diff --git a/changelog.d/+280-mirrord-intellij-copy-target-share.internal.md b/changelog.d/+280-mirrord-intellij-copy-target-share.internal.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..825e49ea22c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/+280-mirrord-intellij-copy-target-share.internal.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add patch to allow a user to reuse copy-target and fix issue where prelauch commands in intellij prevented execution.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mirrord/operator/src/client.rs b/mirrord/operator/src/client.rs
index ec304dc73f2..90a0bd05d4a 100644
--- a/mirrord/operator/src/client.rs
+++ b/mirrord/operator/src/client.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ use conn_wrapper::ConnectionWrapper;
 use error::{OperatorApiError, OperatorApiResult, OperatorOperation};
 use http::{request::Request, HeaderName, HeaderValue};
 use k8s_openapi::api::apps::v1::Deployment;
-use kube::{api::PostParams, Api, Client, Config, Resource};
+use kube::{
+    api::{ListParams, PostParams},
+    Api, Client, Config, Resource,
+};
 use mirrord_analytics::{AnalyticsHash, AnalyticsOperatorProperties, Reporter};
 use mirrord_auth::{
     certificate::Certificate,
@@ -669,7 +672,16 @@ impl OperatorApi<PreparedClientCert> {
             let scale_down = config.feature.copy_target.scale_down;
             let namespace = self.target_namespace(config);
             let copied = self
-                .copy_target(target, scale_down, namespace, &config.feature.split_queues)
+                .copy_target(
+                    target,
+                    scale_down,
+                    namespace,
+                    config
+                        .feature
+                        .split_queues
+                        .is_set()
+                        .then(|| config.feature.split_queues.clone()),
+                )
                 .await?;
 
             copy_subtask.success(Some("target copied"));
@@ -722,8 +734,14 @@ impl OperatorApi<PreparedClientCert> {
         Ok(OperatorSessionConnection { session, tx, rx })
     }
 
-    /// Creates a new [`CopyTargetCrd`] resource using the operator.
-    /// This should create a new dummy pod out of the given [`Target`].
+    /// Returns client cert's public key in a base64 encoded string (no padding same like in
+    /// operator logic)
+    pub fn get_user_id_str(&self) -> String {
+        general_purpose::STANDARD_NO_PAD.encode(self.client_cert.cert.public_key_data())
+    }
+
+    /// Creates a new or reuses existing [`CopyTargetCrd`] resource using the operator.
+    /// If new this should create a new dummy pod out of the given [`Target`].
     ///
     /// # Note
     ///
@@ -735,22 +753,47 @@ impl OperatorApi<PreparedClientCert> {
         target: Target,
         scale_down: bool,
         namespace: &str,
-        split_queues: &SplitQueuesConfig,
+        split_queues: Option<SplitQueuesConfig>,
     ) -> OperatorApiResult<CopyTargetCrd> {
-        let name = TargetCrd::urlfied_name(&target);
-
-        let requested = CopyTargetCrd::new(
-            &name,
-            CopyTargetSpec {
-                target,
-                idle_ttl: Some(Self::COPIED_POD_IDLE_TTL),
-                scale_down,
-                split_queues: Some(split_queues.clone()),
-            },
-        );
+        let user_id = self.get_user_id_str();
+
+        let copy_target_api: Api<CopyTargetCrd> = Api::namespaced(self.client.clone(), namespace);
+
+        let existing_copy_targets =
+            copy_target_api
+                .list(&ListParams::default())
+                .await
+                .map_err(|error| OperatorApiError::KubeError {
+                    error,
+                    operation: OperatorOperation::CopyingTarget,
+                })?;
 
-        Api::namespaced(self.client.clone(), namespace)
-            .create(&PostParams::default(), &requested)
+        let copy_target_name = TargetCrd::urlfied_name(&target);
+        let copy_target_spec = CopyTargetSpec {
+            target,
+            idle_ttl: Some(Self::COPIED_POD_IDLE_TTL),
+            scale_down,
+            split_queues,
+        };
+
+        if let Some(copy_target) = existing_copy_targets.items.into_iter().find(|copy_target| {
+            copy_target.spec == copy_target_spec
+                && copy_target
+                    .status
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(|status| status.creator_session.user_id.as_ref() == Some(&user_id))
+                    .unwrap_or(false)
+        }) {
+            tracing::debug!(?copy_target, "reusing copy_target");
+
+            return Ok(copy_target);
+        }
+
+        copy_target_api
+            .create(
+                &PostParams::default(),
+                &CopyTargetCrd::new(&copy_target_name, copy_target_spec),
+            )
             .await
             .map_err(|error| OperatorApiError::KubeError {
                 error,
diff --git a/mirrord/operator/src/crd.rs b/mirrord/operator/src/crd.rs
index 406d64beccb..a6716b9e47c 100644
--- a/mirrord/operator/src/crd.rs
+++ b/mirrord/operator/src/crd.rs
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ pub struct Session {
     pub target: String,
     pub namespace: Option<String>,
     pub locked_ports: Option<Vec<(u16, String, Option<String>)>>,
+    pub user_id: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Resource used to access the operator's session management routes.
@@ -292,12 +293,13 @@ impl From<&OperatorFeatures> for NewOperatorFeature {
 
 /// This [`Resource`](kube::Resource) represents a copy pod created from an existing [`Target`]
 /// (operator's copy pod feature).
-#[derive(CustomResource, Clone, Debug, Deserialize, Serialize, JsonSchema)]
+#[derive(CustomResource, Clone, Debug, Deserialize, Serialize, JsonSchema, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[kube(
     group = "operator.metalbear.co",
     version = "v1",
     kind = "CopyTarget",
     root = "CopyTargetCrd",
+    status = "CopyTargetStatus",
     namespaced
 )]
 pub struct CopyTargetSpec {
@@ -313,6 +315,13 @@ pub struct CopyTargetSpec {
     pub split_queues: Option<SplitQueuesConfig>,
 }
 
+/// This is the `status` field for [`CopyTargetCrd`].
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize, Serialize, JsonSchema)]
+pub struct CopyTargetStatus {
+    /// The session object of the original session that created this CopyTarget
+    pub creator_session: Session,
+}
+
 /// Features and operations that can be blocked by a `MirrordPolicy`.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Deserialize, Eq, PartialEq, Serialize, JsonSchema)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")] // StealWithoutFilter -> steal-without-filter in yaml.