diff --git a/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml b/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
index c6207c514..146702e4e 100644
--- a/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
+++ b/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
@@ -7083,8 +7083,6 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                             type: object
                         type: object
-                    required:
-                    - repos
                     type: object
                   trackLatestRestorableTime:
                     description: Enable tracking latest restorable time
@@ -7093,8 +7091,8 @@ spec:
                 x-kubernetes-validations:
                 - message: At least one repository must be configured when backups
                     are enabled
-                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || size(self.pgbackrest.repos)
-                    > 0
+                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || (has(self.pgbackrest.repos)
+                    && size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0)
               crVersion:
                 description: |-
                   Version of the operator. Update this to new version after operator
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml b/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
index 1dc1ef246..7f460f98e 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
@@ -7488,8 +7488,6 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                             type: object
                         type: object
-                    required:
-                    - repos
                     type: object
                   trackLatestRestorableTime:
                     description: Enable tracking latest restorable time
@@ -7498,8 +7496,8 @@ spec:
                 x-kubernetes-validations:
                 - message: At least one repository must be configured when backups
                     are enabled
-                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || size(self.pgbackrest.repos)
-                    > 0
+                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || (has(self.pgbackrest.repos)
+                    && size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0)
               crVersion:
                 description: |-
                   Version of the operator. Update this to new version after operator
diff --git a/deploy/bundle.yaml b/deploy/bundle.yaml
index 2f326a7c7..31d068ee5 100644
--- a/deploy/bundle.yaml
+++ b/deploy/bundle.yaml
@@ -7785,8 +7785,6 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                             type: object
                         type: object
-                    required:
-                    - repos
                     type: object
                   trackLatestRestorableTime:
                     description: Enable tracking latest restorable time
@@ -7795,8 +7793,8 @@ spec:
                 x-kubernetes-validations:
                 - message: At least one repository must be configured when backups
                     are enabled
-                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || size(self.pgbackrest.repos)
-                    > 0
+                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || (has(self.pgbackrest.repos)
+                    && size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0)
               crVersion:
                 description: |-
                   Version of the operator. Update this to new version after operator
diff --git a/deploy/crd.yaml b/deploy/crd.yaml
index 2e75d79bb..b60abde03 100644
--- a/deploy/crd.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crd.yaml
@@ -7785,8 +7785,6 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                             type: object
                         type: object
-                    required:
-                    - repos
                     type: object
                   trackLatestRestorableTime:
                     description: Enable tracking latest restorable time
@@ -7795,8 +7793,8 @@ spec:
                 x-kubernetes-validations:
                 - message: At least one repository must be configured when backups
                     are enabled
-                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || size(self.pgbackrest.repos)
-                    > 0
+                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || (has(self.pgbackrest.repos)
+                    && size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0)
               crVersion:
                 description: |-
                   Version of the operator. Update this to new version after operator
diff --git a/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml b/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml
index 19bf06c04..55dc50b8c 100644
--- a/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml
+++ b/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml
@@ -7785,8 +7785,6 @@ spec:
                                 type: object
                             type: object
                         type: object
-                    required:
-                    - repos
                     type: object
                   trackLatestRestorableTime:
                     description: Enable tracking latest restorable time
@@ -7795,8 +7793,8 @@ spec:
                 x-kubernetes-validations:
                 - message: At least one repository must be configured when backups
                     are enabled
-                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || size(self.pgbackrest.repos)
-                    > 0
+                  rule: (has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || (has(self.pgbackrest.repos)
+                    && size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0)
               crVersion:
                 description: |-
                   Version of the operator. Update this to new version after operator
diff --git a/percona/controller/pgcluster/controller_test.go b/percona/controller/pgcluster/controller_test.go
index 548ef3a0c..cda9cd1ab 100644
--- a/percona/controller/pgcluster/controller_test.go
+++ b/percona/controller/pgcluster/controller_test.go
@@ -2401,11 +2401,21 @@ var _ = Describe("CR Validations", Ordered, func() {
 
 				Expect(k8sClient.Create(ctx, cr)).Should(Succeed())
 			})
+
+			It("should accept backups disabled with repositories not existing (nil)", func() {
+				cr, err := readDefaultCR("cr-validation-backup-5", ns)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+				cr.Spec.Backups.Enabled = &f
+				cr.Spec.Backups.PGBackRest.Repos = nil
+
+				Expect(k8sClient.Create(ctx, cr)).Should(Succeed())
+			})
 		})
 
 		When("creating a CR with invalid backup configurations", func() {
 			It("should reject backups enabled with no repositories", func() {
-				cr, err := readDefaultCR("cr-validation-backup-5", ns)
+				cr, err := readDefaultCR("cr-validation-backup-1", ns)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 				cr.Spec.Backups.Enabled = &t
@@ -2418,8 +2428,22 @@ var _ = Describe("CR Validations", Ordered, func() {
 				))
 			})
 
+			It("should reject backups enabled with no repositories (nil)", func() {
+				cr, err := readDefaultCR("cr-validation-backup-2", ns)
+				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+				cr.Spec.Backups.Enabled = &t
+				cr.Spec.Backups.PGBackRest.Repos = nil
+
+				err = k8sClient.Create(ctx, cr)
+				Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+				Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring(
+					"At least one repository must be configured when backups are enabled",
+				))
+			})
+
 			It("should reject backups enabled (nil - default true) with no repositories", func() {
-				cr, err := readDefaultCR("cr-validation-backup-6", ns)
+				cr, err := readDefaultCR("cr-validation-backup-3", ns)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 				cr.Spec.Backups.Enabled = nil // defaults to enabled
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go b/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go
index ffa75d94e..df12c0790 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ type Patroni struct {
 }
 
 // Backups struct.
-// +kubebuilder:validation:XValidation:rule="(has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0",message="At least one repository must be configured when backups are enabled"
+// +kubebuilder:validation:XValidation:rule="(has(self.enabled) && self.enabled == false) || (has(self.pgbackrest.repos) && size(self.pgbackrest.repos) > 0)",message="At least one repository must be configured when backups are enabled"
 type Backups struct {
 	Enabled *bool `json:"enabled,omitempty"`
 
@@ -566,6 +566,7 @@ type PGBackRestArchive struct {
 	// Defines a pgBackRest repository
 	// +listType=map
 	// +listMapKey=name
+	// +optional
 	Repos []crunchyv1beta1.PGBackRestRepo `json:"repos"`
 
 	// Defines configuration for a pgBackRest dedicated repository host.  This section is only