diff --git a/pkg/util/config/config.go b/pkg/util/config/config.go
index 1ff9a5ea7c2cfb890eb4bb6af0781e37626da28d..b40e7c44a0b7e009ea534eee67268ba4e494ab34 100644
--- a/pkg/util/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/util/config/config.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	WatchedNamespace     string `name:"watched_namespace"` // special values: "*" means 'watch all namespaces', the empty string "" means 'watch a namespace where operator is deployed to'
 	EtcdHost             string `name:"etcd_host" default:"etcd-client.default.svc.cluster.local:2379"`
-	PatroniUseKubernetes bool   `name:"patroni_use_kubernetes" default:"false"`
+	PatroniUseKubernetes bool   `name:"patroni_use_kubernetes" default:"true"`
 	DockerImage          string `name:"docker_image" default:"registry.opensource.zalan.do/acid/spiloprivate-9.6:1.2-p4"`
 	// default name `operator` enables backward compatibility with the older ServiceAccountName field
 	PodServiceAccountName string `name:"pod_service_account_name" default:"operator"`