diff --git a/api/v1/apiserver_types.go b/api/v1/apiserver_types.go
index 60acd60168..58a0e1f5e2 100644
--- a/api/v1/apiserver_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/apiserver_types.go
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ type APIServerDeploymentPodSpec struct {
 	// WARNING: Please note that this field will override the default API server Deployment tolerations.
 	// +optional
 	Tolerations []v1.Toleration `json:"tolerations,omitempty"`
+
+	// PriorityClassName allows to specify a PriorityClass resource to be used.
+	// +optional
+	PriorityClassName string `json:"priorityClassName,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // APIServerDeploymentPodTemplateSpec is the API server Deployment's PodTemplateSpec
@@ -304,5 +308,11 @@ func (c *APIServerDeployment) GetDeploymentStrategy() *appsv1.DeploymentStrategy
 }
 
 func (c *APIServerDeployment) GetPriorityClassName() string {
+	if c.Spec.Template != nil {
+		if c.Spec.Template.Spec != nil {
+			return c.Spec.Template.Spec.PriorityClassName
+		}
+	}
+
 	return ""
 }
diff --git a/pkg/crds/operator/operator.tigera.io_apiservers.yaml b/pkg/crds/operator/operator.tigera.io_apiservers.yaml
index bef5bde710..34d998efd0 100644
--- a/pkg/crds/operator/operator.tigera.io_apiservers.yaml
+++ b/pkg/crds/operator/operator.tigera.io_apiservers.yaml
@@ -1225,6 +1225,10 @@ spec:
                                   If omitted, the API server Deployment will use its default value for nodeSelector.
                                   WARNING: Please note that this field will modify the default API server Deployment nodeSelector.
                                 type: object
+                              priorityClassName:
+                                description: PriorityClassName allows to specify a
+                                  PriorityClass resource to be used.
+                                type: string
                               tolerations:
                                 description: |-
                                   Tolerations is the API server pod's tolerations.
diff --git a/pkg/render/apiserver.go b/pkg/render/apiserver.go
index 12a1666b44..511ed3d906 100644
--- a/pkg/render/apiserver.go
+++ b/pkg/render/apiserver.go
@@ -1028,7 +1028,7 @@ func (c *apiServerComponent) apiServerDeployment() *appsv1.Deployment {
 		Spec: appsv1.DeploymentSpec{
 			Replicas: c.cfg.Installation.ControlPlaneReplicas,
 			Strategy: appsv1.DeploymentStrategy{
-				Type: appsv1.RecreateDeploymentStrategyType,
+				Type: appsv1.RollingUpdateDeploymentStrategyType,
 			},
 			Selector: c.deploymentSelector(),
 			Template: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
@@ -1050,6 +1050,7 @@ func (c *apiServerComponent) apiServerDeployment() *appsv1.Deployment {
 					InitContainers:     initContainers,
 					Containers:         containers,
 					Volumes:            c.apiServerVolumes(),
+					PriorityClassName:  c.priorityClassName(),
 				},
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/render/apiserver_test.go b/pkg/render/apiserver_test.go
index 33a3d15d32..6d30257589 100644
--- a/pkg/render/apiserver_test.go
+++ b/pkg/render/apiserver_test.go
@@ -1958,6 +1958,8 @@ var _ = Describe("API server rendering tests (Calico)", func() {
 				Value:    "bar",
 			}
 
+			priorityclassname := "priority"
+
 			cfg.APIServer.APIServerDeployment = &operatorv1.APIServerDeployment{
 				Metadata: &operatorv1.Metadata{
 					Labels:      map[string]string{"top-level": "label1"},
@@ -1986,8 +1988,9 @@ var _ = Describe("API server rendering tests (Calico)", func() {
 							NodeSelector: map[string]string{
 								"custom-node-selector": "value",
 							},
-							Affinity:    affinity,
-							Tolerations: []corev1.Toleration{toleration},
+							Affinity:          affinity,
+							Tolerations:       []corev1.Toleration{toleration},
+							PriorityClassName: priorityclassname,
 						},
 					},
 				},
@@ -2047,6 +2050,7 @@ var _ = Describe("API server rendering tests (Calico)", func() {
 
 			Expect(d.Spec.Template.Spec.Tolerations).To(HaveLen(1))
 			Expect(d.Spec.Template.Spec.Tolerations[0]).To(Equal(toleration))
+			Expect(d.Spec.Template.Spec.PriorityClassName).To(Equal(priorityclassname))
 		})
 
 		It("should override a ControlPlaneNodeSelector when specified", func() {