diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
index 967f9d530..570bce4c1 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ func (c *Cluster) compareContainers(description string, setA, setB []v1.Containe
 		newCheck("new statefulset %s's %s (index %d) name does not match the current one",
 			func(a, b v1.Container) bool { return a.Name != b.Name }),
 		newCheck("new statefulset %s's %s (index %d) ports do not match the current one",
-			func(a, b v1.Container) bool { return !reflect.DeepEqual(a.Ports, b.Ports) }),
+			func(a, b v1.Container) bool { return !comparePorts(a.Ports, b.Ports) }),
 		newCheck("new statefulset %s's %s (index %d) resources do not match the current ones",
 			func(a, b v1.Container) bool { return !compareResources(&a.Resources, &b.Resources) }),
 		newCheck("new statefulset %s's %s (index %d) environment does not match the current one",
@@ -627,6 +627,46 @@ func compareSpiloConfiguration(configa, configb string) bool {
 	return reflect.DeepEqual(oa, ob)
 }
 
+func areProtocolsEqual(a, b v1.Protocol) bool {
+	return a == b ||
+		(a == "" && b == v1.ProtocolTCP) ||
+		(a == v1.ProtocolTCP && b == "")
+}
+
+func comparePorts(a, b []v1.ContainerPort) bool {
+	if len(a) != len(b) {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	areContainerPortsEqual := func(a, b v1.ContainerPort) bool {
+		return a.Name == b.Name &&
+			a.HostPort == b.HostPort &&
+			areProtocolsEqual(a.Protocol, b.Protocol) &&
+			a.HostIP == b.HostIP
+	}
+
+	findByPortValue := func(portSpecs []v1.ContainerPort, port int32) (v1.ContainerPort, bool) {
+		for _, portSpec := range portSpecs {
+			if portSpec.ContainerPort == port {
+				return portSpec, true
+			}
+		}
+		return v1.ContainerPort{}, false
+	}
+
+	for _, portA := range a {
+		portB, found := findByPortValue(b, portA.ContainerPort)
+		if !found {
+			return false
+		}
+		if !areContainerPortsEqual(portA, portB) {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
 func (c *Cluster) enforceMinResourceLimits(spec *acidv1.PostgresSpec) error {
 
 	var (
diff --git a/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go b/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
index dc1f5ff03..d06cc21e1 100644
--- a/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cluster/cluster_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	acidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/apis/acid.zalan.do/v1"
 	fakeacidv1 "github.com/zalando/postgres-operator/pkg/generated/clientset/versioned/fake"
@@ -1088,3 +1090,102 @@ func TestValidUsernames(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestComparePorts(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name     string
+		setA     []v1.ContainerPort
+		setB     []v1.ContainerPort
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "different ports",
+			setA: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+
+			setB: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "http",
+					ContainerPort: 80,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+			expected: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "no difference",
+			setA: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+			setB: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "same ports, different order",
+			setA: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+				{
+					Name:          "http",
+					ContainerPort: 80,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+			setB: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "http",
+					ContainerPort: 80,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+			expected: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "same ports, but one with default protocol",
+			setA: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+					Protocol:      v1.ProtocolTCP,
+				},
+			},
+			setB: []v1.ContainerPort{
+				{
+					Name:          "metrics",
+					ContainerPort: 9187,
+				},
+			},
+			expected: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := comparePorts(testCase.setA, testCase.setB)
+			assert.Equal(t, testCase.expected, got)
+		})
+	}
+}