diff --git a/deploy/crds/vms-crd.yaml b/deploy/crds/vms-crd.yaml
index 0292b8d..1863afe 100644
--- a/deploy/crds/vms-crd.yaml
+++ b/deploy/crds/vms-crd.yaml
@@ -933,6 +933,12 @@ spec:
                     update:
                       type: boolean
                       default: true
+                guestShutdownStops:
+                  description: >-
+                    If true, sets the VM's state to "Stopped" when
+                    the VM terminates due to a shutdown by the guest.
+                  type: boolean
+                  default: false
                 loadBalancerService:
                   description: >-
                     Data to be merged with the loadBalancerService
@@ -999,12 +1005,6 @@ spec:
                       type: string
                       enum: [ "Stopped", "Running" ]
                       default: "Stopped"
-                    guestShutdownStops:
-                      description: >-
-                        If true, sets the state to "Stopped" when
-                        the VM terminates due to a shutdown by the guest.
-                      type: boolean
-                      default: false
                     machineUuid:
                       description: >-
                         The machine's uuid. If none is specified, a uuid 
diff --git a/dev-example/test-vm.yaml b/dev-example/test-vm.yaml
index dcb3454..0a8a098 100644
--- a/dev-example/test-vm.yaml
+++ b/dev-example/test-vm.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ spec:
     requests:
       cpu: 1
       memory: 2Gi
-    
+  
+  guestShutdownStops: true
+  
   cloudInit: {}
     
   vm:
diff --git a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerConfig.ftl.yaml b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerConfig.ftl.yaml
index 64822a5..451a465 100644
--- a/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerConfig.ftl.yaml
+++ b/org.jdrupes.vmoperator.manager/resources/org/jdrupes/vmoperator/manager/runnerConfig.ftl.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ data:
       updateTemplate: ${ cr.spec.runnerTemplate.update.asBoolean?c }
       </#if>
 
+      # Whether a shutdown initiated by the guest stops the pod deployment
+      guestShutdownStops: ${ cr.spec.guestShutdownStops!false?c }
+      
       # Forward the cloud-init data if provided
       <#if cr.spec.cloudInit??>    
       cloudInit:
@@ -63,8 +66,6 @@ data:
         </#if>
       </#if>
       
-      guestShutdownStops: ${ cr.spec.vm.guestShutdownStops!false?c }
-      
       # Define the VM (required)
       vm:
         # The VM's name (required)