diff --git a/docs/modules/commons-operator/pages/restarter.adoc b/docs/modules/commons-operator/pages/restarter.adoc
index 3ba89fb..36993b5 100644
--- a/docs/modules/commons-operator/pages/restarter.adoc
+++ b/docs/modules/commons-operator/pages/restarter.adoc
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ spec:
 ==== Pod template annotations
 
 To detect changes, the operator adds an annotation for every referenced ConfigMap and Secret to the Pod template of the StatefulSet.
-Its key is `configmap.restarter.stackable.tech/\{name\}` or `secret.restarter.stackable.tech/\{name\}`, its value is the UID and resource version of the referenced object (or `changes-ignored` if it is excluded as described above).
+Its key is `configmap.restarter.stackable.tech/\{name\}` or `secret.restarter.stackable.tech/\{name\}`, its value is the UID and resource version of the referenced object.
+The value is `changes-ignored` instead if the object is excluded, either by the StatefulSet annotations described above or by the `restarter.stackable.tech/ignore` label described below.
+The value is also `changes-ignored` if the referenced object does not exist (yet), for example because the StatefulSet was created before a mounted Secret.
+This is intended: once the object is created, the value changes to its UID and resource version (unless it is excluded), and the Pods are restarted to pick it up.
 Kubernetes rolling-restarts the Pods whenever one of these values changes.
 These annotations are managed by the operator, there is no need to set them yourself.
 
diff --git a/rust/operator-binary/src/restart_controller/statefulset.rs b/rust/operator-binary/src/restart_controller/statefulset.rs
index 754a31a..8e3e874 100644
--- a/rust/operator-binary/src/restart_controller/statefulset.rs
+++ b/rust/operator-binary/src/restart_controller/statefulset.rs
@@ -331,6 +331,15 @@ pub async fn get_updated_restarter_annotations(
         let cm_name = &cm_ref.name;
         let cm = cms.get(&cm_ref);
 
+        // It is intended that "changes-ignored" is also used if the ConfigMap is not in the store,
+        // i.e. it doesn't exist (yet), e.g. because the StatefulSet was created before the
+        // ConfigMap, or it has the label `restarter.stackable.tech/ignore=true` (filtered out by the
+        // watcher). Once the ConfigMap shows up, the value changes to its uid/resourceVersion
+        // (unless ignored via the StatefulSet annotations), which restarts the Pods so that they
+        // pick it up.
+        // Leaving out the annotation instead would not avoid any restart, but cause additional
+        // ones, e.g. when an object ignored via a StatefulSet annotation is created after the
+        // StatefulSet.
         let value = if let Some(cm) = cm
             && let Some(uid) = &cm.metadata.uid
             && let Some(resource_version) = &cm.metadata.resource_version
@@ -383,6 +392,7 @@ pub async fn get_updated_restarter_annotations(
         let secret_name = &secret_ref.name;
         let secret = secrets.get(&secret_ref);
 
+        // Same as for ConfigMaps above, "changes-ignored" is intended for Secrets not in the store.
         let value = if let Some(secret) = secret
             && let Some(uid) = &secret.metadata.uid
             && let Some(resource_version) = &secret.metadata.resource_version