diff --git a/cmd/kyverno/main.go b/cmd/kyverno/main.go
index a92c1b8436..677c852d33 100755
--- a/cmd/kyverno/main.go
+++ b/cmd/kyverno/main.go
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ func main() {
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 
-		if !autoUpdateWebhooks {
+		if autoUpdateWebhooks {
 			go webhookCfg.UpdateWebhookConfigurations(configData)
 		}
 		if registrationErr := registerWrapperRetry(); registrationErr != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/config/dynamicconfig.go b/pkg/config/dynamicconfig.go
index b39be2facc..f456a09b7d 100644
--- a/pkg/config/dynamicconfig.go
+++ b/pkg/config/dynamicconfig.go
@@ -195,13 +195,14 @@ func (cd *ConfigData) updateCM(old, cur interface{}) {
 		return
 	}
 	// if data has not changed then dont load configmap
-	reconcilePolicyReport, updateWebook := cd.load(*cm)
+	reconcilePolicyReport, updateWebhook := cd.load(*cm)
+
 	if reconcilePolicyReport {
 		cd.log.Info("resource filters changed, sending reconcile signal to the policy controller")
 		cd.reconcilePolicyReport <- true
 	}
 
-	if updateWebook {
+	if updateWebhook {
 		cd.log.Info("webhook configurations changed, updating webhook configurations")
 		cd.updateWebhookConfigurations <- true
 	}
@@ -284,7 +285,13 @@ func (cd *ConfigData) load(cm v1.ConfigMap) (reconcilePolicyReport, updateWebhoo
 
 	webhooks, ok := cm.Data["webhooks"]
 	if !ok {
-		logger.V(4).Info("configuration: No webhook configurations defined in ConfigMap")
+		if len(cd.webhooks) > 0 {
+			cd.webhooks = nil
+			updateWebhook = true
+			logger.V(4).Info("configuration: Setting namespaceSelector to empty in the webhook configurations")
+		} else {
+			logger.V(4).Info("configuration: No webhook configurations defined in ConfigMap")
+		}
 	} else {
 		cfgs, err := parseWebhooks(webhooks)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/webhookconfig/monitor.go b/pkg/webhookconfig/monitor.go
index 65982a2625..cefd252d53 100644
--- a/pkg/webhookconfig/monitor.go
+++ b/pkg/webhookconfig/monitor.go
@@ -106,6 +106,12 @@ func (t *Monitor) Run(register *Register, certRenewer *tls.CertRenewer, eventGen
 				t.log.Error(err, "")
 			}
 
+			// update namespaceSelector every 30 seconds
+			if register.autoUpdateWebhooks {
+				logger.V(3).Info("updating webhook configurations for namespaceSelector with latest kyverno ConfigMap")
+				register.UpdateWebhookChan <- true
+			}
+
 			timeDiff := time.Since(t.Time())
 			lastRequestTimeFromAnn := lastRequestTimeFromAnnotation(register, t.log.WithName("lastRequestTimeFromAnnotation"))
 			if lastRequestTimeFromAnn == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/webhookconfig/registration.go b/pkg/webhookconfig/registration.go
index 37a08803f8..783c66176c 100644
--- a/pkg/webhookconfig/registration.go
+++ b/pkg/webhookconfig/registration.go
@@ -712,19 +712,24 @@ func (wrc *Register) updateResourceValidatingWebhookConfiguration(nsSelector map
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to load validatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks")
 	}
 
-	var webhooks map[string]interface{}
-	var ok bool
-	if webhooksUntyped != nil {
-		webhooks, ok = webhooksUntyped[0].(map[string]interface{})
+	var (
+		webhook  map[string]interface{}
+		webhooks []interface{}
+		ok       bool
+	)
+
+	for i, whu := range webhooksUntyped {
+		webhook, ok = whu.(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "type mismatched, expected map[string]interface{}, got %T", webhooksUntyped[0])
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "type mismatched, expected map[string]interface{}, got %T", webhooksUntyped[i])
 		}
-	}
-	if err = unstructured.SetNestedMap(webhooks, nsSelector, "namespaceSelector"); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to set validatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks[0].namespaceSelector")
+		if err = unstructured.SetNestedMap(webhook, nsSelector, "namespaceSelector"); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to set validatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks["+fmt.Sprint(i)+"].namespaceSelector")
+		}
+		webhooks = append(webhooks, webhook)
 	}
 
-	if err = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(resourceValidating.UnstructuredContent(), []interface{}{webhooks}, "webhooks"); err != nil {
+	if err = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(resourceValidating.UnstructuredContent(), webhooks, "webhooks"); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to set validatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks")
 	}
 
@@ -748,19 +753,24 @@ func (wrc *Register) updateResourceMutatingWebhookConfiguration(nsSelector map[s
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to load mutatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks")
 	}
 
-	var webhooks map[string]interface{}
-	var ok bool
-	if webhooksUntyped != nil {
-		webhooks, ok = webhooksUntyped[0].(map[string]interface{})
+	var (
+		webhook  map[string]interface{}
+		webhooks []interface{}
+		ok       bool
+	)
+
+	for i, whu := range webhooksUntyped {
+		webhook, ok = whu.(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "type mismatched, expected map[string]interface{}, got %T", webhooksUntyped[0])
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "type mismatched, expected map[string]interface{}, got %T", webhooksUntyped[i])
 		}
-	}
-	if err = unstructured.SetNestedMap(webhooks, nsSelector, "namespaceSelector"); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to set mutatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks[0].namespaceSelector")
+		if err = unstructured.SetNestedMap(webhook, nsSelector, "namespaceSelector"); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to set mutatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks["+fmt.Sprint(i)+"].namespaceSelector")
+		}
+		webhooks = append(webhooks, webhook)
 	}
 
-	if err = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(resourceMutating.UnstructuredContent(), []interface{}{webhooks}, "webhooks"); err != nil {
+	if err = unstructured.SetNestedSlice(resourceMutating.UnstructuredContent(), webhooks, "webhooks"); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to set mutatingWebhookConfigurations.webhooks")
 	}