diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index 42917fd24..81b715801 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ func metadataAnnotationsPatch(annotations map[string]string) string {
 		annotationsList = append(annotationsList, fmt.Sprintf(`"%s":"%s"`, name, value))
 	}
 	annotationsString := strings.Join(annotationsList, ",")
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`{"metadata":{"annotations": {"$patch":"replace", %s}}}`, annotationsString)
+	// TODO: perhaps use patchStrategy:"replace" json annotation instead of constructing the patch literally.
+	return fmt.Sprintf(constants.ServiceMetadataAnnotationFormat, annotationsString)
 }
 
 func (c *Cluster) logStatefulSetChanges(old, new *v1beta1.StatefulSet, isUpdate bool, reasons []string) {
diff --git a/pkg/util/constants/annotations.go b/pkg/util/constants/annotations.go
index 0b93fc2e1..3b276cc3d 100644
--- a/pkg/util/constants/annotations.go
+++ b/pkg/util/constants/annotations.go
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ const (
 	ElbTimeoutAnnotationValue          = "3600"
 	KubeIAmAnnotation                  = "iam.amazonaws.com/role"
 	VolumeStorateProvisionerAnnotation = "pv.kubernetes.io/provisioned-by"
+	ServiceMetadataAnnotationFormat    = `{"metadata":{"annotations": {"$patch":"replace", %s}}}`
 )