diff --git a/pkg/apis/deployment/v1alpha/storage_engine.go b/pkg/apis/deployment/v1alpha/storage_engine.go
index 01648f26a..6124b595d 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/deployment/v1alpha/storage_engine.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/deployment/v1alpha/storage_engine.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 package v1alpha
 
 import (
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@ func (se StorageEngine) Validate() error {
 	}
 }
 
+// AsArangoArgument returns the value for the given storage engine as it is to be used
+// for arangod's --server.storage-engine option.
+func (se StorageEngine) AsArangoArgument() string {
+	return strings.ToLower(string(se))
+}
+
 // NewStorageEngine returns a reference to a string with given value.
 func NewStorageEngine(input StorageEngine) *StorageEngine {
 	return &input
diff --git a/pkg/deployment/resources/pod_creator.go b/pkg/deployment/resources/pod_creator.go
index a27fbb17e..8c3a2a44d 100644
--- a/pkg/deployment/resources/pod_creator.go
+++ b/pkg/deployment/resources/pod_creator.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func createArangodArgs(apiObject metav1.Object, deplSpec api.DeploymentSpec, gro
 
 	// Storage engine
 	options = append(options,
-		optionPair{"--server.storage-engine", strings.ToLower(string(deplSpec.GetStorageEngine()))},
+		optionPair{"--server.storage-engine", deplSpec.GetStorageEngine().AsArangoArgument()},
 	)
 
 	// Logging
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ func (r *Resources) createPodForMember(spec api.DeploymentSpec, group api.Server
 				SecretKey:  constants.SecretKeyJWT,
 			}
 		}
-		engine := string(spec.GetStorageEngine())
+		engine := spec.GetStorageEngine().AsArangoArgument()
 		requireUUID := group == api.ServerGroupDBServers && m.IsInitialized
 		if err := k8sutil.CreateArangodPod(kubecli, spec.IsDevelopment(), apiObject, role, m.ID, m.PodName, m.PersistentVolumeClaimName, info.ImageID, spec.GetImagePullPolicy(),
 			engine, requireUUID, args, env, livenessProbe, readinessProbe, tlsKeyfileSecretName, rocksdbEncryptionSecretName); err != nil {