diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6bcdf45d..69a82fdf 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ func main() {
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.Fatalf("Error initializing plugin: %v", err)
 	}
+	if registerCtx.TargetNamespace == "" {
+		registerCtx.TargetNamespace = registerCtx.CurrentNamespace
+	}
 
 	c := os.Getenv(ConfigurationEnvVar)
 	if c == "" {
diff --git a/pkg/syncer/from_virtual_syncer.go b/pkg/syncer/from_virtual_syncer.go
index 98fd87ed..240aa156 100644
--- a/pkg/syncer/from_virtual_syncer.go
+++ b/pkg/syncer/from_virtual_syncer.go
@@ -78,19 +78,11 @@ func (f *fromVirtualController) SyncDown(ctx *synccontext.SyncContext, vObj clie
 	if isControlled(vObj) || !f.objectMatches(vObj) {
 		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 	}
-
-	// apply object to physical cluster
-	ctx.Log.Infof("Create physical %s %s/%s, since it is missing, but virtual object exists", f.config.Kind, vObj.GetNamespace(), vObj.GetName())
-	_, err := f.patcher.ApplyPatches(ctx.Context, vObj, nil, f.config.Patches, f.config.ReversePatches, func(vObj client.Object) (client.Object, error) {
-		return f.TranslateMetadata(vObj), nil
-	}, &virtualToHostNameResolver{namespace: vObj.GetNamespace(), targetNamespace: f.targetNamespace})
-	if err != nil {
-		f.EventRecorder().Eventf(vObj, "Warning", "SyncError", "Error syncing to physical cluster: %v", err)
-		return ctrl.Result{}, fmt.Errorf("error applying patches: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
+	// create object in physical cluster
+	ctx.Log.Infof("SyncDown called for %s", vObj.GetName())
+	return f.SyncDownCreate(ctx, vObj, f.TranslateMetadata(vObj))
 }
+
 func (f *fromVirtualController) isExcluded(pObj client.Object) bool {
 	labels := pObj.GetLabels()
 	return labels == nil || labels[controlledByLabel] != f.getControllerID()