diff --git a/charts/cluster/README.md b/charts/cluster/README.md
index e78897586..0d42c6d87 100644
--- a/charts/cluster/README.md
+++ b/charts/cluster/README.md
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ refer to  the [CloudNativePG Documentation](https://cloudnative-pg.io/documentat
 | recovery.owner | string | `""` | Name of the owner of the database in the instance to be used by applications. Defaults to the value of the `database` key. |
 | recovery.pgBaseBackup.database | string | `"app"` | Name of the database used by the application. Default: `app`. |
 | recovery.pgBaseBackup.owner | string | `""` | Name of the owner of the database in the instance to be used by applications. Defaults to the value of the `database` key. |
-| recovery.pgBaseBackup.secret | string | `""` | Name of the secret containing the initial credentials for the owner of the user database. If empty a new secret will be created from scratch |
+| recovery.pgBaseBackup.secretName | string | `""` | Name of the secret containing the initial credentials for the owner of the user database. If empty a new secret will be created from scratch. The secret should include |
 | recovery.pgBaseBackup.source.database | string | `"app"` |  |
 | recovery.pgBaseBackup.source.host | string | `""` |  |
 | recovery.pgBaseBackup.source.passwordSecret.create | bool | `false` | Whether to create a secret for the password |
diff --git a/charts/cluster/templates/_bootstrap.tpl b/charts/cluster/templates/_bootstrap.tpl
index 95bedd214..0693d6e4b 100644
--- a/charts/cluster/templates/_bootstrap.tpl
+++ b/charts/cluster/templates/_bootstrap.tpl
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ bootstrap:
     {{ with .Values.recovery.pgBaseBackup.owner }}
     owner: {{ . }}
     {{- end }}
-    {{ with .Values.recovery.pgBaseBackup.secret }}
+    {{ with .Values.recovery.pgBaseBackup.secretName }}
     secret:
-      {{- toYaml . | nindent 6 }}
+      name: {{ . }}
     {{- end }}
 
 externalClusters:
diff --git a/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-pg_basebackup-cluster.yaml b/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-pg_basebackup-cluster.yaml
index 310074e1d..3f495b5ba 100644
--- a/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-pg_basebackup-cluster.yaml
+++ b/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-pg_basebackup-cluster.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ recovery:
       sslCertSecret:
         name: source-cluster-replication
         key: tls.crt
+    secretName: "mysecret"
 
 cluster:
   instances: 2
diff --git a/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-secret.yaml b/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-secret.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfb71cdcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/02-secret.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+  name: mysecret
+type: kubernetes.io/basic-auth
+data:
+  username: YXBw
+  password: cGFzc3dvcmQ=
diff --git a/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/chainsaw-test.yaml b/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/chainsaw-test.yaml
index 85f2d9743..2ae035f08 100644
--- a/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/chainsaw-test.yaml
+++ b/charts/cluster/test/postgresql-pg_basebackup/chainsaw-test.yaml
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ spec:
                 --values ./02-pg_basebackup-cluster.yaml \
                 --wait \
                 pg-basebackup ../../
+        - apply:
+            file: ./02-secret.yaml
         - assert:
             file: ./02-pg_basebackup-cluster-assert.yaml
       catch:
diff --git a/charts/cluster/values.schema.json b/charts/cluster/values.schema.json
index 47edeb9ea..5aafc9c89 100644
--- a/charts/cluster/values.schema.json
+++ b/charts/cluster/values.schema.json
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@
                         "owner": {
                             "type": "string"
                         },
-                        "secret": {
+                        "secretName": {
                             "type": "string"
                         },
                         "source": {
diff --git a/charts/cluster/values.yaml b/charts/cluster/values.yaml
index 9e49d64a3..2e39fb17e 100644
--- a/charts/cluster/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/cluster/values.yaml
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ recovery:
   pgBaseBackup:
     # -- Name of the database used by the application. Default: `app`.
     database: app
-    # -- Name of the secret containing the initial credentials for the owner of the user database. If empty a new secret will be created from scratch
-    secret: ""
+    # -- Name of the kubernetes.io/basic-auth secret containing the initial credentials for the owner of the user database. If empty a new secret will be created from scratch.
+    secretName: ""
     # -- Name of the owner of the database in the instance to be used by applications. Defaults to the value of the `database` key.
     owner: ""
     source: