diff --git a/cmd/k8s-operator/deploy/manifests/proxy.yaml b/cmd/k8s-operator/deploy/manifests/proxy.yaml
index 50d5eac0a..2f4905366 100644
--- a/cmd/k8s-operator/deploy/manifests/proxy.yaml
+++ b/cmd/k8s-operator/deploy/manifests/proxy.yaml
@@ -14,10 +14,8 @@ spec:
         - name: sysctler
           securityContext:
             privileged: true
-          command: ["/bin/sh"]
-          args:
-            - -c
-            - sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1 net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1
+          command: ["/bin/sh", "-c"]
+          args: [sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1; if sysctl net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding; then sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1; fi]
       resources:
         requests:
           cpu: 1m
diff --git a/cmd/k8s-operator/testutils_test.go b/cmd/k8s-operator/testutils_test.go
index acd326e27..52ac30792 100644
--- a/cmd/k8s-operator/testutils_test.go
+++ b/cmd/k8s-operator/testutils_test.go
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ func expectedSTS(t *testing.T, cl client.Client, opts configOpts) *appsv1.Statef
 						{
 							Name:    "sysctler",
 							Image:   "tailscale/tailscale",
-							Command: []string{"/bin/sh"},
-							Args:    []string{"-c", "sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1 net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1"},
+							Command: []string{"/bin/sh", "-c"},
+							Args:    []string{"sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1; if sysctl net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding; then sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding=1; fi"},
 							SecurityContext: &corev1.SecurityContext{
 								Privileged: ptr.To(true),
 							},