diff --git a/controllers/horizontalrunnerautoscaler_controller.go b/controllers/horizontalrunnerautoscaler_controller.go
index c62f2e87..e007cbe6 100644
--- a/controllers/horizontalrunnerautoscaler_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/horizontalrunnerautoscaler_controller.go
@@ -132,16 +132,16 @@ func (r *HorizontalRunnerAutoscalerReconciler) Reconcile(req ctrl.Request) (ctrl
 
 	var updated *v1alpha1.HorizontalRunnerAutoscaler
 
-	if hra.Status.DesiredReplicas == nil || *hra.Status.DesiredReplicas != *replicas {
+	if hra.Status.DesiredReplicas == nil || *hra.Status.DesiredReplicas != newDesiredReplicas {
 		updated = hra.DeepCopy()
 
-		if (hra.Status.DesiredReplicas == nil && *replicas > 1) ||
-			(hra.Status.DesiredReplicas != nil && *replicas > *hra.Status.DesiredReplicas) {
+		if (hra.Status.DesiredReplicas == nil && newDesiredReplicas > 1) ||
+			(hra.Status.DesiredReplicas != nil && newDesiredReplicas > *hra.Status.DesiredReplicas) {
 
 			updated.Status.LastSuccessfulScaleOutTime = &metav1.Time{Time: time.Now()}
 		}
 
-		updated.Status.DesiredReplicas = replicas
+		updated.Status.DesiredReplicas = &newDesiredReplicas
 	}
 
 	if replicasFromCache == nil {
diff --git a/controllers/integration_test.go b/controllers/integration_test.go
index 55db2edf..1f85744e 100644
--- a/controllers/integration_test.go
+++ b/controllers/integration_test.go
@@ -484,6 +484,7 @@ var _ = Context("INTEGRATION: Inside of a new namespace", func() {
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to get test HorizontalRunnerAutoscaler resource")
 
 				ExpectRunnerSetsManagedReplicasCountEventuallyEquals(ctx, ns.Name, 1, "runners after HRA force update for scale-down")
+				ExpectHRADesiredReplicasEquals(ctx, ns.Name, name, 1, "runner deployment desired replicas")
 			}
 
 			// Scale-up to 2 replicas on first pull_request create webhook event
@@ -491,12 +492,14 @@ var _ = Context("INTEGRATION: Inside of a new namespace", func() {
 				env.SendUserPullRequestEvent("test", "valid", "main", "created")
 				ExpectRunnerSetsCountEventuallyEquals(ctx, ns.Name, 1, "runner sets after webhook")
 				ExpectRunnerSetsManagedReplicasCountEventuallyEquals(ctx, ns.Name, 2, "runners after first webhook event")
+				ExpectHRADesiredReplicasEquals(ctx, ns.Name, name, 2, "runner deployment desired replicas")
 			}
 
 			// Scale-up to 3 replicas on second pull_request create webhook event
 			{
 				env.SendUserPullRequestEvent("test", "valid", "main", "created")
 				ExpectRunnerSetsManagedReplicasCountEventuallyEquals(ctx, ns.Name, 3, "runners after second webhook event")
+				ExpectHRADesiredReplicasEquals(ctx, ns.Name, name, 3, "runner deployment desired replicas")
 			}
 		})
 
@@ -598,6 +601,18 @@ var _ = Context("INTEGRATION: Inside of a new namespace", func() {
 	})
 })
 
+func ExpectHRADesiredReplicasEquals(ctx context.Context, ns, name string, desired int, optionalDescriptions ...interface{}) {
+	var rd actionsv1alpha1.HorizontalRunnerAutoscaler
+
+	err := k8sClient.Get(ctx, types.NamespacedName{Namespace: ns, Name: name}, &rd)
+
+	ExpectWithOffset(1, err).NotTo(HaveOccurred(), "failed to get test HRA resource")
+
+	replicas := rd.Status.DesiredReplicas
+
+	ExpectWithOffset(1, *replicas).To(Equal(desired), optionalDescriptions...)
+}
+
 func (env *testEnvironment) ExpectRegisteredNumberCountEventuallyEquals(want int, optionalDescriptions ...interface{}) {
 	EventuallyWithOffset(
 		1,