diff --git a/api/v1/postgres_types.go b/api/v1/postgres_types.go
index fdd82274..dd0873c2 100644
--- a/api/v1/postgres_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/postgres_types.go
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ func (p *Postgres) ToUnstructuredZalandoPostgresql(z *zalando.Postgresql, c *cor
 	// TODO once all the custom resources have that new label, move this part to p.ToZalandoPostgresqlMatchingLabels()
 	z.Labels[PartitionIDLabelName] = p.Spec.PartitionID
 	// TODO REMOVE temp label
-	z.Labels["postgres.database.fits.cloud/temp-changing-label"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
+	z.Labels["postgres.database.fits.cloud/temp-changing-label"] = fmt.Sprint(time.Now().Unix())
 
 	z.Spec.NumberOfInstances = p.Spec.NumberOfInstances
 	z.Spec.PostgresqlParam.PgVersion = p.Spec.Version
diff --git a/pkg/etcdmanager/etcdmanager.go b/pkg/etcdmanager/etcdmanager.go
index 510687d2..e0fb139f 100644
--- a/pkg/etcdmanager/etcdmanager.go
+++ b/pkg/etcdmanager/etcdmanager.go
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ func (m *EtcdManager) createNewClientObject(ctx context.Context, obj client.Obje
 		v.Spec.Template.ObjectMeta.Labels[pg.NameLabelName] = stsName
 		// TODO REMOVE ME
 		// add an ever-changing label to force a rolling update each time we reconcile etcd
-		v.Spec.Template.ObjectMeta.Labels["postgres.database.fits.cloud/temp-changing-label"] = time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339)
+		v.Spec.Template.ObjectMeta.Labels["postgres.database.fits.cloud/temp-changing-label"] = fmt.Sprint(time.Now().Unix())
 
 		m.log.Info("Updating selector")
 		// spec.selector.matchLabels