diff --git a/pkg/cluster/streams.go b/pkg/cluster/streams.go
index 10df7974c..a135c5767 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/streams.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/streams.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/constants"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/k8sutil"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 )
 
 func (c *Cluster) createStreams(appId string) (*zalandov1.FabricEventStream, error) {
@@ -29,8 +31,12 @@ func (c *Cluster) createStreams(appId string) (*zalandov1.FabricEventStream, err
 
 func (c *Cluster) updateStreams(newEventStreams *zalandov1.FabricEventStream) error {
 	c.setProcessName("updating event streams")
-
-	if _, err := c.KubeClient.FabricEventStreams(newEventStreams.Namespace).Update(context.TODO(), newEventStreams, metav1.UpdateOptions{}); err != nil {
+	patch, err := json.Marshal(newEventStreams)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not marshal new event stream CRD %q: %v", newEventStreams.Name, err)
+	}
+	if _, err := c.KubeClient.FabricEventStreams(newEventStreams.Namespace).Patch(
+		context.TODO(), newEventStreams.Name, types.MergePatchType, patch, metav1.PatchOptions{}); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/streams_test.go b/pkg/cluster/streams_test.go
index 7030c914e..f71178823 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/streams_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/streams_test.go
@@ -294,6 +294,21 @@ func TestSameStreams(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	stream3 := zalandov1.EventStream{
+		EventStreamFlow: zalandov1.EventStreamFlow{},
+		EventStreamRecovery: zalandov1.EventStreamRecovery{
+			Type: constants.EventStreamRecoveryNoneType,
+		},
+		EventStreamSink: zalandov1.EventStreamSink{
+			EventType: "stream-type-b",
+		},
+		EventStreamSource: zalandov1.EventStreamSource{
+			EventStreamTable: zalandov1.EventStreamTable{
+				Name: "bar",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
 	tests := []struct {
 		subTest  string
 		streamsA []zalandov1.EventStream
@@ -336,6 +351,13 @@ func TestSameStreams(t *testing.T) {
 			match:    false,
 			reason:   "number of defined streams is different",
 		},
+		{
+			subTest:  "event stream recovery specs differ",
+			streamsA: []zalandov1.EventStream{stream2},
+			streamsB: []zalandov1.EventStream{stream3},
+			match:    false,
+			reason:   "event stream specs differ",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -409,6 +431,28 @@ func TestUpdateFabricEventStream(t *testing.T) {
 
 	result := cluster.generateFabricEventStream(appId)
 	if match, _ := sameStreams(streams.Items[0].Spec.EventStreams, result.Spec.EventStreams); !match {
-		t.Errorf("Malformed FabricEventStream, expected %#v, got %#v", streams.Items[0], result)
+		t.Errorf("Malformed FabricEventStream after updating manifest, expected %#v, got %#v", streams.Items[0], result)
+	}
+
+	// disable recovery
+	for _, stream := range pg.Spec.Streams {
+		if stream.ApplicationId == appId {
+			stream.EnableRecovery = util.False()
+		}
+	}
+	patchData, err = specPatch(pg.Spec)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	pgPatched, err = cluster.KubeClient.Postgresqls(namespace).Patch(
+		context.TODO(), cluster.Name, types.MergePatchType, patchData, metav1.PatchOptions{}, "spec")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cluster.Postgresql.Spec = pgPatched.Spec
+	err = cluster.createOrUpdateStreams()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	result = cluster.generateFabricEventStream(appId)
+	if match, _ := sameStreams(streams.Items[0].Spec.EventStreams, result.Spec.EventStreams); !match {
+		t.Errorf("Malformed FabricEventStream after disabling event recovery, expected %#v, got %#v", streams.Items[0], result)
 	}
 }