diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index dd57abc..1b4f00a 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ import (
 func APICommand() *cobra.Command {
 	roles := []string{}
 	usernamePrefix := ""
-	var allowEmptyBillingEntity bool
+	var allowEmptyBillingEntity, skipBillingEntityValidation bool
 
 	ob := &odooStorageBuilder{}
-	ost := orgStore.New(&roles, &usernamePrefix, &allowEmptyBillingEntity)
+	ost := orgStore.New(&roles, &usernamePrefix, &allowEmptyBillingEntity, &skipBillingEntityValidation)
 	ib := &invitationStorageBuilder{usernamePrefix: &usernamePrefix}
 
 	cmd, err := builder.APIServer.
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func APICommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&roles, "cluster-roles", []string{}, "Cluster Roles to bind when creating an organization")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&usernamePrefix, "username-prefix", "", "Prefix prepended to username claims. Usually the same as \"--oidc-username-prefix\" of the Kubernetes API server")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&allowEmptyBillingEntity, "allow-empty-billing-entity", true, "Allow empty billing entity references")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&skipBillingEntityValidation, "organization-skip-billing-entity-validation", false, "Skip validation of billing entity references")
 
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&ob.billingEntityStorage, "billing-entity-storage", "fake", "Storage backend for billing entities. Supported values: fake, odoo8, odoo16")
 
diff --git a/apiserver/organization/billingentity_validate.go b/apiserver/organization/billingentity_validate.go
index 4cedf7c..c04ac6f 100644
--- a/apiserver/organization/billingentity_validate.go
+++ b/apiserver/organization/billingentity_validate.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package organization
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/authentication/user"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/endpoints/request"
@@ -45,29 +46,38 @@ func (c impersonatorFromRestconf) Impersonate(u user.Info) (client.Client, error
 // billingEntityValidator validates that the billing entity exists and the requesting user has access to it.
 // it does so by impersonating the user and trying to get the billing entity.
 func (s *organizationStorage) billingEntityValidator(ctx context.Context, org, oldOrg *orgv1.Organization) error {
-	// check if changed
-	if oldOrg != nil && oldOrg.Spec.BillingEntityRef == org.Spec.BillingEntityRef {
-		return nil
-	}
-	// check if we allow empty billing entities
-	if org.Spec.BillingEntityRef == "" && s.allowEmptyBillingEntity {
-		return nil
-	}
+	validate := func() error {
+		// check if changed
+		if oldOrg != nil && oldOrg.Spec.BillingEntityRef == org.Spec.BillingEntityRef {
+			return nil
+		}
+		// check if we allow empty billing entities
+		if org.Spec.BillingEntityRef == "" && s.allowEmptyBillingEntity {
+			return nil
+		}
 
-	user, ok := request.UserFrom(ctx)
-	if !ok {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no user in context")
-	}
+		user, ok := request.UserFrom(ctx)
+		if !ok {
+			return fmt.Errorf("no user in context")
+		}
 
-	var be billingv1.BillingEntity
-	c, err := s.impersonator.Impersonate(user)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to impersonate user: %w", err)
-	}
+		var be billingv1.BillingEntity
+		c, err := s.impersonator.Impersonate(user)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to impersonate user: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		if err := c.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKey{Name: org.Spec.BillingEntityRef}, &be); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-	if err := c.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKey{Name: org.Spec.BillingEntityRef}, &be); err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	err := validate()
+	if err != nil && s.skipBillingEntityValidation {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: billing entity validation for %q (ref: %q) would have failed: %v\n", org.Name, org.Spec.BillingEntityRef, err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	return err
 }
diff --git a/apiserver/organization/organization.go b/apiserver/organization/organization.go
index 35d1763..c27bb60 100644
--- a/apiserver/organization/organization.go
+++ b/apiserver/organization/organization.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import (
 // +kubebuilder:rbac:groups="flowcontrol.apiserver.k8s.io",resources=prioritylevelconfigurations;flowschemas,verbs=get;list;watch
 
 // New returns a new storage provider for Organizations
-func New(clusterRoles *[]string, usernamePrefix *string, allowEmptyBillingEntity *bool) restbuilder.ResourceHandlerProvider {
+func New(clusterRoles *[]string, usernamePrefix *string, allowEmptyBillingEntity, skipBillingEntityValidation *bool) restbuilder.ResourceHandlerProvider {
 	return func(s *runtime.Scheme, g genericregistry.RESTOptionsGetter) (rest.Storage, error) {
 		masterConfig := loopback.GetLoopbackMasterClientConfig()
 
@@ -54,9 +54,10 @@ func New(clusterRoles *[]string, usernamePrefix *string, allowEmptyBillingEntity
 			members: kubeMemberProvider{
 				Client: c,
 			},
-			usernamePrefix:          *usernamePrefix,
-			impersonator:            impersonatorFromRestconf{masterConfig, client.Options{Scheme: c.Scheme()}},
-			allowEmptyBillingEntity: *allowEmptyBillingEntity,
+			usernamePrefix:              *usernamePrefix,
+			impersonator:                impersonatorFromRestconf{masterConfig, client.Options{Scheme: c.Scheme()}},
+			allowEmptyBillingEntity:     *allowEmptyBillingEntity,
+			skipBillingEntityValidation: *skipBillingEntityValidation,
 		}
 
 		return authwrapper.NewAuthorizedStorage(stor, metav1.GroupVersionResource{
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ type organizationStorage struct {
 
 	impersonator impersonator
 
-	allowEmptyBillingEntity bool
+	skipBillingEntityValidation bool
+	allowEmptyBillingEntity     bool
 }
 
 func (s organizationStorage) New() runtime.Object {