diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/charts-redpanda-Fixed-20250908-172418.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/charts-redpanda-Fixed-20250908-172418.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e9bd377c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/charts-redpanda-Fixed-20250908-172418.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+project: charts/redpanda
+kind: Fixed
+body: '`statefulset.podTemplate.spec.volumes` can now be used to override chart generated volumes.'
+time: 2025-09-08T17:24:18.8483-04:00
diff --git a/charts/redpanda/helpers.go b/charts/redpanda/helpers.go
index b591aea33..8be2335fc 100644
--- a/charts/redpanda/helpers.go
+++ b/charts/redpanda/helpers.go
@@ -540,7 +540,9 @@ func mergeEnvVar(original corev1.EnvVar, overrides applycorev1.EnvVarApplyConfig
 }
 
 func mergeVolume(original corev1.Volume, override applycorev1.VolumeApplyConfiguration) corev1.Volume {
-	return helmette.MergeTo[corev1.Volume](override, original)
+	// Similar to the above, if a volume is being overridden, it's likely to
+	// change the VolumeSource. Don't merge, just accept the override.
+	return helmette.MergeTo[corev1.Volume](override)
 }
 
 func mergeVolumeMount(original corev1.VolumeMount, override applycorev1.VolumeMountApplyConfiguration) corev1.VolumeMount {
diff --git a/charts/redpanda/helpers_test.go b/charts/redpanda/helpers_test.go
index 82fbf13ed..0f1b10efe 100644
--- a/charts/redpanda/helpers_test.go
+++ b/charts/redpanda/helpers_test.go
@@ -247,6 +247,55 @@ func TestStrategicMergePatch(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			Name: "volumes",
+			Override: redpanda.PodTemplate{
+				Spec: &applycorev1.PodSpecApplyConfiguration{
+					Volumes: []applycorev1.VolumeApplyConfiguration{
+						{
+							Name: ptr.To("certs-volume-mount"),
+							VolumeSourceApplyConfiguration: applycorev1.VolumeSourceApplyConfiguration{
+								Secret:   nil,
+								EmptyDir: &applycorev1.EmptyDirVolumeSourceApplyConfiguration{},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			Original: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+				Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+					Volumes: []corev1.Volume{
+						{
+							Name: "certs-volume-mount",
+							VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+								Secret: &corev1.SecretVolumeSource{
+									SecretName: "some-secret",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			Expected: corev1.PodTemplateSpec{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Labels:      map[string]string{},
+					Annotations: map[string]string{},
+				},
+				Spec: corev1.PodSpec{
+					NodeSelector:     map[string]string{},
+					Tolerations:      []corev1.Toleration{},
+					ImagePullSecrets: []corev1.LocalObjectReference{},
+					Volumes: []corev1.Volume{
+						{
+							Name: "certs-volume-mount",
+							VolumeSource: corev1.VolumeSource{
+								EmptyDir: &corev1.EmptyDirVolumeSource{},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
diff --git a/charts/redpanda/templates/_helpers.go.tpl b/charts/redpanda/templates/_helpers.go.tpl
index f5f1d8ab0..0347b6931 100644
--- a/charts/redpanda/templates/_helpers.go.tpl
+++ b/charts/redpanda/templates/_helpers.go.tpl
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@
 {{- range $_ := (list 1) -}}
 {{- $_is_returning := false -}}
 {{- $_is_returning = true -}}
-{{- (dict "r" (merge (dict) $override $original)) | toJson -}}
+{{- (dict "r" (merge (dict) $override)) | toJson -}}
 {{- break -}}
 {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
diff --git a/charts/redpanda/testdata/template-cases.txtar b/charts/redpanda/testdata/template-cases.txtar
index 9015b97cf..11327b418 100644
--- a/charts/redpanda/testdata/template-cases.txtar
+++ b/charts/redpanda/testdata/template-cases.txtar
@@ -1163,3 +1163,59 @@ statefulset:
       enabled: false
     pvcUnbinder:
       enabled: false
+
+-- jit-certificates --
+# ASSERT-NO-ERROR
+# ASSERT-FIELD-EQUALS ["apps/v1/StatefulSet", "default/redpanda", "{.spec.template.spec.volumes[?(@.name == \"redpanda-external-cert\")]}", {"name": "redpanda-external-cert", "emptyDir": {}}]
+# This case demonstrates how to provide "Just In Time" certificates via an
+# initContainer by using podTemplate to overwrite the auto generated volume.
+tls:
+  certs:
+    external:
+      # Uncomment this block to disable the generation of cert-manager Certificates.
+      # secretRef:
+      #   name: "set-to-disable-cert-manager"
+
+      # Controls whether or not the chart expects a ca.crt key to
+      # exist in the volume we create with the below init
+      # container. If set to false, the trustStore feature can
+      # continue to be used as is with the strategy.
+      caEnabled: true
+
+statefulset:
+  podTemplate:
+    spec:
+      initContainers:
+        - name: cert-minter
+          image: debian:latest
+          command:
+          - bash
+          - -c
+          - 'cp -L -r /original/.'
+          # Provide the rest of your initContainer implementation here.
+          # This runs with the redpanda ServiceAccount.
+          volumeMounts:
+          # autoMountServiceAccountToken is set to false but we do mount it. To
+          # mount it to your init container, specify this volume:
+          - name: "kube-api-access"
+            readOnly: true
+            mountPath: "/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount"
+          # Mount the empty dir volume that will be used to pass certs through to redpanda.
+          - name: "redpanda-external-cert"
+            mountPath: "/certs"
+          # Unique to this example, we're just stealing the certs from the original.
+          - name: "3rd-party-certs"
+            mountPath: "/original"
+
+      volumes:
+      # Here's where the "magic" is. We're going to use podTemplate
+      # to override the standard certificate mount that the chart
+      # generates with an emptyDir. The initContainer will then
+      # populate it with a tls.crt, tls.key, and (optionally) ca.crt
+      # which makes it look like a standard TLS Secret mount.
+      - name: "redpanda-external-cert" # "{{ nameOverride }}-{{ cert }}-cert"
+        emptyDir: {}
+      # Unique to this example, we're just stealing the certs from the original.
+      - name: "3rd-party-certs"
+        secret:
+          secretName: "redpanda-external-cert"