diff --git a/pkg/util/config/config.go b/pkg/util/config/config.go
index 3ffdfb932..2892b1fcf 100644
--- a/pkg/util/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/util/config/config.go
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	Auth
 	Scalyr
 
-	WatchedNamespace string `name:"watched_namespace"` // special values: "*" means 'watch all namespaces', the empty string "" means 'watch a namespace where operator is deployed to'
-	EtcdHost         string `name:"etcd_host" default:"etcd-client.default.svc.cluster.local:2379"`
+	WatchedNamespace string `name:"watched_namespace"`    // special values: "*" means 'watch all namespaces', the empty string "" means 'watch a namespace where operator is deployed to'
+	EtcdHost         string `name:"etcd_host" default:""` // empty string forces Patroni use k8s as a DCS
 	DockerImage      string `name:"docker_image" default:"registry.opensource.zalan.do/acid/spiloprivate-9.6:1.2-p4"`
 	// default name `operator` enables backward compatibility with the older ServiceAccountName field
 	PodServiceAccountName string `name:"pod_service_account_name" default:"operator"`