diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync.go b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
index 6404f554b..6b26603a1 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
@@ -398,6 +398,11 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncStatefulSet() error {
 // AnnotationsToPropagate get the annotations to update if required
 // based on the annotations in postgres CRD
 func (c *Cluster) AnnotationsToPropagate(annotations map[string]string) map[string]string {
+
+	if annotations == nil {
+		annotations = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+
 	toPropagateAnnotations := c.OpConfig.DownscalerAnnotations
 	pgCRDAnnotations := c.Postgresql.ObjectMeta.GetAnnotations()
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/operator_config.go b/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
index 002479f47..7da384c07 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/operator_config.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 func (c *Controller) readOperatorConfigurationFromCRD(configObjectNamespace, configObjectName string) (*acidv1.OperatorConfiguration, error) {
 
-	config, err := c.KubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet.AcidV1().OperatorConfigurations(configObjectNamespace).Get(
+	config, err := c.KubeClient.OperatorConfigurationsGetter.OperatorConfigurations(configObjectNamespace).Get(
 		context.TODO(), configObjectName, metav1.GetOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not get operator configuration object %q: %v", configObjectName, err)
diff --git a/pkg/controller/postgresql.go b/pkg/controller/postgresql.go
index 4b5d68fe5..0fe0c1120 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/postgresql.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/postgresql.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (c *Controller) listClusters(options metav1.ListOptions) (*acidv1.Postgresq
 	var pgList acidv1.PostgresqlList
 
 	// TODO: use the SharedInformer cache instead of quering Kubernetes API directly.
-	list, err := c.KubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet.AcidV1().Postgresqls(c.opConfig.WatchedNamespace).List(context.TODO(), options)
+	list, err := c.KubeClient.PostgresqlsGetter.Postgresqls(c.opConfig.WatchedNamespace).List(context.TODO(), options)
 	if err != nil {
 		c.logger.Errorf("could not list postgresql objects: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/util.go b/pkg/controller/util.go
index 7f87de97d..815bc7b74 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/util.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/util.go
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ func (c *Controller) loadPostgresTeams() {
 	// reset team map
 	c.pgTeamMap = teams.PostgresTeamMap{}
 
-	pgTeams, err := c.KubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet.AcidV1().PostgresTeams(c.opConfig.WatchedNamespace).List(context.TODO(), metav1.ListOptions{})
+	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/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go b/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go
index 006f52398..a23c1f842 100644
--- a/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go
+++ b/pkg/util/k8sutil/k8sutil.go
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ type KubernetesClient struct {
 	acidv1.PostgresTeamsGetter
 	acidv1.PostgresqlsGetter
 
-	RESTClient rest.Interface
+	RESTClient      rest.Interface
+	AcidV1ClientSet *acidv1client.Clientset
 }
 
 type mockSecret struct {
@@ -157,14 +158,14 @@ func NewFromConfig(cfg *rest.Config) (KubernetesClient, error) {
 
 	kubeClient.CustomResourceDefinitionsGetter = apiextClient.ApiextensionsV1()
 
-	acidClient, err := acidv1client.NewForConfig(cfg)
+	kubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet = acidv1client.NewForConfigOrDie(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return kubeClient, fmt.Errorf("could not create acid.zalan.do clientset: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	kubeClient.OperatorConfigurationsGetter = acidClient.AcidV1()
-	kubeClient.PostgresTeamsGetter = acidClient.AcidV1()
-	kubeClient.PostgresqlsGetter = acidClient.AcidV1()
+	kubeClient.OperatorConfigurationsGetter = kubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet.AcidV1()
+	kubeClient.PostgresTeamsGetter = kubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet.AcidV1()
+	kubeClient.PostgresqlsGetter = kubeClient.AcidV1ClientSet.AcidV1()
 
 	return kubeClient, nil
 }