diff --git a/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_helpers.go b/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_helpers.go
index 3fa0c9a7a1..45fd8c6650 100644
--- a/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_helpers.go
+++ b/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_helpers.go
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ func (d *Druid) SetDefaultsToMetadataStorage() {
 	if d.Spec.MetadataStorage == nil {
 		d.Spec.MetadataStorage = &MetadataStorage{}
 	}
-	d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ObjectReference = d.GetMetadataStorageObjectRef()
+	d.SetMetadataStorageObjectRef()
 	if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.LinkedDB == "" {
 		d.Spec.MetadataStorage.LinkedDB = "druid"
 	}
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ func (d *Druid) SetDefaultsToZooKeeperRef() {
 	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef == nil {
 		d.Spec.ZookeeperRef = &ZookeeperRef{}
 	}
-	d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.ObjectReference = d.GetZooKeeperObjectRef()
+	d.SetZooKeeperObjectRef()
 	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Version == nil {
 		defaultVersion := "3.7.2"
 		d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Version = &defaultVersion
@@ -685,17 +685,17 @@ func (d *Druid) GetAppBinding(name string, namespace string) (*appcat.AppBinding
 	return appbinding, nil
 }
 
-func (d *Druid) GetMetadataStorageObjectRef() *kmapi.ObjectReference {
-	if d.Spec.MetadataStorage == nil {
+func (d *Druid) SetMetadataStorageObjectRef() {
+	if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ObjectReference == nil {
 		d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ObjectReference = &kmapi.ObjectReference{}
 	}
 	if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Name == "" {
+		d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ExternallyManaged = false
 		d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Name = d.GetMetadataStorageName()
 	}
 	if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Namespace == "" {
 		d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Namespace = d.Namespace
 	}
-	return d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ObjectReference
 }
 
 func (d *Druid) GetMetadataStorageName() string {
@@ -705,17 +705,17 @@ func (d *Druid) GetMetadataStorageName() string {
 	return d.OffShootName() + "-mysql-metadata"
 }
 
-func (d *Druid) GetZooKeeperObjectRef() *kmapi.ObjectReference {
-	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef == nil {
+func (d *Druid) SetZooKeeperObjectRef() {
+	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.ObjectReference == nil {
 		d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.ObjectReference = &kmapi.ObjectReference{}
 	}
 	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Name == "" {
+		d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.ExternallyManaged = false
 		d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Name = d.GetZooKeeperName()
 	}
 	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Namespace == "" {
 		d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Namespace = d.Namespace
 	}
-	return d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.ObjectReference
 }
 
 func (d *Druid) GetZooKeeperName() string {
diff --git a/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_webhook.go b/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_webhook.go
index cf62fbf719..f8fa2b1a7a 100644
--- a/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_webhook.go
+++ b/apis/kubedb/v1alpha2/druid_webhook.go
@@ -131,10 +131,32 @@ func (d *Druid) validateCreateOrUpdate() field.ErrorList {
 			d.Name,
 			"spec.metadataStorage is missing"))
 	} else {
-		if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ExternallyManaged && d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Name == "" {
+		if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Name == "" {
 			allErr = append(allErr, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec").Child("metadataStorage").Child("name"),
 				d.Name,
-				"spec.metadataStorage.name can not be empty when d.Spec.MetadataStorage.ExternallyManaged is true"))
+				"spec.metadataStorage.name can not be empty"))
+		}
+		if d.Spec.MetadataStorage.Namespace == "" {
+			allErr = append(allErr, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec").Child("metadataStorage").Child("namespace"),
+				d.Name,
+				"spec.metadataStorage.namespace can not be empty"))
+		}
+	}
+
+	if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef == nil {
+		allErr = append(allErr, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec").Child("zookeeperRef"),
+			d.Name,
+			"spec.zookeeperRef is missing"))
+	} else {
+		if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Name == "" {
+			allErr = append(allErr, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec").Child("zookeeperRef").Child("name"),
+				d.Name,
+				"spec.zookeeperRef.name can not be empty"))
+		}
+		if d.Spec.ZookeeperRef.Namespace == "" {
+			allErr = append(allErr, field.Invalid(field.NewPath("spec").Child("zookeeperRef").Child("namespace"),
+				d.Name,
+				"spec.zookeeperRef.namespace can not be empty"))
 		}
 	}