diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 3157132b2..1055b795d 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) initHumanUsers() error {
 	var clusterIsOwnedBySuperuserTeam bool
 	superuserTeams := []string{}
 
-	if c.OpConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRDSuperusers {
+	if c.OpConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRD && c.OpConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRDSuperusers && c.Config.PgTeamMap != nil {
 		superuserTeams = c.Config.PgTeamMap.GetAdditionalSuperuserTeams(c.Spec.TeamID, true)
 	}
 
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) initHumanUsers() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if c.Config.PgTeamMap != nil {
+	if c.OpConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRD && c.Config.PgTeamMap != nil {
 		additionalTeams := c.Config.PgTeamMap.GetAdditionalTeams(c.Spec.TeamID, true)
 		for _, additionalTeam := range additionalTeams {
 			if !(util.SliceContains(superuserTeams, additionalTeam)) {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller.go b/pkg/controller/controller.go
index 0c29275e6..f992ff782 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller.go
@@ -329,10 +329,9 @@ func (c *Controller) initController() {
 
 	c.initSharedInformers()
 
+	c.pgTeamMap = teams.PostgresTeamMap{}
 	if c.opConfig.EnablePostgresTeamCRD {
 		c.loadPostgresTeams()
-	} else {
-		c.pgTeamMap = teams.PostgresTeamMap{}
 	}
 
 	if c.opConfig.DebugLogging {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/util.go b/pkg/controller/util.go
index 8c8fcf223..8aa891c09 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/util.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/util.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	acidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/cluster"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/spec"
-	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/teams"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/config"
 	"github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/util/k8sutil"
@@ -395,9 +394,6 @@ func (c *Controller) getInfrastructureRole(
 }
 
 func (c *Controller) loadPostgresTeams() {
-	// reset team map
-	c.pgTeamMap = teams.PostgresTeamMap{}
-
 	pgTeams, err := c.KubeClient.PostgresTeamsGetter.PostgresTeams(c.opConfig.WatchedNamespace).List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
 		c.logger.Errorf("could not list postgres team objects: %v", err)
diff --git a/pkg/teams/postgres_team.go b/pkg/teams/postgres_team.go
index 3ebbc55aa..b0a7b3027 100644
--- a/pkg/teams/postgres_team.go
+++ b/pkg/teams/postgres_team.go
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import (
 // PostgresTeamMap is the operator's internal representation of all PostgresTeam CRDs
 type PostgresTeamMap map[string]*postgresTeamMembership
 
-var emptyTeamMap = make(PostgresTeamMap, 0)
-
 type postgresTeamMembership struct {
 	AdditionalSuperuserTeams []string
 	AdditionalTeams          []string
@@ -96,9 +94,8 @@ func (ptm *PostgresTeamMap) GetAdditionalSuperuserTeams(team string, transitive
 
 // Load function to import data from PostgresTeam CRD
 func (ptm *PostgresTeamMap) Load(pgTeams *acidv1.PostgresTeamList) {
-	if ptm == nil {
-		ptm = &emptyTeamMap
-	}
+	var emptyTeamMap = make(PostgresTeamMap, 0)
+	*ptm = emptyTeamMap
 
 	superuserTeamSet := teamHashSet{}
 	teamSet := teamHashSet{}