diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/storage_webhook.go b/api/v1alpha1/storage_webhook.go
index d6be5085..816f4ba4 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/storage_webhook.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/storage_webhook.go
@@ -116,10 +116,6 @@ func (r *StorageDefaulter) Default(ctx context.Context, obj runtime.Object) erro
 	storage := obj.(*Storage)
 	storagelog.Info("default", "name", storage.Name)
 
-	if !storage.Spec.OperatorSync {
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	if storage.Spec.OperatorConnection != nil {
 		if storage.Spec.OperatorConnection.Oauth2TokenExchange != nil {
 			if storage.Spec.OperatorConnection.Oauth2TokenExchange.SignAlg == "" {
@@ -311,9 +307,43 @@ func hasUpdatesBesidesFrozen(oldStorage, newStorage *Storage) (bool, string) {
 	oldStorageCopy.Spec.OperatorSync = false
 	newStorageCopy.Spec.OperatorSync = false
 
-	ignoreNonSpecFields := cmpopts.IgnoreFields(Storage{}, "Status", "ObjectMeta", "TypeMeta")
+	// We will allow configuration diffs if they are limited to
+	// formatting, order of keys in the map etc. If two maps are
+	// meaningfully different (not deep-equal), we still disallow
+	// the diff of course.
+	configurationCompareOpt := cmp.FilterPath(
+		func(path cmp.Path) bool {
+			if sf, ok := path.Last().(cmp.StructField); ok {
+				return sf.Name() == "Configuration"
+			}
+			return false
+		},
+		cmp.Comparer(func(a, b string) bool {
+			var o1, o2 any
+
+			if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(a), &o1); err != nil {
+				return false
+			}
+			if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(b), &o2); err != nil {
+				return false
+			}
+
+			diff := cmp.Diff(o1, o2)
+			if diff != "" {
+				storagelog.Info(fmt.Sprintf("Configurations are different:\n%v\n%v", o1, o2))
+			}
+
+			return diff == ""
+		}),
+	)
 
-	diff := cmp.Diff(oldStorageCopy, newStorageCopy, ignoreNonSpecFields)
+	ignoreNonSpecFields := cmpopts.IgnoreFields(Storage{}, "Status", "ObjectMeta", "TypeMeta")
+	diff := cmp.Diff(
+		oldStorageCopy,
+		newStorageCopy,
+		ignoreNonSpecFields,
+		configurationCompareOpt,
+	)
 	return diff != "", diff
 }