diff --git a/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml b/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
index 594b73af5..2d67c385c 100644
--- a/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
+++ b/build/crd/percona/generated/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
@@ -28778,6 +28778,8 @@ spec:
                 and is true
               rule: '!has(self.users) || self.postgresVersion >= 15 || self.users.all(u,
                 !has(u.grantPublicSchemaAccess) || !u.grantPublicSchemaAccess)'
+            - message: CRVersion must be a valid semantic version
+              rule: '!has(self.crVersion) || self.crVersion == "" || self.crVersion.matches(''^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.+-]+)?$'')'
           status:
             properties:
               conditions:
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml b/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
index 195fd6a63..6cabac1c9 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/pgv2.percona.com_perconapgclusters.yaml
@@ -29473,6 +29473,8 @@ spec:
                 and is true
               rule: '!has(self.users) || self.postgresVersion >= 15 || self.users.all(u,
                 !has(u.grantPublicSchemaAccess) || !u.grantPublicSchemaAccess)'
+            - message: CRVersion must be a valid semantic version
+              rule: '!has(self.crVersion) || self.crVersion == "" || self.crVersion.matches(''^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.+-]+)?$'')'
           status:
             properties:
               conditions:
diff --git a/deploy/bundle.yaml b/deploy/bundle.yaml
index aa9ffe309..06dd13fc6 100644
--- a/deploy/bundle.yaml
+++ b/deploy/bundle.yaml
@@ -29770,6 +29770,8 @@ spec:
                 and is true
               rule: '!has(self.users) || self.postgresVersion >= 15 || self.users.all(u,
                 !has(u.grantPublicSchemaAccess) || !u.grantPublicSchemaAccess)'
+            - message: CRVersion must be a valid semantic version
+              rule: '!has(self.crVersion) || self.crVersion == "" || self.crVersion.matches(''^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.+-]+)?$'')'
           status:
             properties:
               conditions:
diff --git a/deploy/crd.yaml b/deploy/crd.yaml
index 505329580..cca53bb00 100644
--- a/deploy/crd.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crd.yaml
@@ -29770,6 +29770,8 @@ spec:
                 and is true
               rule: '!has(self.users) || self.postgresVersion >= 15 || self.users.all(u,
                 !has(u.grantPublicSchemaAccess) || !u.grantPublicSchemaAccess)'
+            - message: CRVersion must be a valid semantic version
+              rule: '!has(self.crVersion) || self.crVersion == "" || self.crVersion.matches(''^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.+-]+)?$'')'
           status:
             properties:
               conditions:
diff --git a/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml b/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml
index 0216f2dda..3b992f318 100644
--- a/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml
+++ b/deploy/cw-bundle.yaml
@@ -29770,6 +29770,8 @@ spec:
                 and is true
               rule: '!has(self.users) || self.postgresVersion >= 15 || self.users.all(u,
                 !has(u.grantPublicSchemaAccess) || !u.grantPublicSchemaAccess)'
+            - message: CRVersion must be a valid semantic version
+              rule: '!has(self.crVersion) || self.crVersion == "" || self.crVersion.matches(''^[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.+-]+)?$'')'
           status:
             properties:
               conditions:
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go b/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go
index 7231fc176..e7164469f 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type PerconaPGCluster struct {
 }
 
 // +kubebuilder:validation:XValidation:rule="!has(self.users) || self.postgresVersion >= 15 || self.users.all(u, !has(u.grantPublicSchemaAccess) || !u.grantPublicSchemaAccess)",message="PostgresVersion must be >= 15 if grantPublicSchemaAccess exists and is true"
+// +kubebuilder:validation:XValidation:rule="!has(self.crVersion) || self.crVersion == \"\" || self.crVersion.matches('^[0-9]+\\\\.[0-9]+\\\\.[0-9]+(-[a-zA-Z0-9.+-]+)?$')",message="CRVersion must be a valid semantic version"
 type PerconaPGClusterSpec struct {
 	// +optional
 	Metadata *crunchyv1beta1.Metadata `json:"metadata,omitempty"`
@@ -505,7 +506,11 @@ func (cr *PerconaPGCluster) ToCrunchy(ctx context.Context, postgresCluster *crun
 }
 
 func (cr *PerconaPGCluster) Version() *gover.Version {
-	return gover.Must(gover.NewVersion(cr.Spec.CRVersion))
+	crVersion := cr.Spec.CRVersion
+	if crVersion == "" {
+		crVersion = version.Version()
+	}
+	return gover.Must(gover.NewVersion(crVersion))
 }
 
 func (cr *PerconaPGCluster) CompareVersion(ver string) int {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types_test.go b/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types_test.go
index 693640fb2..32bc035e5 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pgv2.percona.com/v2/perconapgcluster_types_test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,25 @@ func TestPerconaPGCluster_Validate(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestPerconaPGCluster_Version(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("empty CRVersion does not crash", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cr := new(PerconaPGCluster)
+		// cr.Version() should not panic when CRVersion is empty
+		ver := cr.Version()
+		require.NotNil(t, ver)
+		// Should return the default operator version
+		assert.Equal(t, version.Version(), ver.String())
+	})
+
+	t.Run("valid CRVersion is parsed correctly", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cr := new(PerconaPGCluster)
+		cr.Spec.CRVersion = "2.5.0"
+		ver := cr.Version()
+		require.NotNil(t, ver)
+		assert.Equal(t, "2.5.0", ver.String())
+	})
+}
+
 func TestPerconaPGCluster_Proxy(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Proxy is nil, CRVersion < 2.9.0", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cr := new(PerconaPGCluster)