diff --git a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/util.go b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/util.go
index d8e9140d8..c30b8c631 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/util.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/util.go
@@ -102,5 +102,5 @@ func (postgresStatus PostgresStatus) Creating() bool {
 }
 
 func (postgresStatus PostgresStatus) String() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`status=%s`, postgresStatus.PostgresClusterStatus)
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`"status":{"PostgresClusterStatus": %s}`, postgresStatus.PostgresClusterStatus)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 8840e2d6a..dd363053c 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
@@ -19,8 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/cache"
 
-	"encoding/json"
-
 	acidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util"
@@ -149,9 +148,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) setProcessName(procName string, args ...interface{}) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Cluster) setStatus(status string) {
+func (c *Cluster) SetStatus(status string) {
 	// TODO: eventually switch to updateStatus() for kubernetes 1.11 and above
-	patch, err := json.Marshal(&acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: status})
+	patch, err := json.Marshal(acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: status})
 	if err != nil {
 		c.logger.Errorf("could not marshal status: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -210,13 +209,13 @@ func (c *Cluster) Create() error {
 
 	defer func() {
 		if err == nil {
-			c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning) //TODO: are you sure it's running?
+			c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning) //TODO: are you sure it's running?
 		} else {
-			c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusAddFailed)
+			c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusAddFailed)
 		}
 	}()
 
-	c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusCreating)
+	c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusCreating)
 
 	for _, role := range []PostgresRole{Master, Replica} {
 
@@ -483,14 +482,14 @@ func (c *Cluster) Update(oldSpec, newSpec *acidv1.Postgresql) error {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 
-	c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusUpdating)
+	c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusUpdating)
 	c.setSpec(newSpec)
 
 	defer func() {
 		if updateFailed {
-			c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusUpdateFailed)
+			c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusUpdateFailed)
 		} else {
-			c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning)
+			c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning)
 		}
 	}()
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
index 4f95a70cb..0940dd034 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
@@ -20,10 +20,20 @@ const (
 )
 
 var logger = logrus.New().WithField("test", "cluster")
-var cl = New(Config{OpConfig: config.Config{ProtectedRoles: []string{"admin"},
-	Auth: config.Auth{SuperUsername: superUserName,
-		ReplicationUsername: replicationUserName}}},
-	k8sutil.KubernetesClient{}, acidv1.Postgresql{}, logger)
+var cl = New(
+	Config{
+		OpConfig: config.Config{
+			ProtectedRoles: []string{"admin"},
+			Auth: config.Auth{
+				SuperUsername:       superUserName,
+				ReplicationUsername: replicationUserName,
+			},
+		},
+	},
+	k8sutil.KubernetesClient{},
+	acidv1.Postgresql{},
+	logger,
+)
 
 func TestInitRobotUsers(t *testing.T) {
 	testName := "TestInitRobotUsers"
@@ -318,31 +328,3 @@ func TestShouldDeleteSecret(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-func TestSetStatus(t *testing.T) {
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		status  acidv1.PostgresStatus
-		outcome bool
-	}{
-		{
-			status:  acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: acidv1.ClusterStatusCreating},
-			outcome: cl.Status.Creating(),
-		},
-		{
-			status:  acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning},
-			outcome: cl.Status.Running(),
-		},
-		{
-			status:  acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: acidv1.ClusterStatusSyncFailed},
-			outcome: !cl.Status.Success(),
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		cl.setStatus(tt.status.PostgresClusterStatus)
-		if tt.outcome {
-			t.Errorf("Wrong status: %s", cl.Status.String())
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync.go b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
index 9ba2ee40a..259f421bf 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ func (c *Cluster) Sync(newSpec *acidv1.Postgresql) error {
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
 			c.logger.Warningf("error while syncing cluster state: %v", err)
-			c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusSyncFailed)
+			c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusSyncFailed)
 		} else if !c.Status.Running() {
-			c.setStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning)
+			c.SetStatus(acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning)
 		}
 	}()
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/util_test.go b/pkg/controller/util_test.go
index cb782904c..ae2ab5147 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/util_test.go
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	b64 "encoding/base64"
+
+	acidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1"
+	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
+	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/k8sutil"
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	v1core "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
-
-	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
-	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/k8sutil"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -186,3 +187,33 @@ func TestGetInfrastructureRoles(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSetStatus(t *testing.T) {
+
+	for _, cl := range c.clusters {
+		tests := []struct {
+			status  acidv1.PostgresStatus
+			outcome bool
+		}{
+			{
+				status:  acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: acidv1.ClusterStatusCreating},
+				outcome: cl.Status.Creating(),
+			},
+			{
+				status:  acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: acidv1.ClusterStatusRunning},
+				outcome: cl.Status.Running(),
+			},
+			{
+				status:  acidv1.PostgresStatus{PostgresClusterStatus: acidv1.ClusterStatusInvalid},
+				outcome: !cl.Status.Success(),
+			},
+		}
+
+		for _, tt := range tests {
+			cl.SetStatus(tt.status.PostgresClusterStatus)
+			if tt.outcome {
+				t.Errorf("Wrong status: %s", cl.Status.String())
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}