diff --git a/controllers/defaults/placements.go b/controllers/defaults/placements.go
index ea79bb8f04..bec7d20b5e 100644
--- a/controllers/defaults/placements.go
+++ b/controllers/defaults/placements.go
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 var (
 	APIServerKey       = "api-server"
 	MetricsExporterKey = "metrics-exporter"
+	CsiPluginKey       = "csi-plugin"
+	CsiProvisionerKey  = "csi-provisioner"
 
 	// osdLabelSelector is the key in OSD pod. Used
 	// as a label selector for topology spread constraints.
@@ -141,6 +143,18 @@ var (
 				getOcsToleration(),
 			},
 		},
+
+		CsiPluginKey: {
+			Tolerations: []corev1.Toleration{
+				getOcsToleration(),
+			},
+		},
+
+		CsiProvisionerKey: {
+			Tolerations: []corev1.Toleration{
+				getOcsToleration(),
+			},
+		},
 	}
 )
 
diff --git a/controllers/ocsinitialization/ocsinitialization_controller.go b/controllers/ocsinitialization/ocsinitialization_controller.go
index e969995f5a..e8fb72595d 100644
--- a/controllers/ocsinitialization/ocsinitialization_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/ocsinitialization/ocsinitialization_controller.go
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	secv1client "github.com/openshift/client-go/security/clientset/versioned/typed/security/v1"
 	ocsv1 "github.com/red-hat-storage/ocs-operator/api/v4/v1"
+	"github.com/red-hat-storage/ocs-operator/v4/controllers/defaults"
 	"github.com/red-hat-storage/ocs-operator/v4/controllers/util"
+	rookCephv1 "github.com/rook/rook/pkg/apis/ceph.rook.io/v1"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -241,7 +244,8 @@ func (r *OCSInitializationReconciler) SetupWithManager(mgr ctrl.Manager) error {
 }
 
 // ensureRookCephOperatorConfigExists ensures that the rook-ceph-operator-config cm exists
-// This configmap is purely reserved for any user overrides to be applied.
+// This configmap is semi-reserved for any user overrides to be applied 4.16 onwards.
+// Earlier it used to be purely reserved for user overrides.
 // We don't reconcile it if it exists as it can reset any values the user has set
 // The configmap is watched by the rook operator and values set here have higher precedence
 // than the default values set in the rook operator pod env vars.
@@ -252,14 +256,74 @@ func (r *OCSInitializationReconciler) ensureRookCephOperatorConfigExists(initial
 			Namespace: initialData.Namespace,
 		},
 	}
-	err := r.Client.Create(r.ctx, rookCephOperatorConfig)
-	if err != nil && !errors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
-		r.Log.Error(err, fmt.Sprintf("Failed to create %s configmap", util.RookCephOperatorConfigName))
+
+	opResult, err := ctrl.CreateOrUpdate(r.ctx, r.Client, rookCephOperatorConfig, func() error {
+
+		csiPluginDefaults := defaults.DaemonPlacements[defaults.CsiPluginKey]
+		csiProvisionerDefaults := defaults.DaemonPlacements[defaults.CsiProvisionerKey]
+
+		csiPluginTolerations := r.getCsiTolerations(defaults.CsiPluginKey)
+		csiProvisionerTolerations := r.getCsiTolerations(defaults.CsiProvisionerKey)
+
+		if rookCephOperatorConfig.Data == nil {
+			rookCephOperatorConfig.Data = make(map[string]string)
+		}
+
+		updateTolerationsConfigFunc := func(tolerations, defaults []corev1.Toleration, configMapKey string, modifiedFlag *bool) error {
+
+			if tolerations != nil {
+				updatedTolerations := append(tolerations, defaults...)
+				tolerationsYAML, err := yaml.Marshal(updatedTolerations)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				rookCephOperatorConfig.Data[configMapKey] = string(tolerationsYAML)
+				*modifiedFlag = true
+			} else if tolerations == nil && *modifiedFlag {
+				delete(rookCephOperatorConfig.Data, configMapKey)
+				*modifiedFlag = false
+			}
+
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if err := updateTolerationsConfigFunc(
+			csiPluginTolerations, csiPluginDefaults.Tolerations, "CSI_PLUGIN_TOLERATIONS",
+			&initialData.Status.RookCephOperatorConfig.CsiPluginTolerationsModified); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		err := updateTolerationsConfigFunc(
+			csiProvisionerTolerations, csiProvisionerDefaults.Tolerations, "CSI_PROVISIONER_TOLERATIONS",
+			&initialData.Status.RookCephOperatorConfig.CsiProvisionerTolerationsModified)
+
+		return err
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		r.Log.Error(err, "Failed to create/update rook-ceph-operator-config configmap")
 		return err
 	}
+	r.Log.Info("Successfully created/updated rook-ceph-operator-config configmap", "OperationResult", opResult)
+
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (r *OCSInitializationReconciler) getCsiTolerations(csiTolerationKey string) []corev1.Toleration {
+
+	var tolerations []corev1.Toleration
+
+	clusters := r.clusters.GetStorageClusters()
+
+	for i := range clusters {
+		if val, ok := clusters[i].Spec.Placement[rookCephv1.KeyType(csiTolerationKey)]; ok {
+			tolerations = append(tolerations, val.Tolerations...)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return tolerations
+}
+
 // ensureOcsOperatorConfigExists ensures that the ocs-operator-config exists & if not create/update it with required values
 // This configmap is reserved just for ocs operator use, primarily meant for passing values to rook-ceph-operator
 // It is not meant to be modified by the user
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8ed0895cf1..6596d002b0 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.60.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.33.0
 	gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.67.0
+	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0
 	gotest.tools/v3 v3.5.0
 	k8s.io/api v0.28.4
 	k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.28.4
@@ -127,7 +128,6 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/appengine v1.6.8 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/genproto/googleapis/rpc v0.0.0-20231002182017-d307bd883b97 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/inf.v0 v0.9.1 // indirect
-	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 	k8s.io/apiserver v0.28.4 // indirect
 	k8s.io/component-base v0.28.4 // indirect