diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 273ba0e..531a30f 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -144,10 +144,25 @@ contexts:
       # optional: nodeSelector to add to the pod
       nodeSelector:
         key: value
+
       # optional: affinity to add to the pod
-      affnity: '{"nodeAffinity": "requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution": {nodeSelectorTerms: [{"matchExpressions":[{"key":"<key>", "operator":"<operator>", "values":["<value>"]}]}]}}'
+      affinity:
+        # note: other types of affinity also supported
+        nodeAffinity:
+          requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
+            nodeSelectorTerms:
+              - matchExpressions:
+                  - key: "<key>"
+                    operator: "<operator>"
+                    values: [ "<value>" ]
+
       # optional: tolerations to add to the pod
-      tolerations: '[{"effect":"<effect>","key":"<key>","operator":"<operator>","value":"<value>"}]'
+      tolerations:
+        - key: "<key>"
+          operator: "<operator>"
+          value: "<value>"
+          effect: "<effect>"
+
     # optional: clientID config (defaults to kafkactl-{username})
     clientID: my-client-id
 
@@ -628,7 +643,7 @@ Producing protobuf message converted from JSON:
 kafkactl produce my-topic --key='{"keyField":123}' --key-proto-type MyKeyMessage --value='{"valueField":"value"}' --value-proto-type MyValueMessage --proto-file kafkamsg.proto
 ----
 
-A more complex protobuf message converted from a multi-line JSON string can be produced using a file input with custom separators. 
+A more complex protobuf message converted from a multi-line JSON string can be produced using a file input with custom separators.
 
 For example, if you have the following protobuf definition (`complex.proto`):
 
diff --git a/internal/common-operation.go b/internal/common-operation.go
index ad3233e..b63ceda 100644
--- a/internal/common-operation.go
+++ b/internal/common-operation.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package internal
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"crypto/x509"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
@@ -62,6 +61,13 @@ type TLSConfig struct {
 	Insecure bool
 }
 
+type K8sToleration struct {
+	Key      string `json:"key" yaml:"key"`
+	Operator string `json:"operator" yaml:"operator"`
+	Value    string `json:"value" yaml:"value"`
+	Effect   string `json:"effect" yaml:"effect"`
+}
+
 type K8sConfig struct {
 	Enabled         bool
 	Binary          string
@@ -76,7 +82,7 @@ type K8sConfig struct {
 	Annotations     map[string]string
 	NodeSelector    map[string]string
 	Affinity        map[string]any
-	Tolerations     []map[string]any
+	Tolerations     []K8sToleration
 }
 
 type ConsumerConfig struct {
@@ -178,28 +184,13 @@ func CreateClientContext() (ClientContext, error) {
 	context.Kubernetes.Annotations = viper.GetStringMapString("contexts." + context.Name + ".kubernetes.annotations")
 	context.Kubernetes.NodeSelector = viper.GetStringMapString("contexts." + context.Name + ".kubernetes.nodeSelector")
 	context.Kubernetes.Affinity = viper.GetStringMap("contexts." + context.Name + ".kubernetes.affinity")
-  
-  t, err := convertJsonToListMap("tolerations", viper.GetString("contexts."+context.Name+".kubernetes.tolerations"))
-  context.Kubernetes.Tolerations = t
-  if err != nil {
-    return context, err 
-  } 
-	return context, nil
-}
 
-func convertJsonToListMap(fieldName string, jsonStr string) ([]map[string]any, error){
-  var listMap []map[string]any
-  if (jsonStr == "") {
-    return listMap, nil
-  }
-  err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(jsonStr), &listMap)
-  if err != nil {
-    fmt.Errorf("Error parsing %s field", fieldName)
-    return listMap, err
-  }
-  return listMap, nil 
-} 
+	if err := viper.UnmarshalKey("contexts."+context.Name+".kubernetes.tolerations", &context.Kubernetes.Tolerations); err != nil {
+		return context, err
+	}
 
+	return context, nil
+}
 
 func CreateClient(context *ClientContext) (sarama.Client, error) {
 	config, err := CreateClientConfig(context)
diff --git a/internal/k8s/executor.go b/internal/k8s/executor.go
index 5e49490..657bf15 100644
--- a/internal/k8s/executor.go
+++ b/internal/k8s/executor.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ type executor struct {
 	annotations     map[string]string
 	nodeSelector    map[string]string
 	affinity        map[string]any
-	tolerations     []map[string]any
+	tolerations     []internal.K8sToleration
 }
 
 const letterBytes = "abcdefghijklmnpqrstuvwxyz123456789"
diff --git a/internal/k8s/pod_overrides.go b/internal/k8s/pod_overrides.go
index 1ecce65..c56f92d 100644
--- a/internal/k8s/pod_overrides.go
+++ b/internal/k8s/pod_overrides.go
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package k8s
 
+import "github.com/deviceinsight/kafkactl/v5/internal"
+
 type imagePullSecretType struct {
 	Name string `json:"name"`
 }
@@ -10,11 +12,11 @@ type metadataType struct {
 }
 
 type specType struct {
-	ImagePullSecrets   []imagePullSecretType `json:"imagePullSecrets,omitempty"`
-	ServiceAccountName *string               `json:"serviceAccountName,omitempty"`
-	NodeSelector       *map[string]string    `json:"nodeSelector,omitempty"`
-	Affinity           *map[string]any       `json:"affinity,omitempty"`
-	Tolerations        *[]map[string]any     `json:"tolerations,omitempty"`
+	ImagePullSecrets   []imagePullSecretType     `json:"imagePullSecrets,omitempty"`
+	ServiceAccountName *string                   `json:"serviceAccountName,omitempty"`
+	NodeSelector       *map[string]string        `json:"nodeSelector,omitempty"`
+	Affinity           *map[string]any           `json:"affinity,omitempty"`
+	Tolerations        *[]internal.K8sToleration `json:"tolerations,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type PodOverrideType struct {