diff --git a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go
index 453d618d3..0948ac2b8 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/operator_configuration_type.go
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ type AWSGCPConfiguration struct {
 
 // OperatorDebugConfiguration defines options for the debug mode
 type OperatorDebugConfiguration struct {
-	DebugLogging   bool `json:"debug_logging,omitempty"`
-	EnableDBAccess bool `json:"enable_database_access,omitempty"`
+	DebugLogging   *bool `json:"debug_logging,omitempty"`
+	EnableDBAccess *bool `json:"enable_database_access,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // TeamsAPIConfiguration defines the configuration of TeamsAPI
diff --git a/pkg/controller/operator_config.go b/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
index 4df8a8bd2..10af3138f 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ func (c *Controller) importConfigurationFromCRD(fromCRD *acidv1.OperatorConfigur
 	result.LogicalBackupMemoryLimit = fromCRD.LogicalBackup.MemoryLimit
 
 	// debug config
-	result.DebugLogging = fromCRD.OperatorDebug.DebugLogging
-	result.EnableDBAccess = fromCRD.OperatorDebug.EnableDBAccess
+	result.DebugLogging = *util.CoalesceBool(fromCRD.OperatorDebug.DebugLogging, util.True())
+	result.EnableDBAccess = *util.CoalesceBool(fromCRD.OperatorDebug.EnableDBAccess, util.True())
 
 	// Teams API config
 	result.EnableTeamsAPI = fromCRD.TeamsAPI.EnableTeamsAPI