diff --git a/manifests/configmap.yaml b/manifests/configmap.yaml
index 9c467f196..89c352b5e 100644
--- a/manifests/configmap.yaml
+++ b/manifests/configmap.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ data:
   pod_role_label: spilo-role
   db_hosted_zone: db.example.com
   debug_logging: "true"
-  dns_name_format: '%s.%s.staging.%s'
+  dns_name_format: '{cluster}.{team}.staging.{hostedzone}'
   docker_image: registry.opensource.zalan.do/acid/spiloprivate-9.6:1.2-p4
   etcd_host: etcd-client.default.svc.cluster.local:2379
   infrastructure_roles_secret_name: postgresql-infrastructure-roles
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index c76e844e9..cfa2def35 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -245,11 +245,10 @@ func (c *Cluster) labelsSet() labels.Set {
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) dnsName() string {
-	return strings.ToLower(fmt.Sprintf(
-		c.OpConfig.DNSNameFormat,
-		c.Spec.ClusterName,
-		c.teamName(),
-		c.OpConfig.DbHostedZone))
+	return strings.ToLower(c.OpConfig.DNSNameFormat.Format(
+		"cluster", c.Spec.ClusterName,
+		"team", c.teamName(),
+		"hostedzone", c.OpConfig.DbHostedZone))
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) credentialSecretName(username string) string {
diff --git a/pkg/util/config/config.go b/pkg/util/config/config.go
index 7ed7c76aa..e61848b3e 100644
--- a/pkg/util/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/util/config/config.go
@@ -43,19 +43,19 @@ type Config struct {
 	TPR
 	Resources
 	Auth
-	Namespace          string `name:"namespace"`
-	EtcdHost           string `name:"etcd_host" default:"etcd-client.default.svc.cluster.local:2379"`
-	DockerImage        string `name:"docker_image" default:"registry.opensource.zalan.do/acid/spiloprivate-9.6:1.2-p4"`
-	ServiceAccountName string `name:"service_account_name" default:"operator"`
-	DbHostedZone       string `name:"db_hosted_zone" default:"db.example.com"`
-	EtcdScope          string `name:"etcd_scope" default:"service"`
-	WALES3Bucket       string `name:"wal_s3_bucket"`
-	KubeIAMRole        string `name:"kube_iam_role"`
-	DebugLogging       bool   `name:"debug_logging" default:"false"`
-	EnableDBAccess     bool   `name:"enable_database_access" default:"true"`
-	EnableTeamsAPI     bool   `name:"enable_teams_api" default:"true"`
-	DNSNameFormat      string `name:"dns_name_format" default:"%s.%s.%s"`
-	Workers            uint32 `name:"workers" default:"4"`
+	Namespace          string         `name:"namespace"`
+	EtcdHost           string         `name:"etcd_host" default:"etcd-client.default.svc.cluster.local:2379"`
+	DockerImage        string         `name:"docker_image" default:"registry.opensource.zalan.do/acid/spiloprivate-9.6:1.2-p4"`
+	ServiceAccountName string         `name:"service_account_name" default:"operator"`
+	DbHostedZone       string         `name:"db_hosted_zone" default:"db.example.com"`
+	EtcdScope          string         `name:"etcd_scope" default:"service"`
+	WALES3Bucket       string         `name:"wal_s3_bucket"`
+	KubeIAMRole        string         `name:"kube_iam_role"`
+	DebugLogging       bool           `name:"debug_logging" default:"true"`
+	EnableDBAccess     bool           `name:"enable_database_access" default:"true"`
+	EnableTeamsAPI     bool           `name:"enable_teams_api" default:"true"`
+	DNSNameFormat      stringTemplate `name:"dns_name_format" default:"{cluster}.{team}.{hostedzone}"`
+	Workers            uint32         `name:"workers" default:"4"`
 }
 
 func (c Config) MustMarshal() string {
diff --git a/pkg/util/config/util.go b/pkg/util/config/util.go
index 40d9e6ed9..de3d55e24 100644
--- a/pkg/util/config/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/config/util.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package config
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
@@ -18,6 +19,8 @@ type fieldInfo struct {
 	Field   reflect.Value
 }
 
+type stringTemplate string
+
 func decoderFrom(field reflect.Value) (d Decoder) {
 	// it may be impossible for a struct field to fail this check
 	if !field.CanInterface() {
@@ -162,3 +165,23 @@ func processField(value string, field reflect.Value) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (f *stringTemplate) Decode(value string) error {
+	*f = stringTemplate(value)
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *stringTemplate) Format(a ...string) string {
+	res := string(*f)
+
+	for i := 0; i < len(a); i += 2 {
+		res = strings.Replace(res, "{"+a[i]+"}", a[i+1], -1)
+	}
+
+	return res
+}
+
+func (f stringTemplate) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal(string(f))
+}