diff --git a/pkg/istiovalues/overrides.go b/pkg/istiovalues/overrides.go
index acb8333a5..1485d5085 100644
--- a/pkg/istiovalues/overrides.go
+++ b/pkg/istiovalues/overrides.go
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@
 
 package istiovalues
 
-import v1 "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/api/v1"
+import (
+	v1 "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/api/v1"
+
+	"istio.io/istio/pkg/ptr"
+)
 
 func ApplyOverrides(revisionName string, namespace string, values *v1.Values) {
 	// Set revision name to "" if revision name is "default". This is a temporary fix until we fix the injection
@@ -30,4 +34,8 @@ func ApplyOverrides(revisionName string, namespace string, values *v1.Values) {
 		values.Global = &v1.GlobalConfig{}
 	}
 	values.Global.IstioNamespace = &namespace
+
+	// Force defaultRevision to be empty to prevent creation of the default validator webhook.
+	// This field is deprecated and should be ignored by the operator.
+	values.DefaultRevision = ptr.Of("")
 }
diff --git a/pkg/istiovalues/overrides_test.go b/pkg/istiovalues/overrides_test.go
index 5c75f8294..8506cb6b7 100644
--- a/pkg/istiovalues/overrides_test.go
+++ b/pkg/istiovalues/overrides_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ func TestApplyOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 				Global: &v1.GlobalConfig{
 					IstioNamespace: ptr.Of("ns1"),
 				},
+				DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ func TestApplyOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 				Global: &v1.GlobalConfig{
 					IstioNamespace: ptr.Of("ns1"),
 				},
+				DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ func TestApplyOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 				Global: &v1.GlobalConfig{
 					IstioNamespace: ptr.Of("ns1"),
 				},
+				DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -83,6 +86,22 @@ func TestApplyOverrides(t *testing.T) {
 				Global: &v1.GlobalConfig{
 					IstioNamespace: ptr.Of("ns1"),
 				},
+				DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "defaultRevision-is-ignored-when-set-by-user",
+			revision:  "my-revision",
+			namespace: "ns1",
+			values: v1.Values{
+				DefaultRevision: ptr.Of("my-revision"),
+			},
+			expectedValues: v1.Values{
+				Revision: ptr.Of("my-revision"),
+				Global: &v1.GlobalConfig{
+					IstioNamespace: ptr.Of("ns1"),
+				},
+				DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/revision/values_test.go b/pkg/revision/values_test.go
index 0c6b175dd..f55d2edf4 100644
--- a/pkg/revision/values_test.go
+++ b/pkg/revision/values_test.go
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ spec:
 			Platform:       ptr.Of("openshift"),
 			IstioNamespace: ptr.Of(namespace), // this value is always added/overridden based on IstioRevision.spec.namespace
 		},
-		Revision: ptr.Of(revisionName),
+		Revision:        ptr.Of(revisionName),
+		DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
 	}
 
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(result, expected) {
@@ -123,7 +124,8 @@ spec:`)), 0o644))
 			Platform:       ptr.Of("openshift"),
 			IstioNamespace: ptr.Of(namespace), // this value is always added/overridden based on IstioRevision.spec.namespace
 		},
-		Revision: ptr.Of(revisionName),
+		Revision:        ptr.Of(revisionName),
+		DefaultRevision: ptr.Of(""),
 	}
 
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(result, expected) {
diff --git a/tests/integration/api/istiobase_test.go b/tests/integration/api/istiobase_test.go
index f2f8b3fd2..4aa1e9dd2 100644
--- a/tests/integration/api/istiobase_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/api/istiobase_test.go
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ var _ = Describe("base chart support", Ordered, func() {
 	}
 
 	saKey := client.ObjectKey{Name: "istio-reader-service-account", Namespace: istioNamespace}
+	validatingWebhookKey := client.ObjectKey{Name: "istiod-default-validator", Namespace: istioNamespace}
 
 	BeforeAll(func() {
 		Step(fmt.Sprintf("Creating namespace %q", istioNamespace))
@@ -99,6 +100,10 @@ var _ = Describe("base chart support", Ordered, func() {
 			sa := &corev1.ServiceAccount{}
 			Step("Checking if istio-reader ServiceAccount was successfully created")
 			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, saKey, sa).Should(Succeed())
+
+			webhook := &admissionv1.ValidatingWebhookConfiguration{}
+			Step("Checking if default ValidatingWebhookConfiguration was successfully created")
+			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, validatingWebhookKey, webhook).Should(Succeed())
 		})
 
 		It("undeploys base chart when default IstioRevision is deleted", func() {
@@ -108,6 +113,10 @@ var _ = Describe("base chart support", Ordered, func() {
 			sa := &corev1.ServiceAccount{}
 			Step("Checking if istio-reader ServiceAccount was deleted")
 			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, saKey, sa).Should(ReturnNotFoundError())
+
+			webhook := &admissionv1.ValidatingWebhookConfiguration{}
+			Step("Checking if default ValidatingWebhookConfiguration was deleted")
+			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, validatingWebhookKey, webhook).Should(ReturnNotFoundError())
 		})
 	})
 
@@ -153,12 +162,20 @@ var _ = Describe("base chart support", Ordered, func() {
 			sa := &corev1.ServiceAccount{}
 			Step("Checking if istio-reader ServiceAccount was deleted")
 			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, saKey, sa).Should(ReturnNotFoundError())
+
+			webhook := &admissionv1.ValidatingWebhookConfiguration{}
+			Step("Checking if default ValidatingWebhookConfiguration was deleted")
+			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, validatingWebhookKey, webhook).Should(ReturnNotFoundError())
 		})
 
 		It("deploys base chart when default IstioRevisionTag is created", func() {
 			sa := &corev1.ServiceAccount{}
 			Step("Checking if istio-reader ServiceAccount was successfully created")
 			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, saKey, sa).Should(Succeed())
+
+			webhook := &admissionv1.ValidatingWebhookConfiguration{}
+			Step("Checking if default ValidatingWebhookConfiguration was successfully created")
+			Eventually(k8sClient.Get).WithArguments(ctx, validatingWebhookKey, webhook).Should(Succeed())
 		})
 	})