diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/database_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/database_types.go
index ac0c329f..c86aed43 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/database_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/database_types.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ type Instance struct {
 	// Name(s) of the database(s) to be provisiond inside the database instance
 	// default [ "database_one", "database_two", "database_three" ]
 	// +optional
-	DatabaseNames []string `json:"databaseNames"`
+	DatabaseNames *[]string `json:"databaseNames"`
 	// Name of the secret holding the credentials for the database instance (password and ssh key)
 	CredentialSecret *string `json:"credentialSecret"`
 	// Size of the database instance, minimum 10 (GBs)
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/database_webhook.go b/api/v1alpha1/database_webhook.go
index 105d880e..d9c4fa97 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/database_webhook.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/database_webhook.go
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ var _ webhook.Defaulter = &Database{}
 
 func instanceSpecDefaulterForCreate(r *Database) {
 
-	if len(r.Spec.Instance.DatabaseNames) == 0 {
-		r.Spec.Instance.DatabaseNames = api.DefaultDatabaseNames
+	if len(*r.Spec.Instance.DatabaseNames) == 0 {
+		r.Spec.Instance.DatabaseNames = &api.DefaultDatabaseNames
 	}
 
 	if r.Spec.Instance.TimeZone == nil {
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 9d33e330..7a8a2fb8 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -141,8 +141,12 @@ func (in *Instance) DeepCopyInto(out *Instance) {
 	}
 	if in.DatabaseNames != nil {
 		in, out := &in.DatabaseNames, &out.DatabaseNames
-		*out = make([]string, len(*in))
-		copy(*out, *in)
+		*out = new([]string)
+		if **in != nil {
+			in, out := *in, *out
+			*out = make([]string, len(*in))
+			copy(*out, *in)
+		}
 	}
 	if in.CredentialSecret != nil {
 		in, out := &in.CredentialSecret, &out.CredentialSecret
diff --git a/controller_adapters/database.go b/controller_adapters/database.go
index a9aa69ba..7957220a 100644
--- a/controller_adapters/database.go
+++ b/controller_adapters/database.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func (d *Database) GetDBInstanceType() string {
 }
 
 func (d *Database) GetDBInstanceDatabaseNames() string {
-	return strings.Join(d.Spec.Instance.DatabaseNames, ",")
+	return strings.Join(*d.Spec.Instance.DatabaseNames, ",")
 }
 
 func (d *Database) GetDBInstanceTimeZone() string {
diff --git a/controllers/database_controller_test.go b/controllers/database_controller_test.go
index 72ec4576..1868f33a 100644
--- a/controllers/database_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/database_controller_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Database controller", func() {
 					},
 					Instance: ndbv1alpha1.Instance{
 						DatabaseInstanceName: &DatabaseName,
-						DatabaseNames:        []string{"database_1"},
+						DatabaseNames:        &[]string{"database_1"},
 						CredentialSecret:     &instanceSecretName,
 						Size:                 &databaseSize,
 						TimeZone:             &timezoneUTC,