diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 16d399865..124b22da8 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ var (
 type Config struct {
 	OpConfig                     config.Config
 	RestConfig                   *rest.Config
-	PgTeamMap                    pgteams.PostgresTeamMap
+	PgTeamMap                    *pgteams.PostgresTeamMap
 	InfrastructureRoles          map[string]spec.PgUser // inherited from the controller
 	PodServiceAccount            *v1.ServiceAccount
 	PodServiceAccountRoleBinding *rbacv1.RoleBinding
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
index 1f6510e65..8ef69ddf3 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	acidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
+	pgteams "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/teams"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/config"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/constants"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/k8sutil"
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ var cl = New(
 				DownscalerAnnotations: []string{"downscaler/*"},
 			},
 		},
+		PgTeamMap: new(pgteams.PostgresTeamMap),
 	},
 	k8sutil.NewMockKubernetesClient(),
 	acidv1.Postgresql{ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "acid-test", Namespace: "test", Annotations: map[string]string{"downscaler/downtime_replicas": "0"}}},
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index 393a490bd..f2c071d89 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -240,7 +240,14 @@ func (c *Cluster) getTeamMembers(teamID string) ([]string, error) {
 
 	c.logger.Debugf("fetching possible additional team members for team %q", teamID)
 	members := []string{}
-	additionalMembers := c.PgTeamMap[teamID].AdditionalMembers
+	additionalMembers := []string{}
+
+	for team, membership := range *c.PgTeamMap {
+		if team == teamID {
+			additionalMembers = membership.AdditionalMembers
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, member := range additionalMembers {
 		members = append(members, member)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller.go b/pkg/controller/controller.go
index 0c29275e6..31c60f23a 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ import (
 type Controller struct {
 	config    spec.ControllerConfig
 	opConfig  *config.Config
-	pgTeamMap teams.PostgresTeamMap
+	pgTeamMap *teams.PostgresTeamMap
 
 	logger     *logrus.Entry
 	KubeClient k8sutil.KubernetesClient
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func (c *Controller) initController() {
 	if c.opConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRD {
 		c.loadPostgresTeams()
 	} else {
-		c.pgTeamMap = teams.PostgresTeamMap{}
+		c.pgTeamMap = new(teams.PostgresTeamMap)
 	}
 
 	if c.opConfig.DebugLogging {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/util.go b/pkg/controller/util.go
index 815bc7b74..9e7ac5a46 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/util.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/util.go
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ func (c *Controller) getInfrastructureRole(
 
 func (c *Controller) loadPostgresTeams() {
 	// reset team map
-	c.pgTeamMap = teams.PostgresTeamMap{}
+	c.pgTeamMap = new(teams.PostgresTeamMap)
 
 	pgTeams, err := c.KubeClient.PostgresTeamsGetter.PostgresTeams(c.opConfig.WatchedNamespace).List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{})
 	if err != nil {