diff --git a/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go b/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go
index f302eaee..edf815d7 100644
--- a/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ func (in *CoherenceResourceSpec) CreatePodTemplateSpec(deployment CoherenceResou
 			ServiceAccountName:           in.GetServiceAccountName(),
 			ShareProcessNamespace:        in.ShareProcessNamespace,
 			Tolerations:                  in.Tolerations,
-			TopologySpreadConstraints:    in.TopologySpreadConstraints,
+			TopologySpreadConstraints:    in.EnsureTopologySpreadConstraints(deployment),
 			InitContainers: []corev1.Container{
 				in.CreateOperatorInitContainer(deployment),
 			},
diff --git a/api/v1/common_test.go b/api/v1/common_test.go
index 2828466f..83e1a8d1 100644
--- a/api/v1/common_test.go
+++ b/api/v1/common_test.go
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ func createMinimalExpectedPodSpec(deployment coh.CoherenceResource) corev1.PodTe
 		})
 	}
 
-	lp, _ := deployment.GetSpec().Coherence.GetLocalPorts()
+	lp, _ := spec.Coherence.GetLocalPorts()
 
 	// The Coherence Container
 	cohContainer := corev1.Container{
@@ -467,7 +467,8 @@ func createMinimalExpectedPodSpec(deployment coh.CoherenceResource) corev1.PodTe
 					VolumeSource: emptyVolume,
 				},
 			},
-			Affinity: spec.CreateDefaultPodAffinity(deployment),
+			TopologySpreadConstraints: spec.EnsureTopologySpreadConstraints(deployment),
+			Affinity:                  spec.CreateDefaultPodAffinity(deployment),
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/api/v1/create_statefulset_test.go b/api/v1/create_statefulset_test.go
index 75ce9d6e..23f85695 100644
--- a/api/v1/create_statefulset_test.go
+++ b/api/v1/create_statefulset_test.go
@@ -654,7 +654,6 @@ func TestCreateStatefulSetWithTopologySpreadConstraintsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	deployment := createTestDeployment(spec)
 	// Create expected StatefulSet
 	stsExpected := createMinimalExpectedStatefulSet(deployment)
-	stsExpected.Spec.Template.Spec.TopologySpreadConstraints = []corev1.TopologySpreadConstraint{}
 
 	// assert that the StatefulSet is as expected
 	assertStatefulSetCreation(t, deployment, stsExpected)