diff --git a/internal/controllers/common/resource_definitions/resource_definitions.go b/internal/controllers/common/resource_definitions/resource_definitions.go
index a04805f8..cd3e8036 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/common/resource_definitions/resource_definitions.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/common/resource_definitions/resource_definitions.go
@@ -988,14 +988,6 @@ func NewCoreContainer(cr *model.CryostatInstance, specs *ServiceSpecs, imageTag
 			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_ENABLE_JDP_BROADCAST",
 			Value: "false",
 		},
-		{
-			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_ENABLED",
-			Value: "true",
-		},
-		{
-			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_NAMESPACES",
-			Value: strings.Join(cr.TargetNamespaces, ","),
-		},
 	}
 
 	mounts := []corev1.VolumeMount{
@@ -1116,7 +1108,6 @@ func NewCoreContainer(cr *model.CryostatInstance, specs *ServiceSpecs, imageTag
 	targetCacheSize := "-1"
 	targetCacheTTL := "10"
 	if cr.Spec.JmxCacheOptions != nil {
-
 		if cr.Spec.JmxCacheOptions.TargetCacheSize != 0 {
 			targetCacheSize = strconv.Itoa(int(cr.Spec.JmxCacheOptions.TargetCacheSize))
 		}
@@ -1146,37 +1137,43 @@ func NewCoreContainer(cr *model.CryostatInstance, specs *ServiceSpecs, imageTag
 		},
 	}
 
+	k8sDiscoveryEnabled := true
+	k8sDiscoveryPortNames := "jfr-jmx"
+	k8sDiscoveryPortNumbers := "9091"
 	if cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions != nil {
-		var portNames string
+		k8sDiscoveryEnabled = !cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.BuiltInDiscoveryDisabled
+
 		if len(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNames) > 0 {
-			portNames = strings.Join(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNames[:], ",")
+			k8sDiscoveryPortNames = strings.Join(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNames[:], ",")
 		} else if cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DisableBuiltInPortNames {
-			portNames = "-"
-		}
-		if len(portNames) > 0 {
-			envs = append(envs,
-				corev1.EnvVar{
-					Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_K8S_PORT_NAMES",
-					Value: portNames,
-				},
-			)
+			k8sDiscoveryPortNames = ""
 		}
 
-		portNumbers := ""
 		if len(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNumbers) > 0 {
-			portNumbers = strings.Trim(strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprint(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNumbers), " ", ","), "[]")
+			k8sDiscoveryPortNumbers = strings.Trim(strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprint(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNumbers), " ", ","), "[]")
 		} else if cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DisableBuiltInPortNumbers {
-			portNumbers = "0"
-		}
-		if len(portNumbers) > 0 {
-			envs = append(envs,
-				corev1.EnvVar{
-					Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_K8S_PORT_NUMBERS",
-					Value: portNumbers,
-				},
-			)
+			k8sDiscoveryPortNumbers = ""
 		}
 	}
+	envs = append(envs, []corev1.EnvVar{
+		{
+			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_ENABLED",
+			Value: fmt.Sprintf("%t", k8sDiscoveryEnabled),
+		},
+		{
+			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_NAMESPACES",
+			Value: strings.Join(cr.TargetNamespaces, ","),
+		},
+		{
+			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NAMES",
+			Value: k8sDiscoveryPortNames,
+		},
+		{
+			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NUMBERS",
+			Value: k8sDiscoveryPortNumbers,
+		},
+	}...,
+	)
 
