diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/ogcapi_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/ogcapi_types.go
index 814b6c1..95b6900 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/ogcapi_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/ogcapi_types.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ type OGCAPI struct {
 	Status smoothoperatormodel.OperatorStatus `json:"status,omitempty"`
 
 	// +optional
-	VolumeOperatorSpec VolumeOperatorSpec `json:"volumeOperatorSpec,omitempty"`
+	VolumeOperatorSpec *VolumeOperatorSpec `json:"volumeOperatorSpec,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (ogcapi *OGCAPI) OperatorStatus() *smoothoperatormodel.OperatorStatus {
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 1c66e63..ae95235 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -261,7 +261,11 @@ func (in *OGCAPI) DeepCopyInto(out *OGCAPI) {
 	in.ObjectMeta.DeepCopyInto(&out.ObjectMeta)
 	in.Spec.DeepCopyInto(&out.Spec)
 	in.Status.DeepCopyInto(&out.Status)
-	out.VolumeOperatorSpec = in.VolumeOperatorSpec
+	if in.VolumeOperatorSpec != nil {
+		in, out := &in.VolumeOperatorSpec, &out.VolumeOperatorSpec
+		*out = new(VolumeOperatorSpec)
+		**out = **in
+	}
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new OGCAPI.
diff --git a/internal/controller/deployment.go b/internal/controller/deployment.go
index e48ad97..68cfacf 100644
--- a/internal/controller/deployment.go
+++ b/internal/controller/deployment.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (r *OGCAPIReconciler) mutateDeployment(ogcAPI *pdoknlv1alpha1.OGCAPI, deplo
 	deployment.Spec.Template = podTemplateSpec
 
 	// set annotations for optional volume-operator, volume operator requires blob-prefix to be set
-	if ogcAPI.VolumeOperatorSpec.BlobPrefix != "" {
+	if ogcAPI.VolumeOperatorSpec != nil && ogcAPI.VolumeOperatorSpec.BlobPrefix != "" {
 		deployment = addVolumePopulatorToDeployment(deployment, ogcAPI)
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/controller/ogcapi_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/ogcapi_controller_test.go
index ff26e9f..d5979f2 100644
--- a/internal/controller/ogcapi_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/ogcapi_controller_test.go
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ var _ = Describe("OGCAPI Controller", func() {
 			Spec: pdoknlv1alpha1.OGCAPISpec{
 				Service: *minimalOGCAPI.Spec.Service.DeepCopy(),
 			},
-			VolumeOperatorSpec: pdoknlv1alpha1.VolumeOperatorSpec{
+			VolumeOperatorSpec: &pdoknlv1alpha1.VolumeOperatorSpec{
 				BlobPrefix: "test/prefix",
 			},
 		}