diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/mariadb_galera_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/mariadb_galera_types.go
index 985e0b9d..f4cd0cc0 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/mariadb_galera_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/mariadb_galera_types.go
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ func (g *GaleraRecovery) Validate(mdb *MariaDB) error {
 		}
 	}
 	if g.ForceClusterBootstrapInPod != nil {
-		if err := statefulset.ValidPodName(mdb.ObjectMeta, *g.ForceClusterBootstrapInPod); err != nil {
+		if err := statefulset.ValidPodName(mdb.ObjectMeta, int(mdb.Spec.Replicas), *g.ForceClusterBootstrapInPod); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("'spec.galera.recovery.forceClusterBootstrapInPod' invalid: %v", err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/statefulset/statefulset.go b/pkg/statefulset/statefulset.go
index 9860b9da..b87ae445 100644
--- a/pkg/statefulset/statefulset.go
+++ b/pkg/statefulset/statefulset.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package statefulset
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
@@ -49,10 +50,19 @@ func PodIndex(podName string) (*int, error) {
 	return &index, nil
 }
 
-func ValidPodName(meta metav1.ObjectMeta, podName string) error {
-	if _, err := PodIndex(podName); err != nil {
+func ValidPodName(meta metav1.ObjectMeta, replicas int, podName string) error {
+	if replicas < 0 {
+		return errors.New("replicas must be positive")
+	}
+
+	index, err := PodIndex(podName)
+	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid Pod index: %v", err)
 	}
+	if *index < 0 || *index >= replicas {
+		return fmt.Errorf("index '%d' out of replicas range", *index)
+	}
+
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(podName, meta.Name) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid Pod name: must start with '%s'", meta.Name)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/statefulset/statefulset_test.go b/pkg/statefulset/statefulset_test.go
index 95b9eaf5..08257c94 100644
--- a/pkg/statefulset/statefulset_test.go
+++ b/pkg/statefulset/statefulset_test.go
@@ -8,56 +8,80 @@ import (
 
 func TestStatefulSetValidPodName(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		name    string
-		meta    metav1.ObjectMeta
-		podName string
-		wantErr bool
+		name     string
+		meta     metav1.ObjectMeta
+		replicas int
+		podName  string
+		wantErr  bool
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "empty",
 			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name: "",
 			},
-			podName: "",
-			wantErr: true,
+			replicas: 0,
+			podName:  "",
+			wantErr:  true,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "invalid",
+			name: "negative replicas",
+			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "",
+			},
+			replicas: -1,
+			podName:  "",
+			wantErr:  true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "no index no prefix",
 			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name: "mariadb-galera",
 			},
-			podName: "foo",
-			wantErr: true,
+			replicas: 3,
+			podName:  "foo",
+			wantErr:  true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "no index",
 			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name: "mariadb-galera",
 			},
-			podName: "mariadb-galera",
-			wantErr: true,
+			replicas: 3,
+			podName:  "mariadb-galera",
+			wantErr:  true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "invalid index",
+			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: "mariadb-galera",
+			},
+			replicas: 3,
+			podName:  "mariadb-galera-5",
+			wantErr:  true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "no prefix",
 			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name: "mariadb-galera",
 			},
-			podName: "foo-0",
-			wantErr: true,
+			replicas: 3,
+			podName:  "foo-0",
+			wantErr:  true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "valid",
 			meta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
 				Name: "mariadb-galera",
 			},
-			podName: "mariadb-galera-0",
-			wantErr: false,
+			replicas: 3,
+			podName:  "mariadb-galera-0",
+			wantErr:  false,
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := ValidPodName(tt.meta, tt.podName)
+			err := ValidPodName(tt.meta, tt.replicas, tt.podName)
 			if !tt.wantErr && err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 			}