diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync_test.go b/pkg/cluster/sync_test.go
index 440835345..3694226fb 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	acidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1"
@@ -35,9 +36,8 @@ func TestSyncStatefulSetsAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 
 	pg := acidv1.Postgresql{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:        clusterName,
-			Namespace:   namespace,
-			Annotations: map[string]string{"test-anno": "true"},
+			Name:      clusterName,
+			Namespace: namespace,
 		},
 		Spec: acidv1.PostgresSpec{
 			Volume: acidv1.Volume{
@@ -68,35 +68,24 @@ func TestSyncStatefulSetsAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 	cluster.Name = clusterName
 	cluster.Namespace = namespace
 
-	// create a new Postgresql resource
-	_, err := cluster.KubeClient.Postgresqls(namespace).Create(
-		context.TODO(), &pg, metav1.CreateOptions{})
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-
 	// create a statefulset
-	sts, err := cluster.createStatefulSet()
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	cluster.Statefulset = sts
-
-	// update postgresql and remove annotation to force sync
-	newPg := acidv1.Postgresql{
-		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
-			Name:      clusterName,
-			Namespace: namespace,
-		},
-		Spec: acidv1.PostgresSpec{
-			Volume: acidv1.Volume{
-				Size: "1Gi",
-			},
-		},
-	}
-
-	_, err = cluster.KubeClient.Postgresqls(namespace).Update(
-		context.TODO(), &newPg, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
+	_, err := cluster.createStatefulSet()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	// empty annotations on cluster ObjectMeta object as well
-	cluster.ObjectMeta.Annotations = map[string]string{}
+	// patch statefulset and add annotation
+	patchData, err := metaAnnotationsPatch(map[string]string{"test-anno": "true"})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	newSts, err := cluster.KubeClient.StatefulSets(namespace).Patch(
+		context.TODO(),
+		clusterName,
+		types.MergePatchType,
+		[]byte(patchData),
+		metav1.PatchOptions{},
+		"")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cluster.Statefulset = newSts
 
 	// first compare running with desired statefulset - they should not match
 	desiredSts, err := cluster.generateStatefulSet(&cluster.Postgresql.Spec)
@@ -107,13 +96,9 @@ func TestSyncStatefulSetsAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("%s: match between current and desired statefulsets albeit differences: %#v", testName, cmp)
 	}
 
-	// now sync statefulset - the diff should trigger a replacement
+	// now sync statefulset - the diff should trigger a update
 	cluster.syncStatefulSet()
 
-	// compare them again
-	_, err = cluster.KubeClient.StatefulSets(namespace).Get(context.TODO(), clusterName, metav1.GetOptions{})
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-
 	cmp = cluster.compareStatefulSetWith(desiredSts)
 	if !cmp.match {
 		t.Errorf("%s: current and desired statefulsets are not matching %#v", testName, cmp)