diff --git a/pkg/cluster/resources.go b/pkg/cluster/resources.go
index a4135a534..51b7b57da 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/resources.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/resources.go
@@ -189,10 +189,13 @@ func (c *Cluster) updateStatefulSet(newStatefulSet *v1beta1.StatefulSet, include
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not patch statefulset spec %q: %v", statefulSetName, err)
 	}
 	if includeAnnotations && newStatefulSet.Annotations != nil {
-		patchData := metadataAnnotationsPatch(newStatefulSet.Annotations)
+		c.logger.Debugf("updating statefulset annotations")
+		if patchData, err = metaPatch(newStatefulSet.ObjectMeta); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("could not form patch for the stetefulset metadata: %v", err)
+		}
 		statefulSet, err = c.KubeClient.StatefulSets(c.Statefulset.Namespace).Patch(
 			c.Statefulset.Name,
-			types.StrategicMergePatchType,
+			types.MergePatchType,
 			[]byte(patchData), "")
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not patch statefulset annotations %q: %v", patchData, err)
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/sync.go b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
index 1c1fcba61..ef987b03c 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/sync.go
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncPodDisruptionBudget(isUpdate bool) error {
 
 func (c *Cluster) syncStatefulSet() error {
 	var (
-		cachedRollingUpdateFlag, podsRollingUpdateRequired bool
+		cachedRollingUpdateFlag, cachedStatefulsetExists, podsRollingUpdateRequired bool
 	)
 	sset, err := c.KubeClient.StatefulSets(c.Namespace).Get(c.statefulSetName(), metav1.GetOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -253,17 +253,20 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncStatefulSet() error {
 			// if we reset the rolling update flag in the statefulset structure in memory but didn't manage to update
 			// the actual object in Kubernetes for some reason we want to avoid doing an unnecessary update by relying
 			// on the 'cached' in-memory flag.
+			cachedStatefulsetExists = true
 			cachedRollingUpdateFlag = getRollingUpdateFlag(c.Statefulset, true)
 			c.logger.Debugf("cached statefulset value exists, rollingUpdate flag is %t", cachedRollingUpdateFlag)
 		}
 		// statefulset is already there, make sure we use its definition in order to compare with the spec.
 		c.Statefulset = sset
 		if podsRollingUpdateRequired = getRollingUpdateFlag(c.Statefulset, false); podsRollingUpdateRequired {
-			if cachedRollingUpdateFlag {
-				c.logger.Infof("found a statefulset with an unfinished pods rolling update")
-			} else {
-				c.logger.Infof("clearing the rolling update flag based on the cached information")
-				podsRollingUpdateRequired = false
+			if cachedStatefulsetExists {
+				if cachedRollingUpdateFlag {
+					c.logger.Infof("found a statefulset with an unfinished pods rolling update")
+				} else {
+					c.logger.Infof("clearing the rolling update flag based on the cached information")
+					podsRollingUpdateRequired = false
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -302,7 +305,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) syncStatefulSet() error {
 		c.logger.Infof("pods have been recreated")
 		setRollingUpdateFlag(c.Statefulset, false)
 		if err := c.updateStatefulSet(c.Statefulset, true); err != nil {
-			c.logger.Warningf("could not clear rolling update for the statefulset")
+			c.logger.Warningf("could not clear rolling update for the statefulset: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/util.go b/pkg/cluster/util.go
index b72835311..cb06467d2 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/util.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/util.go
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ func specPatch(spec interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
 	}{spec})
 }
 
+func metaPatch(meta interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal(struct {
+		ObjMeta interface{} `json:"metadata"`
+	}{meta})
+}
+
 func metadataAnnotationsPatch(annotations map[string]string) string {
 	annotationsList := make([]string, 0, len(annotations))