 	grafanaVars := []corev1.EnvVar{
 		{
diff --git a/internal/controllers/reconciler_test.go b/internal/controllers/reconciler_test.go
index 7d8ed213..48461595 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/reconciler_test.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/reconciler_test.go
@@ -2706,6 +2706,7 @@ func (t *cryostatTestInput) checkMainPodTemplate(deployment *appsv1.Deployment,
 	hasPortConfig := cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions != nil &&
 		len(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNames) > 0 &&
 		len(cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DiscoveryPortNumbers) > 0
+	builtInDiscoveryDisabled := cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions != nil && cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.BuiltInDiscoveryDisabled
 	builtInPortConfigDisabled := cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions != nil &&
 		cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DisableBuiltInPortNames &&
 		cr.Spec.TargetDiscoveryOptions.DisableBuiltInPortNumbers
@@ -2715,6 +2716,7 @@ func (t *cryostatTestInput) checkMainPodTemplate(deployment *appsv1.Deployment,
 		cr.Spec.AuthProperties != nil,
 		emptyDir,
 		hasPortConfig,
+		builtInDiscoveryDisabled,
 		builtInPortConfigDisabled,
 		dbSecretProvided,
 		t.NewCoreContainerResource(cr), t.NewCoreSecurityContext(cr))
@@ -2859,7 +2861,7 @@ func (t *cryostatTestInput) checkDeploymentHasTemplates() {
 func (t *cryostatTestInput) checkCoreContainer(container *corev1.Container, ingress bool,
 	reportsUrl string, authProps bool,
 	emptyDir bool,
-	hasPortConfig bool, builtInPortConfigDisabled bool,
+	hasPortConfig bool, builtInDiscoveryDisabled bool, builtInPortConfigDisabled bool,
 	dbSecretProvided bool,
 	resources *corev1.ResourceRequirements,
 	securityContext *corev1.SecurityContext) {
@@ -2870,7 +2872,7 @@ func (t *cryostatTestInput) checkCoreContainer(container *corev1.Container, ingr
 		Expect(container.Image).To(Equal(*t.EnvCoreImageTag))
 	}
 	Expect(container.Ports).To(ConsistOf(t.NewCorePorts()))
-	Expect(container.Env).To(ConsistOf(t.NewCoreEnvironmentVariables(reportsUrl, authProps, ingress, emptyDir, hasPortConfig, builtInPortConfigDisabled, dbSecretProvided)))
+	Expect(container.Env).To(ConsistOf(t.NewCoreEnvironmentVariables(reportsUrl, authProps, ingress, emptyDir, hasPortConfig, builtInDiscoveryDisabled, builtInPortConfigDisabled, dbSecretProvided)))
 	Expect(container.EnvFrom).To(ConsistOf(t.NewCoreEnvFromSource()))
 	Expect(container.VolumeMounts).To(ConsistOf(t.NewCoreVolumeMounts()))
 	Expect(container.LivenessProbe).To(Equal(t.NewCoreLivenessProbe()))
diff --git a/internal/test/resources.go b/internal/test/resources.go
index fe667e29..619ca762 100644
--- a/internal/test/resources.go
+++ b/internal/test/resources.go
@@ -1290,7 +1290,7 @@ func (r *TestResources) NewStoragePorts() []corev1.ContainerPort {
 }
 
 func (r *TestResources) NewCoreEnvironmentVariables(reportsUrl string, authProps bool, ingress bool,
-	emptyDir bool, hasPortConfig bool, builtInPortConfigDisabled bool, dbSecretProvided bool) []corev1.EnvVar {
+	emptyDir bool, hasPortConfig bool, builtInDiscoveryDisabled bool, builtInPortConfigDisabled bool, dbSecretProvided bool) []corev1.EnvVar {
 	envs := []corev1.EnvVar{
 		{
 			Name:  "QUARKUS_HTTP_HOST",
@@ -1388,10 +1388,6 @@ func (r *TestResources) NewCoreEnvironmentVariables(reportsUrl string, authProps
 			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_CONNECTIONS_TTL",
 			Value: "10",
 		},
-		{
-			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_ENABLED",
-			Value: "true",
-		},
 		{
 			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_NAMESPACES",
 			Value: strings.Join(r.TargetNamespaces, ","),
@@ -1410,7 +1406,7 @@ func (r *TestResources) NewCoreEnvironmentVariables(reportsUrl string, authProps
 		},
 	}
 
-	envs = append(envs, r.NewTargetDiscoveryEnvVar(hasPortConfig, builtInPortConfigDisabled)...)
+	envs = append(envs, r.NewTargetDiscoveryEnvVars(hasPortConfig, builtInDiscoveryDisabled, builtInPortConfigDisabled)...)
 
 	optional := false
 	secretName := r.NewDatabaseSecret().Name
@@ -1673,29 +1669,45 @@ func (r *TestResources) NewJmxCacheOptionsEnv() []corev1.EnvVar {
 	}
 }
 
-func (r *TestResources) NewTargetDiscoveryEnvVar(hasPortConfig bool, builtInPortConfigDisabled bool) []corev1.EnvVar {
-	envs := make([]corev1.EnvVar, 0)
+func (r *TestResources) NewTargetDiscoveryEnvVars(hasPortConfig bool, builtInDiscoveryDisabled bool, builtInPortConfigDisabled bool) []corev1.EnvVar {
+	envs := []corev1.EnvVar{
+		{
+			Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_ENABLED",
+			Value: fmt.Sprintf("%t", !builtInDiscoveryDisabled),
+		},
+	}
 
 	if hasPortConfig {
 		envs = append(envs,
 			corev1.EnvVar{
-				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_K8S_PORT_NAMES",
+				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NAMES",
 				Value: "custom-port-name,another-custom-port-name",
 			},
 			corev1.EnvVar{
-				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_K8S_PORT_NUMBERS",
+				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NUMBERS",
 				Value: "9092,9090",
 			},
 		)
 	} else if builtInPortConfigDisabled {
 		envs = append(envs,
 			corev1.EnvVar{
-				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_K8S_PORT_NAMES",
-				Value: "-",
+				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NAMES",
+				Value: "",
+			},
+			corev1.EnvVar{
+				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NUMBERS",
+				Value: "",
+			},
+		)
+	} else {
+		envs = append(envs,
+			corev1.EnvVar{
+				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NAMES",
+				Value: "jfr-jmx",
 			},
 			corev1.EnvVar{
-				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_K8S_PORT_NUMBERS",
-				Value: "0",
+				Name:  "CRYOSTAT_DISCOVERY_KUBERNETES_PORT_NUMBERS",
+				Value: "9091",
 			},
 		)
 	}