diff --git a/pkg/controller/controller.go b/pkg/controller/controller.go
index f75988f..d46ab19 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controller.go
@@ -1291,6 +1291,7 @@ func updatedStatefulSet(
 	// annotation. This ensures that users can always set an update annotation and then
 	// wait for it to be removed to know if the operator has processed a StatefulSet.
 	if !update {
+		updateSpecTemplate(actual)
 		delete(actual.Annotations, annotations.Update)
 		delete(actual.Annotations, annotations.ParallelUpdate)
 		return actual, true, nil
@@ -1304,9 +1305,20 @@ func updatedStatefulSet(
 	expected.Status = actual.DeepCopy().Status
 
 	copyAnnotations(expected, actual)
+	updateSpecTemplate(expected)
 	return expected, true, nil
 }
 
+// updates spec template so that rollout update is always performed.
+func updateSpecTemplate(sts *appsv1.StatefulSet) {
+	if sts.Spec.Template.Annotations == nil {
+		sts.Spec.Template.Annotations = map[string]string{}
+	}
+
+	now, _ := metav1.Now().MarshalQueryParameter()
+	sts.Spec.Template.Annotations[annotations.Rollout] = now
+}
+
 func copyAnnotations(expected, actual *appsv1.StatefulSet) {
 	// It's okay for users to add annotations to a StatefulSet after it has been created so
 	// we'll want to copy over any that exist on the actual StatefulSet but not the expected
diff --git a/pkg/k8sops/annotations/annotations.go b/pkg/k8sops/annotations/annotations.go
index 6544064..d7f0b23 100644
--- a/pkg/k8sops/annotations/annotations.go
+++ b/pkg/k8sops/annotations/annotations.go
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ const (
 	// ParallelUpdateInProgress is the annotation used by the operator indicate a parallel update
 	// is underway. This annotation should only be used by the operator.
 	ParallelUpdateInProgress = "operator.m3db.io/parallel-update-in-progress"
+	// Rollout is the annotation used by the operator to force rollout update of a StatefulSet.
+	Rollout = "operator.m3db.io/rollout"
+
 	// EnabledVal is the value that indicates an annotation is enabled.
 	EnabledVal = "enabled"
 )