diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/Taskfile.dist.yaml b/images/virtualization-artifact/Taskfile.dist.yaml
index a40d39d0c..495cfbde0 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/Taskfile.dist.yaml
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/Taskfile.dist.yaml
@@ -681,6 +681,14 @@ tasks:
     desc: "Push image virtualization-controller with dlv"
     cmd: ./hack/dlv.sh push controller --image="$DLV_IMAGE"
 
+  dlv:build:apiserver:
+    desc: "Build image virtualization-api with dlv"
+    cmd: ./hack/dlv.sh build apiserver --image="$DLV_IMAGE"
+
+  dlv:build-push:apiserver:
+    desc: "Push image virtualization-api with dlv"
+    cmd: ./hack/dlv.sh push apiserver --image="$DLV_IMAGE"
+
   _copy_d8_registry_secret:
     internal: true
     vars:
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv-apiserver.Dockerfile b/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv-apiserver.Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad65390a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv-apiserver.Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+FROM golang:1.21.8-bookworm@sha256:ac14cc827536ef1a124cd2f7a03178c3335c1db8ad3807e7fdd57f74096abfa0 AS builder
+ARG TARGETOS
+ARG TARGETARCH
+
+WORKDIR /app/images/virtualization-artifact
+RUN go install github.com/go-delve/delve/cmd/dlv@latest
+
+COPY ./images/virtualization-artifact/go.mod /app/images/virtualization-artifact/
+COPY ./images/virtualization-artifact/go.sum /app/images/virtualization-artifact/
+COPY ./api/ /app/api/
+
+RUN go mod download
+
+COPY ./images/virtualization-artifact/cmd /app/images/virtualization-artifact/cmd
+COPY ./images/virtualization-artifact/pkg /app/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg
+
+ENV GO111MODULE=on
+ENV GOOS=${TARGETOS:-linux}
+ENV GOARCH=${TARGETARCH:-amd64}
+ENV CGO_ENABLED=0
+
+RUN go build -gcflags "all=-N -l" -a -o virtualization-api ./cmd/virtualization-api
+
+FROM busybox:1.36.1-glibc
+
+WORKDIR /app
+COPY --from=builder /go/bin/dlv /app/dlv
+COPY --from=builder /app/images/virtualization-artifact/virtualization-api /app/virtualization-api
+USER 65532:65532
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["./dlv", "--listen=:2345", "--headless=true", "--continue", "--log=true", "--log-output=debugger,debuglineerr,gdbwire,lldbout,rpc", "--accept-multiclient", "--api-version=2", "exec", "./virtualization-api", "--"]
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv.sh b/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv.sh
index 1288a93f6..78e60be38 100755
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv.sh
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv.sh
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ function usage {
 Usage: $0 COMMAND OPTIONS
 
 Commands:
-  build <controller> Build docker image with dlv.
-  push  <controller> Build and Push docker image with dlv.
+  build <controller/apiserver> Build docker image with dlv.
+  push  <controller/apiserver> Build and Push docker image with dlv.
 
 Global Flags:
  --image,-i  (optional)  The name of the image being built.
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Examples:
   # build"
     $(basename "$0") build controller --image=myimage:latest
   # push"
-    $(basename "$0") push controller
+    $(basename "$0") push apiserver
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -42,33 +42,45 @@ function usage_exit {
 }
 
 function build_controller {
+    build "dlv-controller.Dockerfile"
+}
+
+function build_apiserver {
+    build "dlv-apiserver.Dockerfile"
+}
+
+function build {
+    local dockerfile=$1
     cd "$ROOT"
-    docker build -f ./images/virtualization-artifact/hack/dlv-controller.Dockerfile -t "${IMAGE}" .
+    docker build -f "./images/virtualization-artifact/hack/$dockerfile" -t "${IMAGE}" .
 }
 
 function push {
     docker push "${IMAGE}"
 }
 
+# shellcheck disable=SC2120
 function print_patches_controller {
+    local deployment=$1
+
     cat <<EOF
 
 Run commands:
-kubectl -n d8-virtualization scale deployment virtualization-controller --replicas 1
-kubectl -n d8-virtualization patch deployment virtualization-controller --type='json' -p '[{"op": "replace", "path": "/spec/template/spec/containers/1/image", "value": "${IMAGE}"}]'
-kubectl -n d8-virtualization patch deployment virtualization-controller --type='strategic' -p '{
+kubectl -n d8-virtualization scale deployment ${deployment} --replicas 1
+kubectl -n d8-virtualization patch deployment ${deployment} --type='strategic' -p '{
     "spec": {
         "template": {
             "spec": {
                 "containers": [{
-                    "name": "virtualization-controller",
+                    "name": "${deployment}",
+                    "image": "${IMAGE}",
                     "ports": [{"containerPort": 2345, "name": "dlv"}]
                 }]
             }
         }
     }
 }'
-kubectl -n d8-virtualization port-forward deployments/virtualization-controller 2345:2345
+kubectl -n d8-virtualization port-forward deployments/${deployment} 2345:2345
 
 EOF
 }
@@ -100,26 +112,35 @@ case "$CMD" in
         case "$NAME" in
             "controller")
                 build_controller
-                echo "Built image ${IMAGE} successfully."
+                ;;
+            "apiserver")
+                build_apiserver
                 ;;
             *)
                 usage_exit 1
                 ;;
         esac
+        echo "Built image ${IMAGE} successfully."
         ;;
     "push")
+        deployment=""
         case "$NAME" in
             "controller")
                 build_controller
-                echo "Built image ${IMAGE} successfully."
-                push
-                echo "Push image ${IMAGE} successfully."
-                print_patches_controller
+                deployment="virtualization-controller"
+                ;;
+            "apiserver")
+                build_apiserver
+                deployment="virtualization-api"
                 ;;
             *)
                 usage_exit 1
                 ;;
         esac
+        echo "Built image ${IMAGE} successfully."
+        push
+        echo "Push image ${IMAGE} successfully."
+        print_patches_controller "${deployment}"
         ;;
     *)
         usage_exit 1
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/storage.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/storage.go
index 31b638805..c35deadf8 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/storage.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/storage.go
@@ -178,7 +178,9 @@ func (store VirtualMachineStorage) List(ctx context.Context, options *internalve
 	var opts internalversion.ListOptions
 	if options != nil {
 		opts = *options
-		labelSelector = options.LabelSelector
+	}
+	if !(opts.LabelSelector == nil || opts.LabelSelector.Empty()) {
+		labelSelector = opts.LabelSelector
 	}
 
 	name, err := nameFor(opts.FieldSelector)
diff --git a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/util.go b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/util.go
index 10c6b4dca..af2d580ca 100644
--- a/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/util.go
+++ b/images/virtualization-artifact/pkg/apiserver/registry/vm/storage/util.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func nameFor(fs fields.Selector) (string, error) {
-	if fs == nil {
+	if fs == nil || fs.Empty() {
 		fs = fields.Everything()
 	}
 	name, found := fs.RequiresExactMatch("metadata.name")