diff --git a/controllers/ratelimitpolicy_controller_test.go b/controllers/ratelimitpolicy_controller_test.go
index c635bef3b..eb6181dce 100644
--- a/controllers/ratelimitpolicy_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/ratelimitpolicy_controller_test.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ var _ = Describe("RateLimitPolicy controller", func() {
 			httpRoute := testBuildBasicHttpRoute(routeName, gwName, testNamespace, []string{"*.example.com"})
 			err := k8sClient.Create(context.Background(), httpRoute)
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Eventually(testRouteIsAcceptedByGateway(client.ObjectKeyFromObject(httpRoute), gateway), time.Minute, 5*time.Second).Should(BeTrue())
 
 			// create ratelimitpolicy
 			rlp := &kuadrantv1beta2.RateLimitPolicy{
@@ -238,6 +239,7 @@ var _ = Describe("RateLimitPolicy controller", func() {
 			}
 			err := k8sClient.Create(context.Background(), httpRoute)
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Eventually(testRouteIsAcceptedByGateway(client.ObjectKeyFromObject(httpRoute), gateway), time.Minute, 5*time.Second).Should(BeTrue())
 
 			// create ratelimitpolicy
 			rlp := &kuadrantv1beta2.RateLimitPolicy{
@@ -421,6 +423,7 @@ var _ = Describe("RateLimitPolicy controller", func() {
 			httpRoute := testBuildBasicHttpRoute(routeName, gwName, testNamespace, []string{"*.example.com"})
 			err := k8sClient.Create(context.Background(), httpRoute)
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+			Eventually(testRouteIsAcceptedByGateway(client.ObjectKeyFromObject(httpRoute), gateway), time.Minute, 5*time.Second).Should(BeTrue())
 
 			// create ratelimitpolicy
 			rlp := &kuadrantv1beta2.RateLimitPolicy{
@@ -651,3 +654,29 @@ func testWasmPluginIsAvailable(key client.ObjectKey) func() bool {
 		return true
 	}
 }
+
+func testRouteIsAcceptedByGateway(key client.ObjectKey, gateway *gatewayapiv1.Gateway) func() bool {
+	return func() bool {
+		route := &gatewayapiv1.HTTPRoute{}
+		err := k8sClient.Get(context.Background(), key, route)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		routeParentStatus, found := common.Find(route.Status.RouteStatus.Parents, func(p gatewayapiv1.RouteParentStatus) bool {
+			return *p.ParentRef.Kind == ("Gateway") &&
+				((p.ParentRef.Namespace == nil && route.GetNamespace() == gateway.Namespace) || string(*p.ParentRef.Namespace) == gateway.Namespace) &&
+				string(p.ParentRef.Name) == gateway.Name
+		})
+
+		if !found {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		if !meta.IsStatusConditionTrue(routeParentStatus.Conditions, "Accepted") {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		return true
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/reconcilers/targetref_reconciler.go b/pkg/reconcilers/targetref_reconciler.go
index fd605c4ab..01040cb57 100644
--- a/pkg/reconcilers/targetref_reconciler.go
+++ b/pkg/reconcilers/targetref_reconciler.go
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ func (r *TargetRefReconciler) FetchAcceptedGatewayHTTPRoutes(ctx context.Context
 			routes = append(routes, route)
 			continue
 		}
-		logger.V(1).Info("skipping route, not attached to gateway", "httproute", client.ObjectKeyFromObject(&route))
+
+		logger.V(1).Info("skipping route, not attached to gateway",
+			"httproute", client.ObjectKeyFromObject(&route),
+			"isChildRoute", found,
+			"isAccepted", routeParentStatus != nil && meta.IsStatusConditionTrue(routeParentStatus.Conditions, "Accepted"))
 	}
 
 	return