diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/base/controller.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/base/controller.yaml
index 57f198b3b..8994f1931 100644
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/base/controller.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kubernetes/base/controller.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-kind: StatefulSet
+kind: Deployment
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 metadata:
   name: csi-gce-pd-controller
 spec:
-  serviceName: "csi-gce-pd"
   replicas: 1
   selector:
     matchLabels:
@@ -28,8 +27,16 @@ spec:
             - "--csi-address=/csi/csi.sock"
             - "--feature-gates=Topology=true"
             - "--metrics-address=:22011"
+            - "--enable-leader-election"
+            - "--leader-election-type=leases"
+            - "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
           # - "--run-controller-service=false" # disable the controller service of the CSI driver
           # - "--run-node-service=false"       # disable the node service of the CSI driver
+          env:
+            - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
+              valueFrom:
+                fieldRef:
+                  fieldPath: metadata.namespace
           volumeMounts:
             - name: socket-dir
               mountPath: /csi
@@ -39,6 +46,13 @@ spec:
             - "--v=5"
             - "--csi-address=/csi/csi.sock"
             - "--metrics-address=:22012"
+            - "--leader-election"
+            - "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
+          env:
+            - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
+              valueFrom:
+                fieldRef:
+                  fieldPath: metadata.namespace
           volumeMounts:
             - name: socket-dir
               mountPath: /csi
@@ -48,6 +62,13 @@ spec:
             - "--v=5"
             - "--csi-address=/csi/csi.sock"
             - "--metrics-address=:22013"
+            - "--leader-election"
+            - "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
+          env:
+            - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
+              valueFrom:
+                fieldRef:
+                  fieldPath: metadata.namespace
           volumeMounts:
             - name: socket-dir
               mountPath: /csi
@@ -57,6 +78,13 @@ spec:
             - "--v=5"
             - "--csi-address=/csi/csi.sock"
             - "--metrics-address=:22014"
+            - "--leader-election"
+            - "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
+          env:
+            - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
+              valueFrom:
+                fieldRef:
+                  fieldPath: metadata.namespace
           volumeMounts:
             - name: socket-dir
               mountPath: /csi
@@ -82,5 +110,3 @@ spec:
         - name: cloud-sa-volume
           secret:
             secretName: cloud-sa
-  # This is needed due to https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kustomize/issues/504
-  volumeClaimTemplates: []
diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/base/setup-cluster.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/base/setup-cluster.yaml
index 0a70f781e..e92aea43b 100644
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/base/setup-cluster.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kubernetes/base/setup-cluster.yaml
@@ -231,3 +231,34 @@ roleRef:
   kind: ClusterRole
   name: csi-gce-pd-snapshotter-role
   apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
+
+---
+
+kind: Role
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+metadata:
+  name: csi-gce-pd-leaderelection-role
+  namespace: gce-pd-csi-driver
+  labels:
+    k8s-app: gcp-compute-persistent-disk-csi-driver
+rules:
+- apiGroups: ["coordination.k8s.io"]
+  resources: ["leases"]
+  verbs: ["get", "watch", "list", "delete", "update", "create"]
+
+---
+
+kind: RoleBinding
+apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
+metadata:
+  name: csi-gce-pd-controller-leaderelection-binding
+  namespace: gce-pd-csi-driver
+  labels:
+    k8s-app: gcp-compute-persistent-disk-csi-driver
+subjects:
+- kind: ServiceAccount
+  name: csi-gce-pd-controller-sa
+roleRef:
+  kind: Role
+  name: csi-gce-pd-leaderelection-role
+  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/enable-leader-election.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/enable-leader-election.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 35c47f056..000000000
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/enable-leader-election.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,74 +0,0 @@
-# for external-provisioner
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-
-  value: "--enable-leader-election"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election-type=leases"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/0/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/0/env
-  value:
-  - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
-    valueFrom:
-      fieldRef:
-        fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-    
-
-# # for external-attacher
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/1/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/1/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/1/env
-  value:
-  - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
-    valueFrom:
-      fieldRef:
-        fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-
-
-# # for external-resizer
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/2/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/2/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/2/env
-  value:
-  - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
-    valueFrom:
-      fieldRef:
-        fieldPath: metadata.namespace
-
-
-# for external-snapshotter
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/3/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/3/args/-
-  value: "--leader-election-namespace=$(PDCSI_NAMESPACE)"
-
-- op: add
-  path: /spec/template/spec/containers/3/env
-  value:
-  - name: PDCSI_NAMESPACE
-    valueFrom:
-      fieldRef:
-        fieldPath: metadata.namespace
diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/kustomization.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/kustomization.yaml
index 2bc50801c..2841b734e 100644
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/kustomization.yaml
@@ -21,20 +21,3 @@ images:
 - name: gke.gcr.io/csi-snapshotter
   newName: gcr.io/gke-release-staging/csi-snapshotter
   newTag: "v2.1.1-gke.0"
-
-resources:
-- leader-election-rbac.yaml
-
-patchesJson6902:	
-- target:	
-    group: apps	
-    version: v1	
-    kind: StatefulSet	
-    name: csi-gce-pd-controller	
-  path: enable-leader-election.yaml
-- target:	
-    group: apps	
-    version: v1	
-    kind: StatefulSet	
-    name: csi-gce-pd-controller	
-  path: statefulset-to-deployment.yaml
diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/leader-election-rbac.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/leader-election-rbac.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 31e474913..000000000
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/leader-election-rbac.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-kind: Role
-apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
-metadata:
-  name: csi-gce-pd-leaderelection-role
-  namespace: gce-pd-csi-driver
-  labels:
-    k8s-app: gcp-compute-persistent-disk-csi-driver
-rules:
-- apiGroups: ["coordination.k8s.io"]
-  resources: ["leases"]
-  verbs: ["get", "watch", "list", "delete", "update", "create"]
----
-kind: RoleBinding
-apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
-metadata:
-  name: csi-gce-pd-controller-leaderelection-binding
-  namespace: gce-pd-csi-driver
-  labels:
-    k8s-app: gcp-compute-persistent-disk-csi-driver
-subjects:
-- kind: ServiceAccount
-  name: csi-gce-pd-controller-sa
-roleRef:
-  kind: Role
-  name: csi-gce-pd-leaderelection-role
-  apiGroup: rbac.authorization.k8s.io
diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/statefulset-to-deployment.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/statefulset-to-deployment.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 2800387f8..000000000
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/overlays/prow-gke-release-staging-rc/statefulset-to-deployment.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-- op: remove
-  path: "/spec/serviceName"
-- op: remove
-  path: "/spec/volumeClaimTemplates"
-- op: replace
-  path: /kind
-  value: Deployment