diff --git a/templates/_helpers.tpl b/templates/_helpers.tpl
index dc76158..45e7a28 100644
--- a/templates/_helpers.tpl
+++ b/templates/_helpers.tpl
@@ -3,26 +3,6 @@
 Expand the name of the chart.
 */}}
 
-{{- /* multiple replicas assertions */ -}}
-{{- if gt .Values.replicaCount 1.0 -}}
-  {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, a RWX file system is required" -}}
-  {{- if eq (get (.Values.persistence.accessModes 0) "ReadWriteOnce") -}}
-    {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, a RWX file system is required" -}}
-  {{- end }}
-  
-  {{- if eq (get .Values.gitea.config.indexer "ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE") "bleve" -}}
-    {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, the repo indexer must be set to 'meilisearch' or 'elasticsearch'" -}}
-  {{- end }}
-  
-  {{- if and (eq .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE "bleve") (eq .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED "true") -}}
-    {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, the repo indexer must be set to 'meilisearch' or 'elasticsearch'" -}}
-  {{- end }}
-  
-  {{- if eq .Values.gitea.config.indexer.ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE "bleve" -}}
-    {{- (printf "DEBUG: When using multiple replicas, the repo indexer must be set to 'meilisearch' or 'elasticsearch'") | fail -}}
-  {{- end }}
-{{- end }}
-
 {{- define "gitea.name" -}}
 {{- default .Chart.Name .Values.nameOverride | trunc 63 | trimSuffix "-" -}}
 {{- end -}}
diff --git a/templates/gitea/config.yaml b/templates/gitea/config.yaml
index e0eb6de..68df5f8 100644
--- a/templates/gitea/config.yaml
+++ b/templates/gitea/config.yaml
@@ -18,35 +18,40 @@ type: Opaque
 stringData:
   assertions: |
 
-{{- /*assert that only one PG dep is enabled */ -}}
-{{- if and (.Values.postgresql.enabled) (index .Values "postgresql-ha" "enabled") -}}
-  {{- fail "Only one of postgresql or postgresql-ha can be enabled at the same time." -}}
-{{- end }}
-
-{{- /* multiple replicas assertions */ -}}
-{{- if gt .Values.replicaCount 1.0 -}}
-  {{- if (get (get .Values.gitea.config "cron.GIT_GC_REPOS") "ENABLED") -}}
-    {{- fail "Invoking the garbage collector via CRON is not yet supported when running with multiple replicas. Please set 'cron.GIT_GC_REPOS.enabled = false'." -}}
-  {{- end }}
-
-  {{- if eq (first .Values.persistence.accessModes) "ReadWriteOnce" -}}
-    {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, a RWX file system is required and gitea.persistence.accessModes[0] must be set to ReadWriteMany." -}}
-  {{- end }}
-
-  {{- if eq (get .Values.gitea.config.indexer "ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE") "bleve" -}}
-    {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, the issue indexer (gitea.config.indexer.ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE) must be set to a HA-ready provider such as 'meilisearch', 'elasticsearch' or 'db' (if the DB is HA-ready)." -}}
-  {{- end }}
-  {{- if .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE -}}
-    {{- if eq (get .Values.gitea.config.indexer "REPO_INDEXER_TYPE") "bleve" -}}
-      {{- if .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED -}}
-        {{- if eq (get .Values.gitea.config.indexer "REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED") "true" -}}
-          {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, the repo indexer (gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE) must be set to 'meilisearch' or 'elasticsearch' or disabled." -}}
+    {{- /*assert that only one PG dep is enabled */ -}}
+    {{- if and (.Values.postgresql.enabled) (index .Values "postgresql-ha" "enabled") -}}
+      {{- fail "Only one of postgresql or postgresql-ha can be enabled at the same time." -}}
+    {{- end }}
+    
+    {{- /* multiple replicas assertions */ -}}
+    {{- if gt .Values.replicaCount 1.0 -}}
+      {{- if .Values.gitea.config.cron -}}
+        {{- if .Values.gitea.config.cron.GIT_GC_REPOS -}}
+          {{- if eq .Values.gitea.config.cron.GIT_GC_REPOS.ENABLED true -}}
+            {{ fail "Invoking the garbage collector via CRON is not yet supported when running with multiple replicas. Please set 'cron.GIT_GC_REPOS.enabled = false'." }}
+          {{- end }}
         {{- end }}
       {{- end }}
+    
+      {{- if eq (first .Values.persistence.accessModes) "ReadWriteOnce" -}}
+        {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, a RWX file system is required and gitea.persistence.accessModes[0] must be set to ReadWriteMany." -}}
+      {{- end }}
+      {{- if .Values.gitea.config.indexer -}}
+        {{- if eq .Values.gitea.config.indexer.ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE "bleve" -}}
+          {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, the issue indexer (gitea.config.indexer.ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE) must be set to a HA-ready provider such as 'meilisearch', 'elasticsearch' or 'db' (if the DB is HA-ready)." -}}
+        {{- end }}
+        {{- if .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE -}}
+          {{- if eq .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE "bleve" -}}
+            {{- if .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED -}}
+              {{- if eq .Values.gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED true -}}
+                {{- fail "When using multiple replicas, the repo indexer (gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE) must be set to 'meilisearch' or 'elasticsearch' or disabled." -}}
+              {{- end }}
+            {{- end }}
+          {{- end }}
+        {{- end }}
+      {{- end }}
+      
     {{- end }}
-  {{- end }}
-  
-{{- end }}
   config_environment.sh: |-
     #!/usr/bin/env bash
     set -euo pipefail
diff --git a/unittests/deployment/HA.yaml b/unittests/deployment/HA.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cc4dd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/deployment/HA.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+suite: deployment template (HA)
+release:
+  name: gitea-unittests
+  namespace: testing
+templates:
+  - templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
+  - templates/gitea/config.yaml
+tests:
+  - it: fails with multiple replicas and "GIT_GC_REPOS" enabled
+    template: templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      replicaCount: 2
+      persistence:
+        accessModes:
+          - ReadWriteMany
+      gitea:
+        config:
+          cron:
+            GIT_GC_REPOS:
+              ENABLED: true
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate:
+          errorMessage: "Invoking the garbage collector via CRON is not yet supported when running with multiple replicas. Please set 'cron.GIT_GC_REPOS.enabled = false'."
+  - it: fails with multiple replicas and RWX file system not set
+    template: templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      replicaCount: 2
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate:
+          errorMessage: "When using multiple replicas, a RWX file system is required and gitea.persistence.accessModes[0] must be set to ReadWriteMany."
+  - it: fails with multiple replicas and bleve issue indexer
+    template: templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      replicaCount: 2
+      persistence:
+        accessModes:
+          - ReadWriteMany
+      gitea:
+        config:
+          indexer:
+            ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE: bleve
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate:
+          errorMessage: "When using multiple replicas, the issue indexer (gitea.config.indexer.ISSUE_INDEXER_TYPE) must be set to a HA-ready provider such as 'meilisearch', 'elasticsearch' or 'db' (if the DB is HA-ready)."
+  - it: fails with multiple replicas and bleve repo indexer
+    template: templates/gitea/deployment.yaml
+    set:
+      replicaCount: 2
+      persistence:
+        accessModes:
+          - ReadWriteMany
+      gitea:
+        config:
+          indexer:
+            REPO_INDEXER_TYPE: bleve
+            REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED: true
+    asserts:
+      - failedTemplate:
+          errorMessage: "When using multiple replicas, the repo indexer (gitea.config.indexer.REPO_INDEXER_TYPE) must be set to 'meilisearch' or 'elasticsearch' or disabled."