diff --git a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/marshal.go b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/marshal.go
index 9521082fc..f4167ce92 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/marshal.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1/marshal.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func (ps *PostgresStatus) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		metaErr := json.Unmarshal(data, &status)
 		if metaErr != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Could not parse status: %v; err %v", string(data), metaErr)
+			return fmt.Errorf("could not parse status: %v; err %v", string(data), metaErr)
 		}
 		tmp.PostgresClusterStatus = status
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync.go b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
index e2484f05f..88bb066fe 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -409,7 +411,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncStatefulSet() error {
 		}
 
 		if instanceRestartRequired {
-			c.logger.Debugln("restarting Postgres server within pods")
+			c.logger.Debugf("restarting Postgres server within pod %s", podName)
 			ttl, ok := config["ttl"].(int32)
 			if !ok {
 				ttl = 30
@@ -494,29 +496,71 @@ func (c *Cluster) checkAndSetGlobalPostgreSQLConfiguration(pod *v1.Pod, patroniC
 		restartRequired bool
 	)
 
-	// we need to extract those options from the cluster manifest.
-	optionsToSet := make(map[string]string)
-	desiredConfig := c.Spec.Parameters
-	effectiveConfig := patroniConfig["postgresql"].(map[string]interface{})
-	effectiveParameters := effectiveConfig["parameters"].(map[string]interface{})
+	configToSet := make(map[string]interface{})
+	parametersToSet := make(map[string]string)
+	effectivePgParameters := make(map[string]interface{})
 
-	for desiredOption, desiredValue := range desiredConfig {
-		effectiveValue, exists := effectiveParameters[desiredOption]
-		if isBootstrapOnlyParameter(desiredOption) && (effectiveValue != desiredValue || !exists) {
-			optionsToSet[desiredOption] = desiredValue
+	// read effective Patroni config if set
+	if patroniConfig != nil {
+		effectivePostgresql := patroniConfig["postgresql"].(map[string]interface{})
+		effectivePgParameters = effectivePostgresql[patroniPGParametersParameterName].(map[string]interface{})
+	}
+
+	// compare parameters under postgresql section with c.Spec.Postgresql.Parameters from manifest
+	desiredPgParameters := c.Spec.Parameters
+	for desiredOption, desiredValue := range desiredPgParameters {
+		effectiveValue := effectivePgParameters[desiredOption]
+		if isBootstrapOnlyParameter(desiredOption) && (effectiveValue != desiredValue) {
+			parametersToSet[desiredOption] = desiredValue
 		}
 	}
 
-	if len(optionsToSet) == 0 {
+	if len(parametersToSet) > 0 {
+		configToSet["postgresql"] = map[string]interface{}{patroniPGParametersParameterName: parametersToSet}
+	}
+
+	// compare other options from config with c.Spec.Patroni from manifest
+	desiredPatroniConfig := c.Spec.Patroni
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.LoopWait > 0 && desiredPatroniConfig.LoopWait != uint32(patroniConfig["loop_wait"].(float64)) {
+		configToSet["loop_wait"] = desiredPatroniConfig.LoopWait
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.MaximumLagOnFailover > 0 && desiredPatroniConfig.MaximumLagOnFailover != float32(patroniConfig["maximum_lag_on_failover"].(float64)) {
+		configToSet["maximum_lag_on_failover"] = desiredPatroniConfig.MaximumLagOnFailover
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.PgHba != nil && !reflect.DeepEqual(desiredPatroniConfig.PgHba, (patroniConfig["pg_hba"])) {
+		configToSet["pg_hba"] = desiredPatroniConfig.PgHba
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.RetryTimeout > 0 && desiredPatroniConfig.RetryTimeout != uint32(patroniConfig["retry_timeout"].(float64)) {
+		configToSet["retry_timeout"] = desiredPatroniConfig.RetryTimeout
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.Slots != nil && !reflect.DeepEqual(desiredPatroniConfig.Slots, patroniConfig["slots"]) {
+		configToSet["slots"] = desiredPatroniConfig.Slots
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.SynchronousMode != patroniConfig["synchronous_mode"] {
+		configToSet["synchronous_mode"] = desiredPatroniConfig.SynchronousMode
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.SynchronousModeStrict != patroniConfig["synchronous_mode_strict"] {
+		configToSet["synchronous_mode_strict"] = desiredPatroniConfig.SynchronousModeStrict
+	}
+	if desiredPatroniConfig.TTL > 0 && desiredPatroniConfig.TTL != uint32(patroniConfig["ttl"].(float64)) {
+		configToSet["ttl"] = desiredPatroniConfig.TTL
+	}
+
+	if len(configToSet) == 0 {
 		return restartRequired, nil
 	}
 
+	configToSetJson, err := json.Marshal(configToSet)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.logger.Debugf("could not convert config patch to JSON: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	// try all pods until the first one that is successful, as it doesn't matter which pod
 	// carries the request to change configuration through
 	podName := util.NameFromMeta(pod.ObjectMeta)
-	c.logger.Debugf("calling Patroni API on a pod %s to set the following Postgres options: %v",
-		podName, optionsToSet)
-	if err = c.patroni.SetPostgresParameters(pod, optionsToSet); err == nil {
+	c.logger.Debugf("calling Patroni API on a pod %s to set the following Postgres options: %s",
+		podName, configToSetJson)
+	if err = c.patroni.SetConfig(pod, configToSet); err == nil {
 		restartRequired = true
 		return restartRequired, nil
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go b/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
index 1f2c95552..a9cadafba 100644
--- a/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
+++ b/pkg/util/patroni/patroni.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type Interface interface {
 	GetMemberData(server *v1.Pod) (MemberData, error)
 	Restart(server *v1.Pod) error
 	GetConfig(server *v1.Pod) (map[string]interface{}, error)
+	SetConfig(server *v1.Pod, config map[string]interface{}) error
 }
 
 // Patroni API client
@@ -163,6 +164,20 @@ func (p *Patroni) SetPostgresParameters(server *v1.Pod, parameters map[string]st
 	return p.httpPostOrPatch(http.MethodPatch, apiURLString+configPath, buf)
 }
 
+//SetConfig sets Patroni options via Patroni patch API call.
+func (p *Patroni) SetConfig(server *v1.Pod, config map[string]interface{}) error {
+	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	err := json.NewEncoder(buf).Encode(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not encode json: %v", err)
+	}
+	apiURLString, err := apiURL(server)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return p.httpPostOrPatch(http.MethodPatch, apiURLString+configPath, buf)
+}
+
 // MemberDataPatroni child element
 type MemberDataPatroni struct {
 	Version string `json:"version"`