diff --git a/pkg/k8s/k8s.go b/pkg/k8s/k8s.go
index f84a047..6def2f2 100644
--- a/pkg/k8s/k8s.go
+++ b/pkg/k8s/k8s.go
@@ -132,11 +132,20 @@ func (k *K8sTool) handlePatchResource(ctx context.Context, request mcp.CallToolR
 	resourceName := mcp.ParseString(request, "resource_name", "")
 	patch := mcp.ParseString(request, "patch", "")
 	namespace := mcp.ParseString(request, "namespace", "default")
+	patchType := mcp.ParseString(request, "patch_type", "strategic")
 
 	if resourceType == "" || resourceName == "" || patch == "" {
 		return mcp.NewToolResultError("resource_type, resource_name, and patch parameters are required"), nil
 	}
 
+	// Validate patch type. "strategic" is only implemented for built-in Kubernetes
+	// types; CustomResources (CRDs) reject it and require "merge" or "json".
+	switch patchType {
+	case "strategic", "merge", "json":
+	default:
+		return mcp.NewToolResultError(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid patch_type %q: must be one of strategic, merge, json", patchType)), nil
+	}
+
 	// Validate resource name for security
 	if err := security.ValidateK8sResourceName(resourceName); err != nil {
 		return mcp.NewToolResultError(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid resource name: %v", err)), nil
@@ -152,7 +161,7 @@ func (k *K8sTool) handlePatchResource(ctx context.Context, request mcp.CallToolR
 		return mcp.NewToolResultError(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid patch content: %v", err)), nil
 	}
 
-	args := []string{"patch", resourceType, resourceName, "-p", patch, "-n", namespace}
+	args := []string{"patch", resourceType, resourceName, "--type=" + patchType, "-p", patch, "-n", namespace}
 
 	return k.runKubectlCommandWithCacheInvalidation(ctx, request.Header, args...)
 }
@@ -717,10 +726,11 @@ func RegisterTools(s *server.MCPServer, llm llms.Model, kubeconfig string, readO
 		), telemetry.AdaptToolHandler(telemetry.WithTracing("k8s_scale", k8sTool.handleScaleDeployment)))
 
 		s.AddTool(mcp.NewTool("k8s_patch_resource",
-			mcp.WithDescription("Patch a Kubernetes resource using strategic merge patch"),
+			mcp.WithDescription("Patch a Kubernetes resource. Defaults to a strategic merge patch, which is only supported for built-in types; set patch_type to \"merge\" (or \"json\") to patch a CustomResource/CRD."),
 			mcp.WithString("resource_type", mcp.Description("Type of resource (deployment, service, etc.)"), mcp.Required()),
 			mcp.WithString("resource_name", mcp.Description("Name of the resource"), mcp.Required()),
 			mcp.WithString("patch", mcp.Description("JSON patch to apply"), mcp.Required()),
+			mcp.WithString("patch_type", mcp.Description("Patch strategy: \"strategic\" (default; built-in Kubernetes types only), \"merge\" (RFC 7386 JSON merge patch; required for CustomResources/CRDs), or \"json\" (RFC 6902 JSON patch).")),
 			mcp.WithString("namespace", mcp.Description("Namespace of the resource (default: default)")),
 		), telemetry.AdaptToolHandler(telemetry.WithTracing("k8s_patch_resource", k8sTool.handlePatchResource)))
 
diff --git a/pkg/k8s/k8s_test.go b/pkg/k8s/k8s_test.go
index 44df8a9..87ea388 100644
--- a/pkg/k8s/k8s_test.go
+++ b/pkg/k8s/k8s_test.go
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func TestHandlePatchResource(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("valid parameters", func(t *testing.T) {
 		mock := cmd.NewMockShellExecutor()
 		expectedOutput := `deployment.apps/test-deployment patched`
-		mock.AddCommandString("kubectl", []string{"patch", "deployment", "test-deployment", "-p", `{"spec":{"replicas":5}}`, "-n", "default"}, expectedOutput, nil)
+		mock.AddCommandString("kubectl", []string{"patch", "deployment", "test-deployment", "--type=strategic", "-p", `{"spec":{"replicas":5}}`, "-n", "default"}, expectedOutput, nil)
 		ctx := cmd.WithShellExecutor(ctx, mock)
 
 		k8sTool := newTestK8sTool()
@@ -262,6 +262,55 @@ func TestHandlePatchResource(t *testing.T) {
 		resultText := getResultText(result)
 		assert.Contains(t, resultText, "patched")
 	})
+
+	t.Run("merge patch type for CustomResource", func(t *testing.T) {
+		mock := cmd.NewMockShellExecutor()
+		expectedOutput := `installer.composition.krateo.io/installer patched`
+		mock.AddCommandString("kubectl", []string{"patch", "installers.composition.krateo.io", "installer", "--type=merge", "-p", `{"spec":{"features":{"composableportal":true}}}`, "-n", "krateo-system"}, expectedOutput, nil)
+		ctx := cmd.WithShellExecutor(ctx, mock)
+
+		k8sTool := newTestK8sTool()
+
+		req := mcp.CallToolRequest{}
+		req.Params.Arguments = map[string]interface{}{
+			"resource_type": "installers.composition.krateo.io",
+			"resource_name": "installer",
+			"patch":         `{"spec":{"features":{"composableportal":true}}}`,
+			"patch_type":    "merge",
+			"namespace":     "krateo-system",
+		}
+
+		result, err := k8sTool.handlePatchResource(ctx, req)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.NotNil(t, result)
+		assert.False(t, result.IsError)
+
+		resultText := getResultText(result)
+		assert.Contains(t, resultText, "patched")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("invalid patch type", func(t *testing.T) {
+		mock := cmd.NewMockShellExecutor()
+		ctx := cmd.WithShellExecutor(context.Background(), mock)
+
+		k8sTool := newTestK8sTool()
+
+		req := mcp.CallToolRequest{}
+		req.Params.Arguments = map[string]interface{}{
+			"resource_type": "deployment",
+			"resource_name": "test-deployment",
+			"patch":         `{"spec":{"replicas":5}}`,
+			"patch_type":    "bogus",
+		}
+
+		result, err := k8sTool.handlePatchResource(ctx, req)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.NotNil(t, result)
+		assert.True(t, result.IsError)
+
+		// No command should run for an invalid patch type.
+		assert.Len(t, mock.GetCallLog(), 0)
+	})
 }
 
 func TestHandlePatchStatus(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1232,7 +1281,7 @@ log line 2`
 	t.Run("patch resource with bearer token", func(t *testing.T) {
 		mock := cmd.NewMockShellExecutor()
 		expectedOutput := `deployment.apps/test-deployment patched`
-		mock.AddCommandString("kubectl", []string{"patch", "deployment", "test-deployment", "-p", `{"spec":{"replicas":5}}`, "-n", "default", "--token", "patch-token"}, expectedOutput, nil)
+		mock.AddCommandString("kubectl", []string{"patch", "deployment", "test-deployment", "--type=strategic", "-p", `{"spec":{"replicas":5}}`, "-n", "default", "--token", "patch-token"}, expectedOutput, nil)
 		ctx := cmd.WithShellExecutor(ctx, mock)
 
 		k8sTool := newTestK8sToolWithPassthrough(true)