diff --git a/kiali-server/templates/deployment.yaml b/kiali-server/templates/deployment.yaml
index c038163..34560fc 100644
--- a/kiali-server/templates/deployment.yaml
+++ b/kiali-server/templates/deployment.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ metadata:
   labels:
     {{- include "kiali-server.labels" . | nindent 4 }}
 spec:
+{{- if not .Values.deployment.hpa.spec }}
   replicas: {{ .Values.deployment.replicas }}
+{{- end }}
   selector:
     matchLabels:
       {{- include "kiali-server.selectorLabels" . | nindent 6 }}
diff --git a/kiali-server/values.yaml b/kiali-server/values.yaml
index 51de0f5..a3d0bdd 100644
--- a/kiali-server/values.yaml
+++ b/kiali-server/values.yaml
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ deployment:
   pod_annotations: {}
   pod_labels: {}
   priority_class_name: ""
+  # if deployment.hpa is defined, this replicas setting will be ignored
   replicas: 1
   resources:
     requests: