diff --git a/pkg/charts/values.go b/pkg/charts/values.go
index f8caf2a0..d9575bd2 100644
--- a/pkg/charts/values.go
+++ b/pkg/charts/values.go
@@ -223,12 +223,11 @@ func readDefaults(chartDir string, ha bool) (*Values, error) {
                        return nil, err
                }
 
-               merged, err := values.merge(v)
+               var err error
+               values, err = values.merge(v)
                if err != nil {
                        return nil, err
                }
-
-               values = *merged
        }
 
        return &values, nil
@@ -237,14 +236,13 @@ func readDefaults(chartDir string, ha bool) (*Values, error) {
 // merge merges the non-empty properties of src into v.
 // A new Values instance is returned. Neither src nor v are mutated after
 // calling merge.
-func (v Values) merge(src Values) (*Values, error) {
+func (v Values) merge(src Values) (Values, error) {
        // By default, mergo.Merge doesn't overwrite any existing non-empty values
        // in src. So in HA mode, we are merging values.yaml into values-ha.yaml
        // so that all the HA values take precedence.
        if err := mergo.Merge(&src, v); err != nil {
-               return nil, err
+               return Values{}, err
        }
 
-       newValue := src
-       return &newValue, nil
+       return src, nil
 }