diff --git a/hack/pre-release.sh b/hack/pre-release.sh
index 90bebcfb69..cbf5903386 100755
--- a/hack/pre-release.sh
+++ b/hack/pre-release.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ CVP=false
 BASEIMAGE=false
 DISTGIT=false
 GITLAB=false
+KEEP_BUNDLE_CHANGES=false
 
 # codes for printing and resetting pink text
 PINK='\033[95m'
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ usage() {
   echo "optional flags: -g"
   echo "  bumps the gitlab versions"
   echo -e "  ${PINK}Requires connection to the RedHat VPN"
+  echo "optional flags: -k"
+  echo "  keep all changes from 'make bundle' including RBAC regeneration"
+  echo "  (default: only keep version-related changes, revert RBAC changes)"
   printf "${START_COLOR}"
 }
 
@@ -231,6 +235,16 @@ github_update() {
   sed -i 's/REPLACE_IMAGE:latest/REPLACE_IMAGE/' bundle/manifests/windows-machine-config-operator.clusterserviceversion.yaml
   sed -i "s/operator-sdk-v1.14.0+git/operator-sdk-$OPERATOR_SDK_VERSION+git/" bundle/manifests/windows-machine-config-operator.clusterserviceversion.yaml
 
+  # Revert unintended RBAC changes from make bundle unless -k flag is set
+  if [[ $KEEP_BUNDLE_CHANGES == "false" ]]; then
+    echo "Reverting RBAC changes from make bundle (use -k flag to keep all changes)"
+    git checkout HEAD -- bundle/manifests/prometheus-k8s_rbac.authorization.k8s.io_v1_role.yaml \
+                         bundle/manifests/system-wicd-nodes_rbac.authorization.k8s.io_v1_clusterrole.yaml \
+                         config/rbac/role.yaml 2>/dev/null || true
+  else
+    echo "Keeping all changes from make bundle including RBAC regeneration"
+  fi
+
   commit_message="[$base_branch] Update version to $updated_version
 
   This commit was generated by hack/pre-release.sh"
@@ -424,14 +438,15 @@ if [[ "$operator_sdk_current_version" != "$OPERATOR_SDK_VERSION" ]]; then
   exit
 fi
 
-# This sets the CVP and baseimage flags
-while getopts "bcdg" opt; do
-  case "$opt" in 
+# This sets the CVP, baseimage, and other flags
+while getopts "bcdgk" opt; do
+  case "$opt" in
     c) CVP=true;;
     b) BASEIMAGE=true;;
     d) DISTGIT=true;;
     g) GITLAB=true;;
-  esac 
+    k) KEEP_BUNDLE_CHANGES=true;;
+  esac
 done 
 shift $((OPTIND-1))