diff --git a/internal/etos/api/api.go b/internal/etos/api/api.go
index 70380e8d..03ab4a0f 100644
--- a/internal/etos/api/api.go
+++ b/internal/etos/api/api.go
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ func (r *ETOSApiDeployment) reconcileDeployment(ctx context.Context, logger logr
 		return target, nil
 	} else if r.restartRequired {
 		logger.Info("Configuration(s) have changed, restarting deployment")
+		if deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations == nil {
+			deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+		}
 		deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations["etos.eiffel-community.github.io/restartedAt"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	}
 	if !r.restartRequired && equality.Semantic.DeepDerivative(target.Spec, deployment.Spec) {
diff --git a/internal/etos/suitestarter/suitestarter.go b/internal/etos/suitestarter/suitestarter.go
index aabd9de6..daea9cce 100644
--- a/internal/etos/suitestarter/suitestarter.go
+++ b/internal/etos/suitestarter/suitestarter.go
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ func (r *ETOSSuiteStarterDeployment) reconcileDeployment(ctx context.Context, lo
 		return target, nil
 	} else if r.restartRequired {
 		logger.Info("Configuration(s) have changed, restarting deployment")
+		if deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations == nil {
+			deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+		}
 		deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations["etos.eiffel-community.github.io/restartedAt"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	}
 	if !r.restartRequired && equality.Semantic.DeepDerivative(target.Spec, deployment.Spec) {
diff --git a/internal/extras/eventrepository.go b/internal/extras/eventrepository.go
index e5188017..1704a6d8 100644
--- a/internal/extras/eventrepository.go
+++ b/internal/extras/eventrepository.go
@@ -162,6 +162,9 @@ func (r *EventRepositoryDeployment) reconcileDeployment(ctx context.Context, log
 		return nil, r.Delete(ctx, deployment)
 	} else if r.restartRequired {
 		logger.Info("Configuration(s) have changed, restarting deployment")
+		if deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations == nil {
+			deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+		}
 		deployment.Spec.Template.Annotations["etos.eiffel-community.github.io/restartedAt"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	}
 	if !r.restartRequired && equality.Semantic.DeepDerivative(target.Spec, deployment.Spec) {
diff --git a/internal/extras/mongodb.go b/internal/extras/mongodb.go
index 80246270..f29c362d 100644
--- a/internal/extras/mongodb.go
+++ b/internal/extras/mongodb.go
@@ -156,6 +156,9 @@ func (r *MongoDBDeployment) reconcileStatefulset(ctx context.Context, logger log
 		return nil, r.Delete(ctx, mongodb)
 	} else if r.restartRequired {
 		logger.Info("Configuration(s) have changed, restarting statefulset")
+		if mongodb.Spec.Template.Annotations == nil {
+			mongodb.Spec.Template.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+		}
 		mongodb.Spec.Template.Annotations["etos.eiffel-community.github.io/restartedAt"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	}
 	return target, r.Patch(ctx, target, client.StrategicMergeFrom(mongodb))
diff --git a/internal/extras/rabbitmq.go b/internal/extras/rabbitmq.go
index 511c86b1..a87598ee 100644
--- a/internal/extras/rabbitmq.go
+++ b/internal/extras/rabbitmq.go
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ func (r *RabbitMQDeployment) reconcileStatefulset(ctx context.Context, logger lo
 		return nil, r.Delete(ctx, rabbitmq)
 	} else if r.restartRequired {
 		logger.Info("Configuration(s) have changed, restarting statefulset")
+		if rabbitmq.Spec.Template.Annotations == nil {
+			rabbitmq.Spec.Template.Annotations = make(map[string]string)
+		}
 		rabbitmq.Spec.Template.Annotations["etos.eiffel-community.github.io/restartedAt"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	}
 	return target, r.Patch(ctx, target, client.StrategicMergeFrom(rabbitmq))