diff --git a/deploy/charts/cert-manager/templates/service.yaml b/deploy/charts/cert-manager/templates/service.yaml
index 112a55228..3d5df905e 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/cert-manager/templates/service.yaml
+++ b/deploy/charts/cert-manager/templates/service.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{- if and .Values.prometheus.enabled .Values.prometheus.servicemonitor.enabled }}
+{{- if and .Values.prometheus.enabled (not .Values.prometheus.podmonitor.enabled) }}
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
 metadata:
diff --git a/deploy/charts/cert-manager/values.yaml b/deploy/charts/cert-manager/values.yaml
index 731cb5772..18bab1af7 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/cert-manager/values.yaml
+++ b/deploy/charts/cert-manager/values.yaml
@@ -421,7 +421,9 @@ enableServiceLinks: false
 prometheus:
   # Enable Prometheus monitoring for the cert-manager controller to use with the
   # Prometheus Operator. If this option is enabled without enabling `prometheus.servicemonitor.enabled` or
-  # `prometheus.podmonitor.enabled`, 'prometheus.io' annotations are added to the cert-manager Deployment resources.
+  # `prometheus.podmonitor.enabled`, 'prometheus.io' annotations are added to the cert-manager Deployment
+  # resources. Additionally, for backwards compatibility a service is created which can be used together
+  # with your own ServiceMonitor (managed outside of this Helm chart).
   # Otherwise, a ServiceMonitor/ PodMonitor is created.
   enabled: true