diff --git a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults.go b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults.go
index 3be6ab374..59863d1fd 100644
--- a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package v1alpha1
 
 import (
+	time "time"
+
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	logsapi "k8s.io/component-base/logs/api/v1"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
@@ -24,6 +26,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pkg/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1"
 )
 
+var (
+	defaultLeaderElect                 = true
+	defaultLeaderElectionNamespace     = "kube-system"
+	defaultLeaderElectionLeaseDuration = 60 * time.Second
+	defaultLeaderElectionRenewDeadline = 40 * time.Second
+	defaultLeaderElectionRetryPeriod   = 15 * time.Second
+)
+
 func addDefaultingFuncs(scheme *runtime.Scheme) error {
 	return RegisterDefaults(scheme)
 }
@@ -36,6 +46,29 @@ func SetDefaults_CAInjectorConfiguration(obj *v1alpha1.CAInjectorConfiguration)
 	logsapi.SetRecommendedLoggingConfiguration(&obj.Logging)
 }
 
+func SetDefaults_LeaderElectionConfig(obj *v1alpha1.LeaderElectionConfig) {
+	if obj.Enabled == nil {
+		obj.Enabled = &defaultLeaderElect
+	}
+
+	if obj.Namespace == "" {
+		obj.Namespace = defaultLeaderElectionNamespace
+	}
+
+	// TODO: Does it make sense to have a duration of 0?
+	if obj.LeaseDuration == time.Duration(0) {
+		obj.LeaseDuration = defaultLeaderElectionLeaseDuration
+	}
+
+	if obj.RenewDeadline == time.Duration(0) {
+		obj.RenewDeadline = defaultLeaderElectionRenewDeadline
+	}
+
+	if obj.RetryPeriod == time.Duration(0) {
+		obj.RetryPeriod = defaultLeaderElectionRetryPeriod
+	}
+}
+
 func SetDefaults_EnableDataSourceConfig(obj *v1alpha1.EnableDataSourceConfig) {
 	if obj.Certificates == nil {
 		obj.Certificates = ptr.To(true)
diff --git a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/zz_generated.defaults.go b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/zz_generated.defaults.go
index 5c0d1d64e..d6ecc6234 100644
--- a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/zz_generated.defaults.go
+++ b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/zz_generated.defaults.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ func RegisterDefaults(scheme *runtime.Scheme) error {
 
 func SetObjectDefaults_CAInjectorConfiguration(in *v1alpha1.CAInjectorConfiguration) {
 	SetDefaults_CAInjectorConfiguration(in)
+	SetDefaults_LeaderElectionConfig(&in.LeaderElectionConfig)
 	SetDefaults_EnableDataSourceConfig(&in.EnableDataSourceConfig)
 	SetDefaults_EnableInjectableConfig(&in.EnableInjectableConfig)
 }