diff --git a/charts/kyverno/Chart.yaml b/charts/kyverno/Chart.yaml
index abdd089bc6..31d1b6c6d1 100644
--- a/charts/kyverno/Chart.yaml
+++ b/charts/kyverno/Chart.yaml
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ annotations:
   artifacthub.io/changes: |
     - kind: fixed
       description: switch to post-delete helm hook to clean up Kyverno configmap
+    - kind: fixed
+      description: modify config.webhooks to be as a single object instead of a list of webhooks.
 dependencies:
   - name: grafana
     version: v0.0.0
diff --git a/charts/kyverno/README.md b/charts/kyverno/README.md
index e4f7a99458..88e5361cf5 100644
--- a/charts/kyverno/README.md
+++ b/charts/kyverno/README.md
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ The chart values are organised per component.
 | config.generateSuccessEvents | bool | `false` | Generate success events. |
 | config.resourceFilters | list | See [values.yaml](values.yaml) | Resource types to be skipped by the Kyverno policy engine. Make sure to surround each entry in quotes so that it doesn't get parsed as a nested YAML list. These are joined together without spaces, run through `tpl`, and the result is set in the config map. |
 | config.updateRequestThreshold | int | `1000` | Sets the threshold for the total number of UpdateRequests generated for mutateExisitng and generate policies. |
-| config.webhooks | list | `[{"namespaceSelector":{"matchExpressions":[{"key":"kubernetes.io/metadata.name","operator":"NotIn","values":["kube-system"]}]}}]` | Defines the `namespaceSelector` in the webhook configurations. Note that it takes a list of `namespaceSelector` and/or `objectSelector` in the JSON format, and only the first element will be forwarded to the webhook configurations. The Kyverno namespace is excluded if `excludeKyvernoNamespace` is `true` (default) |
+| config.webhooks | object | `{"namespaceSelector":{"matchExpressions":[{"key":"kubernetes.io/metadata.name","operator":"NotIn","values":["kube-system"]}]}}` | Defines the `namespaceSelector`/`objectSelector` in the webhook configurations. The Kyverno namespace is excluded if `excludeKyvernoNamespace` is `true` (default) |
 | config.webhookAnnotations | object | `{"admissions.enforcer/disabled":"true"}` | Defines annotations to set on webhook configurations. |
 | config.webhookLabels | object | `{}` | Defines labels to set on webhook configurations. |
 | config.matchConditions | list | `[]` | Defines match conditions to set on webhook configurations (requires Kubernetes 1.27+). |
diff --git a/charts/kyverno/templates/config/_helpers.tpl b/charts/kyverno/templates/config/_helpers.tpl
index 097aa451bc..2d1d4262b1 100644
--- a/charts/kyverno/templates/config/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/charts/kyverno/templates/config/_helpers.tpl
@@ -56,13 +56,11 @@
 
 {{- define "kyverno.config.webhooks" -}}
 {{- $excludeDefault := dict "key" "kubernetes.io/metadata.name" "operator" "NotIn" "values" (list (include "kyverno.namespace" .)) }}
-{{- $newWebhook := list }}
-{{- range $webhook := .Values.config.webhooks }}
-  {{- $namespaceSelector := default dict $webhook.namespaceSelector }}
-  {{- $matchExpressions := default list $namespaceSelector.matchExpressions }}
-  {{- $newNamespaceSelector := dict "matchLabels" $namespaceSelector.matchLabels "matchExpressions" (append $matchExpressions $excludeDefault) }}
-  {{- $newWebhook = append $newWebhook (merge (omit $webhook "namespaceSelector") (dict "namespaceSelector" $newNamespaceSelector)) }}
-{{- end }}
+{{- $webhook := .Values.config.webhooks }}
+{{- $namespaceSelector := default dict $webhook.namespaceSelector }}
+{{- $matchExpressions := default list $namespaceSelector.matchExpressions }}
+{{- $newNamespaceSelector := dict "matchLabels" $namespaceSelector.matchLabels "matchExpressions" (append $matchExpressions $excludeDefault) }}
+{{- $newWebhook := merge (omit $webhook "namespaceSelector") (dict "namespaceSelector" $newNamespaceSelector) }}
 {{- $newWebhook | toJson }}
 {{- end -}}
 
diff --git a/charts/kyverno/values.yaml b/charts/kyverno/values.yaml
index 4d918701f8..b2b3d74725 100644
--- a/charts/kyverno/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/kyverno/values.yaml
@@ -320,18 +320,16 @@ config:
   # -- Sets the threshold for the total number of UpdateRequests generated for mutateExisitng and generate policies.
   updateRequestThreshold: 1000
 
