diff --git a/controllers/commonservice_controller.go b/controllers/commonservice_controller.go
index 53acc6e45..92a87fb72 100644
--- a/controllers/commonservice_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/commonservice_controller.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ type CommonServiceReconciler struct {
 const (
 	CRInitializing string = "Initializing"
 	CRUpdating     string = "Updating"
+	CRPending      string = "Pending"
 	CRSucceeded    string = "Succeeded"
 	CRFailed       string = "Failed"
 )
@@ -133,10 +134,20 @@ func (r *CommonServiceReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Reques
 		return ctrl.Result{}, client.IgnoreNotFound(err)
 	}
 
-	if r.checkNamespace(req.NamespacedName.String()) {
-		return r.ReconcileMasterCR(ctx, instance, inScope)
+	// If the CommonService CR is not paused, continue to reconcile
+	if !r.reconcilePauseRequest(instance) {
+		if r.checkNamespace(req.NamespacedName.String()) {
+			return r.ReconcileMasterCR(ctx, instance, inScope)
+		}
+		return r.ReconcileGeneralCR(ctx, instance, inScope)
 	}
-	return r.ReconcileGeneralCR(ctx, instance, inScope)
+	// If the CommonService CR is paused, update the status to pending
+	if err := r.updatePhase(ctx, instance, CRPending); err != nil {
+		klog.Errorf("Fail to reconcile %s/%s: %v", instance.Namespace, instance.Name, err)
+		return ctrl.Result{}, err
+	}
+	klog.Infof("%s/%s is in pending status due to pause request", instance.Namespace, instance.Name)
+	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 }
 
 func (r *CommonServiceReconciler) ReconcileMasterCR(ctx context.Context, instance *apiv3.CommonService, inScope bool) (ctrl.Result, error) {
@@ -352,7 +363,12 @@ func (r *CommonServiceReconciler) certSubToCsRequest() handler.MapFunc {
 
 func (r *CommonServiceReconciler) SetupWithManager(mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
 	return ctrl.NewControllerManagedBy(mgr).
-		For(&apiv3.CommonService{}, builder.WithPredicates(predicate.GenerationChangedPredicate{})).
+		// AnnotationChangedPredicate is intended to be used in conjunction with the GenerationChangedPredicate
+		For(&apiv3.CommonService{}, builder.WithPredicates(
+			predicate.Or(
+				predicate.GenerationChangedPredicate{},
+				predicate.AnnotationChangedPredicate{},
+				predicate.LabelChangedPredicate{}))).
 		Watches(
 			&source.Kind{Type: &corev1.ConfigMap{}},
 			handler.EnqueueRequestsFromMapFunc(r.mappingToCsRequest()),
diff --git a/controllers/recocile_pause.go b/controllers/recocile_pause.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f1cbfb8aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controllers/recocile_pause.go
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+//
+// Copyright 2022 IBM Corporation
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+//
+
+package controllers
+
+import (
+	"k8s.io/klog"
+
+	apiv3 "github.com/IBM/ibm-common-service-operator/api/v3"
+)
+
+const (
+	PauseRequestAnnoKey     = "commonservices.operator.ibm.com/pause"
+	SelfPauseRequestAnnoKey = "commonservices.operator.ibm.com/self-pause"
+	PauseRequestValue       = "true"
+)
+
+func (r *CommonServiceReconciler) reconcilePauseRequest(instance *apiv3.CommonService) bool {
+
+	klog.Info("Request Stage: ReconcilePauseRequest")
+
+	// if the given CommnService CR has not been existing
+	if instance == nil {
+		klog.Warningf("CommonService CR %s/%s is not existing", instance.Name, instance.Namespace)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// check if there is a pause request annotation in the CommonService CR
+	return r.pauseRequestExists(instance)
+
+	// future implementation: TO DO
+	// check and set pauseExpire annotation
+	// if the time is expired, remove the pause annotation
+}
+
+func (r *CommonServiceReconciler) pauseRequestExists(instance *apiv3.CommonService) bool {
+	klog.Info("Request Stage: Checking annotations for pause request")
+
+	// if there is pause or self-pause request annotation in the CommonService CR, pause request takes precedence over self-pause request
+	var pauseRequestFound bool
+	var selfpauseRequestFound bool
+	if instance.ObjectMeta.Annotations != nil {
+		for key := range instance.ObjectMeta.Annotations {
+			if key == PauseRequestAnnoKey {
+				pauseRequestFound = true
+				klog.Infof("Found pause request annotation: %v", instance.ObjectMeta.Annotations[PauseRequestAnnoKey])
+			} else if key == SelfPauseRequestAnnoKey {
+				selfpauseRequestFound = true
+				klog.Infof("Found self-pause request annotation: %v", instance.ObjectMeta.Annotations[SelfPauseRequestAnnoKey])
+			}
+		}
+		// Pause request takes precedence over self-pause request
+		if pauseRequestFound {
+			return instance.ObjectMeta.Annotations[PauseRequestAnnoKey] == PauseRequestValue
+		} else if selfpauseRequestFound {
+			return instance.ObjectMeta.Annotations[SelfPauseRequestAnnoKey] == PauseRequestValue
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+	return false
+}