diff --git a/api/v1/postgres_types.go b/api/v1/postgres_types.go
index 199580a3..ad5bc098 100644
--- a/api/v1/postgres_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/postgres_types.go
@@ -568,8 +568,8 @@ func (p *Postgres) ToUnstructuredZalandoPostgresql(z *zalando.Postgresql, c *cor
 
 	// skip if the configmap does not exist
 	if c != nil {
-		z.Spec.AdditionalVolumes = p.buildAdditionalVolumes(c)
-		z.Spec.Sidecars = p.buildSidecars(c)
+		_ = p.buildAdditionalVolumes(c) // TODO temporarily disable additional volumes as well
+		_ = p.buildSidecars(c)          // TODO temporaily disabled sidecar definition in custom ressource
 	}
 
 	if p.HasSourceRanges() {
@@ -717,19 +717,22 @@ func (p *Postgres) buildSidecars(c *corev1.ConfigMap) []zalando.Sidecar {
 
 	// Unmarshal yaml-string of exporter
 	sidecars := []zalando.Sidecar{}
-	if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(c.Data["sidecars"]), &sidecars); err != nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// Deal with dynamically assigned name
-	for i := range sidecars {
-		for j := range sidecars[i].Env {
-			if sidecars[i].Env[j].ValueFrom != nil && sidecars[i].Env[j].ValueFrom.SecretKeyRef != nil {
-				sidecars[i].Env[j].ValueFrom.SecretKeyRef.Name = "postgres." + p.ToPeripheralResourceName() + ".credentials"
-				break
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	// if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(c.Data["sidecars"]), &sidecars); err != nil {
+	// 	return nil
+	// }
+
+	// // Deal with dynamically assigned name
+	// for i := range sidecars {
+	// 	for j := range sidecars[i].Env {
+	// 		if sidecars[i].Env[j].ValueFrom != nil && sidecars[i].Env[j].ValueFrom.SecretKeyRef != nil {
+	// 			sidecars[i].Env[j].ValueFrom.SecretKeyRef.Name = "postgres." + p.ToPeripheralResourceName() + ".credentials"
+	// 			break
+	// 		}
+	// 	}
+	// }
+
+	// TODO only use envs here, leave the rest to the postgres-operator configmap?
+	// TODO also set PG_EXPORTER_CONSTANT_LABELS with partitionid and postgres cluster name
 
 	return sidecars
 }
diff --git a/pkg/operatormanager/operatormanager.go b/pkg/operatormanager/operatormanager.go
index 65de66bf..d39bf287 100644
--- a/pkg/operatormanager/operatormanager.go
+++ b/pkg/operatormanager/operatormanager.go
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ type OperatorManager struct {
 	log  logr.Logger
 	meta.MetadataAccessor
 	*runtime.Scheme
-	options Options
+	options          Options
+	globalSidecarsCM *corev1.ConfigMap
 }
 
 // New creates a new `OperatorManager`
@@ -415,6 +416,12 @@ func (m *OperatorManager) editConfigMap(cm *corev1.ConfigMap, namespace string,
 	cm.Data["replication_username"] = "standby"
 
 	cm.Data["enable_pod_antiaffinity"] = strconv.FormatBool(options.PodAntiaffinity)
+
+	if sidecarsCM, err := m.getSidecarsCM(); err == nil && sidecarsCM != nil {
+		cm.Data["sidecars"] = sidecarsCM.Data["sidecars"]
+		cm.Data["enable_sidecars"] = strconv.FormatBool(true)
+	}
+
 }
 
 // ensureCleanMetadata ensures obj has clean metadata
@@ -618,3 +625,22 @@ func (m *OperatorManager) UpdateAllOperators(ctx context.Context) error {
 	m.log.Info("Done updating postgres operators in managed namespaces")
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (m *OperatorManager) getSidecarsCM() (*corev1.ConfigMap, error) {
+	// return cached version
+	if m.globalSidecarsCM != nil {
+		return m.globalSidecarsCM, nil
+	}
+
+	// try to fetch the global sidecars configmap
+	cns := types.NamespacedName{
+		Namespace: m.options.PostgresletNamespace,
+		Name:      m.options.SidecarsConfigMapName,
+	}
+	m.globalSidecarsCM = &corev1.ConfigMap{}
+	if err := m.Get(context.Background(), cns, m.globalSidecarsCM); err != nil {
+		// configmap with configuration does not exists, nothing we can do here...
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not fetch config for sidecars")
+	}
+	return m.globalSidecarsCM, nil
+}