diff --git a/operator/elasticsearch.go b/operator/elasticsearch.go
index 349ac48..9703e96 100644
--- a/operator/elasticsearch.go
+++ b/operator/elasticsearch.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"net/url"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -815,18 +816,14 @@ type ESResource struct {
 	Pods                 []v1.Pod
 }
 
-// Replicas returns the desired node replicas of an ElasticsearchDataSet.
-// For implementation details, see edsReplicas.
+// Replicas returns the desired node replicas of an ElasticsearchDataSet
+// In case it was not specified, it will return '1'.
 func (es *ESResource) Replicas() int32 {
 	return edsReplicas(es.ElasticsearchDataSet)
 }
 
 // edsReplicas returns the desired node replicas of an ElasticsearchDataSet
-// as determined through spec.Replicas and autoscaling settings.
-// If unset, and autoscaling is disabled, it will return 1 as the default value.
-// In case autoscaling is enabled and spec.Replicas is nil, it will return 0,
-// leaving the actual scaling target to be calculated by scaleEDS, which will
-// then set spec.Replicas accordingly.
+// In case it was not specified, it will return '1'.
 func edsReplicas(eds *zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet) int32 {
 	scaling := eds.Spec.Scaling
 	if scaling == nil || !scaling.Enabled {
@@ -835,11 +832,13 @@ func edsReplicas(eds *zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet) int32 {
 		}
 		return *eds.Spec.Replicas
 	}
-	// initialize with 0
+	// initialize with minReplicas
+	minReplicas := eds.Spec.Scaling.MinReplicas
 	if eds.Spec.Replicas == nil {
-		return 0
+		return minReplicas
 	}
-	return *eds.Spec.Replicas
+	currentReplicas := *eds.Spec.Replicas
+	return int32(math.Max(float64(currentReplicas), float64(scaling.MinReplicas)))
 }
 
 // collectResources collects all the ElasticsearchDataSet resources and there
diff --git a/operator/elasticsearch_test.go b/operator/elasticsearch_test.go
index 92c9894..34718e2 100644
--- a/operator/elasticsearch_test.go
+++ b/operator/elasticsearch_test.go
@@ -245,68 +245,3 @@ func TestValidateScalingSettings(tt *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
-
-func TestEDSReplicas(t *testing.T) {
-	one := int32(1)
-	three := int32(3)
-	four := int32(4)
-
-	for _, tc := range []struct {
-		name     string
-		eds      *zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet
-		expected int32
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "scaling disabled, replicas nil -> default 1",
-			eds: &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet{
-				Spec: zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetSpec{},
-			},
-			expected: 1,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "scaling disabled, replicas set -> value",
-			eds: &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet{
-				Spec: zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetSpec{
-					Replicas: &three,
-				},
-			},
-			expected: 3,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "scaling enabled, replicas nil -> 0",
-			eds: &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet{
-				Spec: zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetSpec{
-					Scaling: &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetScaling{Enabled: true},
-				},
-			},
-			expected: 0,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "scaling enabled, replicas set -> value",
-			eds: &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet{
-				Spec: zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetSpec{
-					Scaling:  &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetScaling{Enabled: true},
-					Replicas: &one,
-				},
-			},
-			expected: 1,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "scaling enabled, min and max replicas > spec.replicas",
-			eds: &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSet{
-				Spec: zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetSpec{
-					Scaling:  &zv1.ElasticsearchDataSetScaling{Enabled: true, MinReplicas: four, MaxReplicas: four},
-					Replicas: &three,
-				},
-			},
-			// edsReplicas should reflect the current scaling target
-			// ensuring bounds is responsibility of the autoscaler
-			expected: 3,
-		},
-	} {
-		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			actual := edsReplicas(tc.eds)
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.expected, actual)
-		})
-	}
-}