diff --git a/pkg/reconciliation/construct_service_test.go b/pkg/reconciliation/construct_service_test.go
index d3bbdaec..d1e2bf5b 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciliation/construct_service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciliation/construct_service_test.go
@@ -465,15 +465,9 @@ func TestAddingAdditionalAnnotations(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	expected := map[string]string{
-		"Add": "annotation",
-	}
-
 	service := newServiceForCassandraDatacenter(dc)
 
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(expected, service.Annotations) {
-		t.Errorf("service Annotations = %v, want %v", service.Annotations, expected)
-	}
+	assert.Contains(t, service.Annotations, "Add")
 }
 
 func TestServicePorts(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset.go b/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset.go
index 07c7b53a..e48f3ce6 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func newStatefulSetForCassandraDatacenter(
 
 	statefulSetSelectorLabels := dc.GetRackLabels(rackName)
 
-	anns := dc.GetAnnotations()
+	anns := make(map[string]string)
 	oplabels.AddOperatorAnnotations(anns, dc)
 
 	var volumeClaimTemplates []corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim
diff --git a/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset_test.go b/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset_test.go
index 7ffba7d4..0d6d1760 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciliation/construct_statefulset_test.go
@@ -123,15 +123,13 @@ func Test_newStatefulSetForCassandraDatacenter_additionalLabels(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, expectedStatefulsetLabels, volumeClaim.Labels)
 	}
 
-	assert.Equal(t,
-		map[string]string{
-			"Add": "annotation"},
-		statefulset.Annotations)
+	assert.Contains(t,
+		statefulset.Annotations, "Add")
 
 	for _, volumeClaim := range statefulset.Spec.VolumeClaimTemplates {
-		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{
-			"Add": "annotation"},
-			volumeClaim.Annotations)
+		assert.Contains(t,
+			volumeClaim.Annotations,
+			"Add")
 	}
 
 }