diff --git a/pkg/controller/common/service_control.go b/pkg/controller/common/service_control.go
index 22a12675ef..70422e14f2 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/common/service_control.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/common/service_control.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package common
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"net"
 	"reflect"
 
 	"go.elastic.co/apm"
@@ -90,20 +89,17 @@ func applyServerSideValues(expected, reconciled *corev1.Service) {
 	if expected.Spec.Type == "" {
 		expected.Spec.Type = reconciled.Spec.Type
 	}
-	// ClusterIP might not exist in the expected service,
+	// ClusterIPs might not exist in the expected service,
 	// but might have been set after creation by k8s on the actual resource.
 	// In such case, we want to use these values for comparison.
 	// But only if we are not changing the type of service and the api server has assigned an IP
-	if expected.Spec.Type == reconciled.Spec.Type && expected.Spec.ClusterIP == "" && net.ParseIP(reconciled.Spec.ClusterIP) != nil {
-		expected.Spec.ClusterIP = reconciled.Spec.ClusterIP
-	}
-
-	// ClusterIPs also might not exist in the expected service,
-	// but might have been set after creation by k8s on the actual resource.
-	// In such case, we want to use these values for comparison.
-	// But only if we are not changing the type of service and the api server has assigned IPs
-	if expected.Spec.Type == reconciled.Spec.Type && len(expected.Spec.ClusterIPs) == 0 && validClusterIPs(reconciled.Spec.ClusterIPs) {
-		expected.Spec.ClusterIPs = reconciled.Spec.ClusterIPs
+	if expected.Spec.Type == reconciled.Spec.Type {
+		if expected.Spec.ClusterIP == "" {
+			expected.Spec.ClusterIP = reconciled.Spec.ClusterIP
+		}
+		if len(expected.Spec.ClusterIPs) == 0 {
+			expected.Spec.ClusterIPs = reconciled.Spec.ClusterIPs
+		}
 	}
 
 	// SessionAffinity may be defaulted by the api server
@@ -140,15 +136,11 @@ func applyServerSideValues(expected, reconciled *corev1.Service) {
 	if expected.Spec.IPFamilyPolicy == nil {
 		expected.Spec.IPFamilyPolicy = reconciled.Spec.IPFamilyPolicy
 	}
-}
 
-func validClusterIPs(clusterIPs []string) bool {
-	for _, ip := range clusterIPs {
-		if net.ParseIP(ip) == nil {
-			return false
-		}
+	// InternalTrafficPolicy may be defaulted by the api server starting K8S v1.22
+	if expected.Spec.InternalTrafficPolicy == nil {
+		expected.Spec.InternalTrafficPolicy = reconciled.Spec.InternalTrafficPolicy
 	}
-	return true
 }
 
 // hasNodePort returns for a given service type, if the service ports have a NodePort or not.
diff --git a/pkg/controller/common/service_control_test.go b/pkg/controller/common/service_control_test.go
index 39dafc8a70..2cccb02316 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/common/service_control_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/common/service_control_test.go
@@ -257,6 +257,9 @@ func Test_needsDelete(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func Test_applyServerSideValues(t *testing.T) {
+	ptr := func(policyType corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyType) *corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyType {
+		return &policyType
+	}
 	type args struct {
 		expected   corev1.Service
 		reconciled corev1.Service
@@ -285,7 +288,7 @@ func Test_applyServerSideValues(t *testing.T) {
 			}},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Reconciled ClusterIP[s] is not used if the reconciled ClusterIP[s] are not valid IPs",
+			name: "Reconciled ClusterIP[s] is also used if the reconciled ClusterIP[s] are not valid IPs",
 			args: args{
 				expected: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{}},
 				reconciled: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
@@ -297,6 +300,8 @@ func Test_applyServerSideValues(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			want: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
 				Type:            corev1.ServiceTypeClusterIP,
+				ClusterIP:       "None",
+				ClusterIPs:      []string{"None"},
 				SessionAffinity: corev1.ServiceAffinityClientIP,
 			}},
 		},
@@ -515,6 +520,32 @@ func Test_applyServerSideValues(t *testing.T) {
 				IPFamilies:      []corev1.IPFamily{corev1.IPv6Protocol},
 			}},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "Reconciled InternalTrafficPolicy is used if the expected one is empty",
+			args: args{
+				expected: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{}},
+				reconciled: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
+					InternalTrafficPolicy: ptr(corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyCluster),
+				}},
+			},
+			want: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
+				InternalTrafficPolicy: ptr(corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyCluster),
+			}},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Expected InternalTrafficPolicy is used if not empty",
+			args: args{
+				expected: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
+					InternalTrafficPolicy: ptr(corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyLocal),
+				}},
+				reconciled: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
+					InternalTrafficPolicy: ptr(corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyCluster),
+				}},
+			},
+			want: corev1.Service{Spec: corev1.ServiceSpec{
+				InternalTrafficPolicy: ptr(corev1.ServiceInternalTrafficPolicyLocal),
+			}},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {