diff --git a/cmd/postgres-operator/main.go b/cmd/postgres-operator/main.go
index 8545e9e241..c90c5a5d25 100644
--- a/cmd/postgres-operator/main.go
+++ b/cmd/postgres-operator/main.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/cache"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/healthz"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/metrics/filters"
 
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ func initManager(ctx context.Context) (runtime.Options, error) {
 	log := logging.FromContext(ctx)
 
 	options := runtime.Options{}
+	options.Cache.DefaultTransform = cache.TransformStripManagedFields()
 	options.Cache.SyncPeriod = initialize.Pointer(time.Hour)
 
 	// If we aren't using it, http/2 should be disabled
diff --git a/cmd/postgres-operator/main_test.go b/cmd/postgres-operator/main_test.go
index 49334660d6..98a6783c27 100644
--- a/cmd/postgres-operator/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/postgres-operator/main_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func TestInitManager(t *testing.T) {
 		options, err := initManager(ctx)
 		assert.NilError(t, err)
 
+		assert.Assert(t, options.Cache.DefaultTransform != nil)
 		if assert.Check(t, options.Cache.SyncPeriod != nil) {
 			assert.Equal(t, *options.Cache.SyncPeriod, time.Hour)
 		}
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ func TestInitManager(t *testing.T) {
 
 		{
 			options.Cache.SyncPeriod = nil
+			options.Cache.DefaultTransform = nil
 			options.Controller.GroupKindConcurrency = nil
 			options.HealthProbeBindAddress = ""
 			options.Metrics.TLSOpts = nil