diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 2f24fb2..18098f2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -38,3 +38,5 @@ jobs:
           path: ${{ env.COMPONENT_NAME }}
       - name: Compile component
         run: make test
+      - name: Compile component with no defined resource limits
+        run: make test-nolimits
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2768927..08933fe 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -51,9 +51,20 @@ docs-serve: ## Preview the documentation
 	mkdir -p dependencies
 	$(COMMODORE_CMD)
 
-.PHONY: test
-test: commodore_args += -f tests/$(instance).yml
-test: .compile ## Compile the component
+.PHONY: test-nolimits
+test-nolimits: instance = no_container_limits
+test-nolimits: runtest
+
+.PHONY: test-default
+test-default: instance = defaults
+test-default: runtest
+
+.PHONY: test test-default test-nolimits
+test: test-default
+
+.PHONY: runtest
+runtest: commodore_args += -f tests/$(instance).yml
+runtest: .compile ## Compile the component
 
 .PHONY: clean
 clean: ## Clean the project
diff --git a/class/defaults.yml b/class/defaults.yml
index 7866d59..95f0a9b 100644
--- a/class/defaults.yml
+++ b/class/defaults.yml
@@ -16,14 +16,6 @@ parameters:
       monitor_user: maxscale
       service_pwd: ?{vaultkv:${customer:name}/${cluster:name}/${_instance}/service_pwd}
       monitor_pwd: ?{vaultkv:${customer:name}/${cluster:name}/${_instance}/monitor_pwd}
-    containers:
-      resources:
-        requests:
-          cpu: 1000m
-          memory: 128Mi
-        limits:
-          cpu: 2000m
-          memory: 512Mi
     images:
       maxscale:
         image: gchr.io/appuio/maxscale-docker
diff --git a/component/main.jsonnet b/component/main.jsonnet
index 2fa1fee..1763bf4 100644
--- a/component/main.jsonnet
+++ b/component/main.jsonnet
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@ local kap = import 'lib/kapitan.libjsonnet';
 local kube = import 'lib/kube.libjsonnet';
 local inv = kap.inventory();
 local params = inv.parameters.maxscale;
+local res = if std.objectHas(params, 'resources') then params.resources else null;
+
+local default_resources = {
+  limits: {
+    cpu: '2000m',
+    memory: '512Mi',
+  },
+  requests: {
+    cpu: '1000m',
+    memory: '128Mi',
+  },
+};
+
+local resources = if res != null then std.mergePatch(default_resources, res) else null;
 
 local namespace = kube.Namespace(params.namespace) {
   metadata+: {
@@ -80,16 +94,7 @@ local deployment = kube.Deployment('maxscale') {
               },
               initialDelaySeconds: 15,
             },
-            resources: {
-              requests: {
-                cpu: params.containers.resources.requests.cpu,
-                memory: params.containers.resources.requests.memory,
-              },
-              limits: {
-                cpu: params.containers.resources.limits.cpu,
-                memory: params.containers.resources.limits.memory,
-              },
-            },
+            [if resources != null then 'resources']: resources,
             volumeMounts: [
               {
                 name: 'maxscale-cnf-volume',
diff --git a/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/references/parameters.adoc b/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/references/parameters.adoc
index 3436f5e..3305980 100644
--- a/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/references/parameters.adoc
+++ b/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/references/parameters.adoc
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ type:: string
 default:: `?{vaultkv:${customer:name}/${cluster:name}/maxscale/monitor_pwd}`
 
 
-= Container Parameters
+= Container Resource Parameters
 
-The parent key for the following parameters is `containers` and they affect the MaxScale containers:
+By default there are no resource limits. As soon as you set *any* of these reource parameters, all the other ones are set to their defaults and you'll have to override them to change them. This prevents generating an invalid manifest.
 
 
 == `resources.requests.cpu`
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ maxscale:
   db3_port: 3305
   monitor_user: mymonitoruser
   service_user: myserviceuser
-containers:
   resources:
     requests:
       cpu: 1000m
diff --git a/tests/defaults.yml b/tests/defaults.yml
index e3f744d..9f796c4 100644
--- a/tests/defaults.yml
+++ b/tests/defaults.yml
@@ -20,3 +20,11 @@ parameters:
     monitor_user: maxscale-testmonitor
     service_pwd: testservicepwd
     monitor_pwd: testmonitorpwd
+  containers:
+    resources:
+      limits:
+        memory: 512Mi
+        cpu: 1234m
+      requests:
+        memory: 1024Mi
+        cpu: 123m
diff --git a/tests/no_container_limits.yml b/tests/no_container_limits.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c34d8e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/no_container_limits.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Overwrite parameters here
+
+# parameters: {...}
+---
+parameters:
+  _instance: maxscale-nolimits
+  maxscale:
+    namespace: maxscale-test
+    master_only_listen_address: 127.0.0.1
+    read_write_listen_address: 127.0.0.1
+    db1_address: db1.mygalera.test.example.org
+    db1_port: 3307
+    db2_address: db2.mygalera.test.example.org
+    db2_port: 3307
+    db3_address: db3.mygalera.test.example.org
+    db3_port: 3307
+    service_user: maxscale-testservice
+    monitor_user: maxscale-testmonitor
+    service_pwd: testservicepwd
+    monitor_pwd: testmonitorpwd