diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4f4182049..16608f6ef 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 - (Feature) (AT) Add ArangoTask API
 - (Bugfix) Fix NPE in State fetcher
 - (Refactor) Configurable throttle inspector
+- (Bugfix) Skip Replace operation on DBServer if they need to be scaled down
 
 ## [1.2.8](https://github.com/arangodb/kube-arangodb/tree/1.2.8) (2022-02-24)
 - Do not check License V2 on Community images
diff --git a/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_normal.go b/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_normal.go
index c67a14fdc..70157704e 100644
--- a/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_normal.go
+++ b/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_normal.go
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ func createMemberFailedRestorePlan(ctx context.Context,
 
 	// Check for members in failed state
 	status.Members.ForeachServerGroup(func(group api.ServerGroup, members api.MemberStatusList) error {
+		failed := 0
+		for _, m := range members {
+			if m.Phase == api.MemberPhaseFailed {
+				failed++
+			}
+		}
 		for _, m := range members {
 			if m.Phase != api.MemberPhaseFailed || len(plan) > 0 {
 				continue
@@ -112,6 +118,11 @@ func createMemberFailedRestorePlan(ctx context.Context,
 					continue
 				}
 
+				if c := spec.DBServers.GetCount(); c <= len(members)-failed {
+					// We have more or equal alive members than current count, we should not recreate this member
+					continue
+				}
+
 				if agencyState.Plan.Collections.IsDBServerInDatabases(m.ID) {
 					// DBServer still exists in agency plan! Will not be removed, but needs to be recreated
 					memberLog.Msg("Recreating DBServer - it cannot be removed gracefully")
diff --git a/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_test.go b/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_test.go
index b743b2980..1edaf3f7b 100644
--- a/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/deployment/reconcile/plan_builder_test.go
@@ -1058,13 +1058,13 @@ func TestCreatePlan(t *testing.T) {
 			ExpectedLog: "Creating member replacement plan because member has failed",
 		},
 		{
-			Name: "DBServer in failed state",
+			Name: "DBServer in failed state - recreate",
 			context: &testContext{
 				ArangoDeployment: deploymentTemplate.DeepCopy(),
 			},
 			Helper: func(ad *api.ArangoDeployment) {
 				ad.Spec.DBServers = api.ServerGroupSpec{
-					Count: util.NewInt(2),
+					Count: util.NewInt(3),
 				}
 				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[0].Phase = api.MemberPhaseFailed
 				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[0].ID = "id"
@@ -1076,6 +1076,26 @@ func TestCreatePlan(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			ExpectedLog: "Creating member replacement plan because member has failed",
 		},
+		{
+			Name: "DBServer in failed state - remove",
+			context: &testContext{
+				ArangoDeployment: deploymentTemplate.DeepCopy(),
+			},
+			Helper: func(ad *api.ArangoDeployment) {
+				ad.Spec.DBServers = api.ServerGroupSpec{
+					Count: util.NewInt(2),
+				}
+				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[2].Phase = api.MemberPhaseFailed
+				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[2].ID = "id3"
+			},
+			ExpectedPlan: []api.Action{
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeCleanOutMember, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeKillMemberPod, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeShutdownMember, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeRemoveMember, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+			},
+			ExpectedLog: "Creating scale-down plan",
+		},
 		{
 			Name: "CleanOut DBserver",
 			context: &testContext{
@@ -1101,6 +1121,32 @@ func TestCreatePlan(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			ExpectedLog: "Creating dbserver replacement plan because server is cleanout in created phase",
 		},
+		{
+			Name: "CleanOut DBserver - scale down",
+			context: &testContext{
+				ArangoDeployment: deploymentTemplate.DeepCopy(),
+			},
+			Helper: func(ad *api.ArangoDeployment) {
+				ad.Spec.DBServers = api.ServerGroupSpec{
+					Count: util.NewInt(2),
+				}
+				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[2].ID = "id3"
+				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[2].Phase = api.MemberPhaseCreated
+				ad.Status.Members.DBServers[2].Conditions = api.ConditionList{
+					{
+						Type:   api.ConditionTypeCleanedOut,
+						Status: core.ConditionTrue,
+					},
+				}
+			},
+			ExpectedPlan: []api.Action{
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeCleanOutMember, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeKillMemberPod, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeShutdownMember, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+				actions.NewAction(api.ActionTypeRemoveMember, api.ServerGroupDBServers, withPredefinedMember("id3")),
+			},
+			ExpectedLog: "Creating scale-down plan",
+		},
 		{
 			Name: "Scale down DBservers",
 			context: &testContext{