-  # -- Defines the `namespaceSelector` in the webhook configurations.
-  # Note that it takes a list of `namespaceSelector` and/or `objectSelector` in the JSON format, and only the first element
-  # will be forwarded to the webhook configurations.
+  # -- Defines the `namespaceSelector`/`objectSelector` in the webhook configurations.
   # The Kyverno namespace is excluded if `excludeKyvernoNamespace` is `true` (default)
   webhooks:
     # Exclude namespaces
-    - namespaceSelector:
-        matchExpressions:
-        - key: kubernetes.io/metadata.name
-          operator: NotIn
-          values:
-            - kube-system
+    namespaceSelector:
+      matchExpressions:
+      - key: kubernetes.io/metadata.name
+        operator: NotIn
+        values:
+          - kube-system
     # Exclude objects
     # - objectSelector:
     #     matchExpressions:
diff --git a/config/install-latest-testing.yaml b/config/install-latest-testing.yaml
index eabf7c0b45..1bd3e82d26 100644
--- a/config/install-latest-testing.yaml
+++ b/config/install-latest-testing.yaml
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ data:
     [Secret,kyverno,kyverno-svc.kyverno.svc.*]
     [Secret,kyverno,kyverno-cleanup-controller.kyverno.svc.*]
   updateRequestThreshold: "1000"
-  webhooks: "[{\"namespaceSelector\":{\"matchExpressions\":[{\"key\":\"kubernetes.io/metadata.name\",\"operator\":\"NotIn\",\"values\":[\"kube-system\"]},{\"key\":\"kubernetes.io/metadata.name\",\"operator\":\"NotIn\",\"values\":[\"kyverno\"]}],\"matchLabels\":null}}]"
+  webhooks: "{\"namespaceSelector\":{\"matchExpressions\":[{\"key\":\"kubernetes.io/metadata.name\",\"operator\":\"NotIn\",\"values\":[\"kube-system\"]},{\"key\":\"kubernetes.io/metadata.name\",\"operator\":\"NotIn\",\"values\":[\"kyverno\"]}],\"matchLabels\":null}}"
   webhookAnnotations: "{\"admissions.enforcer/disabled\":\"true\"}"
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 5df2258b25..aba55e979a 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@ type Configuration interface {
 	ToFilter(kind schema.GroupVersionKind, subresource, namespace, name string) bool
 	// GetGenerateSuccessEvents return if should generate success events
 	GetGenerateSuccessEvents() bool
-	// GetWebhooks returns the webhook configs
-	GetWebhooks() []WebhookConfig
+	// GetWebhook returns the webhook config
+	GetWebhook() WebhookConfig
 	// GetWebhookAnnotations returns annotations to set on webhook configs
 	GetWebhookAnnotations() map[string]string
 	// GetWebhookLabels returns labels to set on webhook configs
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ type configuration struct {
 	inclusions                    match
 	filters                       []filter
 	generateSuccessEvents         bool
-	webhooks                      []WebhookConfig
+	webhook                       WebhookConfig
 	webhookAnnotations            map[string]string
 	webhookLabels                 map[string]string
 	matchConditions               []admissionregistrationv1.MatchCondition
@@ -310,10 +310,10 @@ func (cd *configuration) GetGenerateSuccessEvents() bool {
 	return cd.generateSuccessEvents
 }
 
