diff --git a/pkg/cluster/k8sres.go b/pkg/cluster/k8sres.go
index 5af6ead45..6ab5e41f1 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/k8sres.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/k8sres.go
@@ -1933,7 +1933,8 @@ func (c *Cluster) generateSingleUserSecret(pgUser spec.PgUser) *v1.Secret {
 
 	// if secret lives in another namespace we cannot set ownerReferences
 	var ownerReferences []metav1.OwnerReference
-	if c.Config.OpConfig.EnableCrossNamespaceSecret && c.Postgresql.ObjectMeta.Namespace != pgUser.Namespace {
+	secretsDeletionDisabled := c.OpConfig.EnableSecretsDeletion != nil && !*c.OpConfig.EnableSecretsDeletion
+	if secretsDeletionDisabled || (c.Config.OpConfig.EnableCrossNamespaceSecret && c.Postgresql.ObjectMeta.Namespace != pgUser.Namespace) {
 		ownerReferences = nil
 	} else {
 		ownerReferences = c.ownerReferences()