orig.Name, orig.Namespace, types.MergePatchType, patch, metav1.PatchOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		logCtx.Warnf("Error updating application: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // autoSync will initiate a sync operation for an application configured with automated sync
 func (ctrl *ApplicationController) autoSync(app *appv1.Application, syncStatus *appv1.SyncStatus, resources []appv1.ResourceStatus, revisionUpdated bool) (*appv1.ApplicationCondition, time.Duration) {
 	logCtx := getAppLog(app)
@@ -2318,6 +2339,11 @@ func (ctrl *ApplicationController) newApplicationInformerAndLister() (cache.Shar
 						jitter := time.Duration(float64(ctrl.statusRefreshJitter) * rand.Float64())
 						delay = &jitter
 					}
+					// Something updated application operation state bypassing the controller and
+					// operation state in status still reflects the old sync. Reset it.
+					if oldApp.Operation == nil && newApp.Operation != nil && newApp.Status.OperationState != nil {
+						ctrl.resetAppStatusOperationState(newApp)
+					}
 				}
 
 				ctrl.requestAppRefresh(newApp.QualifiedName(), compareWith, delay)
diff --git a/server/application/application_test.go b/server/application/application_test.go
index 0c409357995fe0..431ae9e6caf2cf 100644
--- a/server/application/application_test.go
+++ b/server/application/application_test.go
@@ -1972,6 +1972,28 @@ func TestAppJsonPatch(t *testing.T) {
 	app, err = appServer.Patch(ctx, &application.ApplicationPatchRequest{Name: &testApp.Name, Patch: ptr.To(`[{"op": "remove", "path": "/metadata/annotations/test.annotation"}]`)})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.NotContains(t, app.Annotations, "test.annotation")
+
+	app, err = appServer.Patch(
+		ctx,
+		&application.ApplicationPatchRequest{
+			Name: &testApp.Name,
+			Patch: ptr.To(`[{
+				"op": "add",
+				"path": "/operation",
+				"value": {
+					"sync": {
+						"revisions": ["test"]
+					},
+					"initiatedBy": {
+						"username": "test"
+					}
+				}
+			}]`),
+		},
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	// Can't patch the operation field directly
+	assert.Nil(t, app.Operation)
 }
 
 func TestAppMergePatch(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/test/e2e/app_management_test.go b/test/e2e/app_management_test.go
index 113d18b5969b79..b3db6652b57b2e 100644
--- a/test/e2e/app_management_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/app_management_test.go
@@ -3001,3 +3001,27 @@ func TestDeletionConfirmation(t *testing.T) {
 		When().ConfirmDeletion().
 		Then().Expect(DoesNotExist())
 }
+
+func TestNewOperationTriggeredByUpdatingAppObject(t *testing.T) {
+	Given(t).
+		Path(guestbookPath).
+		When().
+		CreateApp().
+		Sync().
+		Then().
+		Expect(OperationPhaseIs(OperationSucceeded)).
+		Expect(SyncStatusIs(SyncStatusCodeSynced)).
+		Expect(HealthIs(health.HealthStatusHealthy)).
+		When().
+		// Can't patch using PatchApp* since they ignore Operation changes
+		UpdateApp(func(app *Application) {
+			app.Operation = &Operation{
+				Sync:        &SyncOperation{Revisions: []string{"test"}},
+				InitiatedBy: OperationInitiator{Username: "test"},
+			}
+		}).
+		Then().
+		And(func(app *Application) {
+			assert.Nil(t, app.Status.OperationState)
+		})
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/fixture/app/actions.go b/test/e2e/fixture/app/actions.go
index ca33ae151eb85b..55a68653eb803a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/fixture/app/actions.go
+++ b/test/e2e/fixture/app/actions.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package app
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -296,6 +297,16 @@ func (a *Actions) DeclarativeWithCustomRepo(filename string, repoURL string) *Ac
 	return a
 }
 
+func (a *Actions) UpdateApp(update func(app *Application)) *Actions {
+	a.context.t.Helper()
+	app, err := fixture.AppClientset.ArgoprojV1alpha1().Applications(a.context.AppNamespace()).Get(context.Background(), a.context.AppName(), v1.GetOptions{})
+	errors.CheckError(err)
+	update(app)
+	_, err = fixture.AppClientset.ArgoprojV1alpha1().Applications(a.context.AppNamespace()).Update(context.Background(), app, v1.UpdateOptions{})
+	errors.CheckError(err)
+	return a
+}
+
 func (a *Actions) PatchApp(patch string) *Actions {
 	a.context.t.Helper()
 	a.runCli("app", "patch", a.context.AppQualifiedName(), "--patch", patch)