-func (cd *configuration) GetWebhooks() []WebhookConfig {
+func (cd *configuration) GetWebhook() WebhookConfig {
 	cd.mux.RLock()
 	defer cd.mux.RUnlock()
-	return cd.webhooks
+	return cd.webhook
 }
 
 func (cd *configuration) GetWebhookAnnotations() map[string]string {
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ func (cd *configuration) load(cm *corev1.ConfigMap) {
 	cd.inclusions = match{}
 	cd.filters = []filter{}
 	cd.generateSuccessEvents = false
-	cd.webhooks = nil
+	cd.webhook = WebhookConfig{}
 	cd.webhookAnnotations = nil
 	cd.webhookLabels = nil
 	cd.matchConditions = nil
@@ -451,11 +451,11 @@ func (cd *configuration) load(cm *corev1.ConfigMap) {
 		logger.Info("webhooks not set")
 	} else {
 		logger := logger.WithValues("webhooks", webhooks)
-		webhooks, err := parseWebhooks(webhooks)
+		webhook, err := parseWebhooks(webhooks)
 		if err != nil {
 			logger.Error(err, "failed to parse webhooks")
 		} else {
-			cd.webhooks = webhooks
+			cd.webhook = *webhook
 			logger.Info("webhooks configured")
 		}
 	}
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ func (cd *configuration) unload() {
 	cd.inclusions = match{}
 	cd.filters = []filter{}
 	cd.generateSuccessEvents = false
-	cd.webhooks = nil
+	cd.webhook = WebhookConfig{}
 	cd.webhookAnnotations = nil
 	cd.webhookLabels = nil
 	logger.Info("configuration unloaded")
diff --git a/pkg/config/types.go b/pkg/config/types.go
index c290902df9..1ca4a8842c 100644
--- a/pkg/config/types.go
+++ b/pkg/config/types.go
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ type WebhookConfig struct {
 	ObjectSelector    *metav1.LabelSelector `json:"objectSelector,omitempty"`
 }
 
-func parseWebhooks(in string) ([]WebhookConfig, error) {
-	var webhookCfgs []WebhookConfig
-	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(in), &webhookCfgs); err != nil {
+func parseWebhooks(in string) (*WebhookConfig, error) {
+	var webhookCfg WebhookConfig
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(in), &webhookCfg); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return webhookCfgs, nil
+	return &webhookCfg, nil
 }
 
 func parseExclusions(in string) (exclusions, inclusions []string) {
diff --git a/pkg/controllers/webhook/controller.go b/pkg/controllers/webhook/controller.go
index 708127d07e..16739a8644 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/webhook/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/webhook/controller.go
@@ -823,11 +823,7 @@ func (c *controller) buildResourceMutatingWebhookConfiguration(ctx context.Conte
 		Webhooks:   []admissionregistrationv1.MutatingWebhook{},
 	}
 	if c.watchdogCheck() {
-		webhookCfg := config.WebhookConfig{}
-		webhookCfgs := cfg.GetWebhooks()
-		if len(webhookCfgs) > 0 {
-			webhookCfg = webhookCfgs[0]
-		}
+		webhookCfg := cfg.GetWebhook()
 		ignoreWebhook := newWebhook(c.defaultTimeout, ignore, cfg.GetMatchConditions())
 		failWebhook := newWebhook(c.defaultTimeout, fail, cfg.GetMatchConditions())
 		policies, err := c.getAllPolicies()
@@ -964,12 +960,7 @@ func (c *controller) buildResourceValidatingWebhookConfiguration(ctx context.Con
 		Webhooks:   []admissionregistrationv1.ValidatingWebhook{},
 	}
 	if c.watchdogCheck() {
-		webhookCfg := config.WebhookConfig{}
-		webhookCfgs := cfg.GetWebhooks()
-		if len(webhookCfgs) > 0 {
-			webhookCfg = webhookCfgs[0]
-		}
-
+		webhookCfg := cfg.GetWebhook()
 		ignoreWebhook := newWebhook(c.defaultTimeout, ignore, cfg.GetMatchConditions())
 		failWebhook := newWebhook(c.defaultTimeout, fail, cfg.GetMatchConditions())
 		policies, err := c.getAllPolicies()