diff --git a/internal/controller/postgrescluster/autogrow.go b/internal/controller/postgrescluster/autogrow.go
index f06cd78eb..e96d69f19 100644
--- a/internal/controller/postgrescluster/autogrow.go
+++ b/internal/controller/postgrescluster/autogrow.go
@@ -156,12 +156,13 @@ func (r *Reconciler) setVolumeSize(ctx context.Context, cluster *v1beta1.Postgre
 		// Otherwise, if the feature gate is not enabled, do not autogrow.
 	} else if feature.Enabled(ctx, feature.AutoGrowVolumes) {
 
-		// determine the appropriate volume request based on what's set in the status
-		if dpv, err := getDesiredVolumeSize(
+		// Determine the appropriate volume request based on what's set in the status.
+		// Note: request size set by reference.
+		if badDesiredVolumeRequest, err := getDesiredVolumeSize(
 			cluster, volumeType, host, volumeRequestSize,
 		); err != nil {
 			log.Error(err, "For "+cluster.Name+"/"+host+
-				": Unable to parse "+volumeType+" volume request: "+dpv)
+				": Unable to parse "+volumeType+" volume request: "+badDesiredVolumeRequest)
 		}
 
 		// If the volume request size is greater than or equal to the limit and the
@@ -203,15 +204,15 @@ func getDesiredVolumeSize(cluster *v1beta1.PostgresCluster,
 	case volumeType == "pgData":
 		for i := range cluster.Status.InstanceSets {
 			if instanceSpecName == cluster.Status.InstanceSets[i].Name {
-				for _, dpv := range cluster.Status.InstanceSets[i].DesiredPGDataVolume {
-					if dpv != "" {
-						desiredRequest, err := resource.ParseQuantity(dpv)
+				for _, desiredRequestString := range cluster.Status.InstanceSets[i].DesiredPGDataVolume {
+					if desiredRequestString != "" {
+						desiredRequest, err := resource.ParseQuantity(desiredRequestString)
 						if err == nil {
 							if desiredRequest.Value() > volumeRequestSize.Value() {
 								*volumeRequestSize = desiredRequest
 							}
 						} else {
-							return dpv, err
+							return desiredRequestString, err
 						}
 					}
 				}
@@ -221,15 +222,15 @@ func getDesiredVolumeSize(cluster *v1beta1.PostgresCluster,
 	case volumeType == "pgWAL":
 		for i := range cluster.Status.InstanceSets {
 			if instanceSpecName == cluster.Status.InstanceSets[i].Name {
-				for _, dpv := range cluster.Status.InstanceSets[i].DesiredPGWALVolume {
-					if dpv != "" {
-						desiredRequest, err := resource.ParseQuantity(dpv)
+				for _, desiredRequestString := range cluster.Status.InstanceSets[i].DesiredPGWALVolume {
+					if desiredRequestString != "" {
+						desiredRequest, err := resource.ParseQuantity(desiredRequestString)
 						if err == nil {
 							if desiredRequest.Value() > volumeRequestSize.Value() {
 								*volumeRequestSize = desiredRequest
 							}
 						} else {
-							return dpv, err
+							return desiredRequestString, err
 						}
 					}
 				}
@@ -245,15 +246,15 @@ func getDesiredVolumeSize(cluster *v1beta1.PostgresCluster,
 		}
 		for i := range cluster.Status.PGBackRest.Repos {
 			if volumeType == cluster.Status.PGBackRest.Repos[i].Name {
-				dpv := cluster.Status.PGBackRest.Repos[i].DesiredRepoVolume
-				if dpv != "" {
-					desiredRequest, err := resource.ParseQuantity(dpv)
+				desiredRequestString := cluster.Status.PGBackRest.Repos[i].DesiredRepoVolume
+				if desiredRequestString != "" {
+					desiredRequest, err := resource.ParseQuantity(desiredRequestString)
 					if err == nil {
 						if desiredRequest.Value() > volumeRequestSize.Value() {
 							*volumeRequestSize = desiredRequest
 						}
 					} else {
-						return dpv, err
+						return desiredRequestString, err
 					}
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/internal/controller/postgrescluster/pgbackrest.go b/internal/controller/postgrescluster/pgbackrest.go
index d31350fd4..f4d43d827 100644
--- a/internal/controller/postgrescluster/pgbackrest.go
+++ b/internal/controller/postgrescluster/pgbackrest.go
@@ -2743,7 +2743,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) reconcileRepos(ctx context.Context,
 
 	errors := []error{}
 	errMsg := "reconciling repository volume"
-	repoVols := []*corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim{}
+	repoVols := make(map[string]*corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim)
 	var replicaCreateRepo v1beta1.PGBackRestRepo
 
 	if feature.Enabled(ctx, feature.AutoGrowVolumes) && pgbackrest.RepoHostVolumeDefined(postgresCluster) {
@@ -2770,16 +2770,15 @@ func (r *Reconciler) reconcileRepos(ctx context.Context,
 		// value to change later.
 		spec.Resources.Limits = nil
 
-		repo, err := r.applyRepoVolumeIntent(ctx, postgresCluster, spec,
+		repoPVC, err := r.applyRepoVolumeIntent(ctx, postgresCluster, spec,
 			repo.Name, repoResources)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error(err, errMsg)
 			errors = append(errors, err)
-			continue
-		}
-		if repo != nil {
-			repoVols = append(repoVols, repo)
 		}
+		// Store the repo volume after apply. If nil, that indicates a problem
+		// and the existing status should be preserved.
+		repoVols[repo.Name] = repoPVC
 	}
 
 	postgresCluster.Status.PGBackRest.Repos =
@@ -2977,7 +2976,7 @@ func getRepoHostStatus(repoHost *appsv1.StatefulSet) *v1beta1.RepoHostStatus {
 // existing/current status for any repos in the cluster, the repository volumes
 // (i.e. PVCs) reconciled  for the cluster, and the hashes calculated for the configuration for any
 // external repositories defined for the cluster.
-func getRepoVolumeStatus(repoStatus []v1beta1.RepoStatus, repoVolumes []*corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim,
+func getRepoVolumeStatus(repoStatus []v1beta1.RepoStatus, repoVolumes map[string]*corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim,
 	configHashes map[string]string, replicaCreateRepoName string) []v1beta1.RepoStatus {
 
 	// the new repository status that will be generated and returned
@@ -2985,11 +2984,18 @@ func getRepoVolumeStatus(repoStatus []v1beta1.RepoStatus, repoVolumes []*corev1.
 
 	// Update the repo status based on the repo volumes (PVCs) that were reconciled.  This includes
 	// updating the status for any existing repository volumes, and adding status for any new
-	// repository volumes.
-	for _, rv := range repoVolumes {
+	// repository volumes. If there was a problem with the volume when an apply was attempted,
+	// the existing status is preserved.
+	for repoName, rv := range repoVolumes {
 		newRepoVolStatus := true
-		repoName := rv.Labels[naming.LabelPGBackRestRepo]
 		for _, rs := range repoStatus {
+			// Preserve the previous status if it exists and the apply failed.
+			if rs.Name == repoName && rv == nil {
+				updatedRepoStatus = append(updatedRepoStatus, rs)
+				newRepoVolStatus = false
+				break
+			}
+
 			// treat as new status if contains properties of a cloud (s3, gcr or azure) repo
 			if rs.Name == repoName && rs.RepoOptionsHash == "" {
 				newRepoVolStatus = false