diff --git a/src/internal/controller/zitadelcluster_controller.go b/src/internal/controller/zitadelcluster_controller.go
index fc2fdbe..0f95807 100644
--- a/src/internal/controller/zitadelcluster_controller.go
+++ b/src/internal/controller/zitadelcluster_controller.go
@@ -465,6 +465,7 @@ func (r *ZitadelClusterReconciler) reconcileSMTPConfig(ctx context.Context, zita
 			Tls:           zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.TLS,
 			Host:          zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.Host,
 			Id:            resp.SmtpConfig.Id,
+			Password:      "test",
 			Description:   "autogenerated by k8s-operator",
 		}
 		if zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.User != nil && zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.Password != nil {
@@ -493,6 +494,7 @@ func (r *ZitadelClusterReconciler) reconcileSMTPConfig(ctx context.Context, zita
 			Tls:           zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.TLS,
 			Host:          zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.Host,
 			Description:   "autogenerated by k8s-operator",
+			Password:      "test",
 		}
 		if zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.User != nil && zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.Password != nil {
 			passwordSecret, err := r.RefResolver.SecretKeyRef(ctx, zitadel.Spec.SMTPConfig.Password.SecretKeyRef, zitadel.Namespace)