diff --git a/api/v1beta1/common_webhook.go b/api/v1beta1/common_webhook.go
index 4c3f3280..f3923957 100644
--- a/api/v1beta1/common_webhook.go
+++ b/api/v1beta1/common_webhook.go
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package v1beta1
 
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+)
+
 const (
 	// ErrPrivilegedModeRequired
 	ErrPrivilegedModeRequired = "%s.Spec.Privileged is requied in order to successfully " +
@@ -28,3 +33,44 @@ const (
 		"ensures that the copying of the logs to the PV is completed without any " +
 		"complications."
 )
+
+// merge non-workflow section into workflow
+func mergeSectionIntoWorkflow(instance interface{}, workflowStepNum int) {
+	// TODO add other resources
+	switch spec := instance.(type) {
+	case *TempestSpec:
+		fmt.Println("Instance is type *TempestSpec")
+	default:
+		fmt.Println("Error, instance of unknown type.")
+	}
+
+	tRun := spec.TempestRun
+	wtRun := &spec.Workflow[workflowStepNum].TempestRun
+
+	tRunReflect := reflect.ValueOf(tRun)
+	wtRunReflect := reflect.ValueOf(wtRun).Elem()
+
+	setNonZeroValues(tRunReflect, wtRunReflect, false)
+}
+
+func setNonZeroValues(src reflect.Value, dest reflect.Value, isStruct bool) {
+	for i := 0; i < src.NumField(); i++ {
+		tRunName := src.Type().Field(i).Name
+		tRunValue := src.Field(i)
+		wtRunValue := dest.FieldByName(tRunName)
+
+		if wtRunValue.IsNil() && !tRunValue.IsNil() {
+			if tRunValue.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+				setNonZeroValues(tRunValue, wtRunValue, true)
+			} else {
+				if isStruct {
+					wtRunValue.Set(tRunValue)
+				} else {
+					tRunPtr := reflect.New(tRunValue.Type())
+					tRunPtr.Elem().Set(tRunValue)
+					wtRunValue.Set(tRunPtr)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/api/v1beta1/tempest_webhook.go b/api/v1beta1/tempest_webhook.go
index 13cb7c56..53020e83 100644
--- a/api/v1beta1/tempest_webhook.go
+++ b/api/v1beta1/tempest_webhook.go
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ func (spec *TempestSpec) Default() {
 	if spec.TempestconfRun == (TempestconfRunSpec{}) {
 		spec.TempestconfRun.Create = true
 	}
+
+	if len(spec.Workflow) > 0 {
+		for key, _ := range spec.Workflow {
+			mergeSectionIntoWorkflow(spec, key)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (r *Tempest) PrivilegedRequired() bool {
diff --git a/controllers/common.go b/controllers/common.go
index 4abed53b..6caa7262 100644
--- a/controllers/common.go
+++ b/controllers/common.go
@@ -693,3 +693,38 @@ func EnsureCloudsConfigMapExists(
 
 	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 }
+
+// TODO make general for all resources
+func getResourceRun(instance *v1beta1.Tempest, workflowStepNum int) v1beta1.TempestRunSpec {
+	if workflowStepNum < len(instance.Spec.Workflow) {
+		newInstance := changeType(instance, workflowStepNum).(*v1beta1.Tempest)
+		return newInstance.Spec.TempestRun
+	}
+	return instance.Spec.TempestRun
+}
+
+func changeType(instance interface{}, workflowStepNum int) interface{} {
+	// TODO other types; else if typedInstance, ok := instance.(*v1beta1.HorizonTest);
+
+	typedInstance, _ := instance.(*v1beta1.Tempest)
+	wtRun := typedInstance.Spec.Workflow[workflowStepNum].TempestRun
+
+	var tRun v1beta1.TempestRunSpec
+
+	wtReflected := reflect.ValueOf(wtRun)
+	tReflected := reflect.ValueOf(&tRun).Elem()
+
+	for i := 0; i < wtReflected.NumField(); i++ {
+		tName := tReflected.Type().Field(i).Name
+		tValue := tReflected.Field(i)
+
+		wtValue := wtReflected.FieldByName(tName)
+		if !wtValue.IsNil() {
+			wtValue = wtValue.Elem()
+			tValue.Set(wtValue)
+		}
+	}
+	typedInstance.Spec.TempestRun = tRun
+
+	return typedInstance
+}
diff --git a/controllers/tempest_controller.go b/controllers/tempest_controller.go
index d82ff242..698fad5f 100644
--- a/controllers/tempest_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/tempest_controller.go
@@ -436,30 +436,26 @@ func (r *TempestReconciler) setTempestConfigVars(envVars map[string]string,
 	instance *testv1beta1.Tempest,
 	workflowStepNum int,
 ) {
-	tRun := instance.Spec.TempestRun
-	wtRun := testv1beta1.WorkflowTempestRunSpec{}
-	if workflowStepNum < len(instance.Spec.Workflow) {
-		wtRun = instance.Spec.Workflow[workflowStepNum].TempestRun
-	}
+	tRun := getResourceRun(instance, workflowStepNum)
 
 	testOperatorDir := "/etc/test_operator/"
 
 	// Files
-	value := mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.WorkerFile, wtRun.WorkerFile)
+	value := tRun.WorkerFile
 	if len(value) != 0 {
 		workerFile := "worker_file.yaml"
 		customData[workerFile] = value
 		envVars["TEMPEST_WORKER_FILE"] = testOperatorDir + workerFile
 	}
 
-	value = mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.IncludeList, wtRun.IncludeList)
+	value = tRun.IncludeList
 	if len(value) != 0 {
 		includeListFile := "include.txt"
 		customData[includeListFile] = value
 		envVars["TEMPEST_INCLUDE_LIST"] = testOperatorDir + includeListFile
 	}
 
-	value = mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.ExcludeList, wtRun.ExcludeList)
+	value = tRun.ExcludeList
 	if len(value) != 0 {
 		excludeListFile := "exclude.txt"
 		customData[excludeListFile] = value
@@ -475,9 +471,9 @@ func (r *TempestReconciler) setTempestConfigVars(envVars map[string]string,
 
 	// Bool
 	tempestBoolEnvVars := map[string]bool{
-		"TEMPEST_SERIAL":     mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.Serial, wtRun.Serial),
-		"TEMPEST_PARALLEL":   mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.Parallel, wtRun.Parallel),
-		"TEMPEST_SMOKE":      mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.Smoke, wtRun.Smoke),
+		"TEMPEST_SERIAL":     tRun.Serial,
+		"TEMPEST_PARALLEL":   tRun.Parallel,
+		"TEMPEST_SMOKE":      tRun.Smoke,
 		"USE_EXTERNAL_FILES": true,
 	}
 
@@ -486,11 +482,11 @@ func (r *TempestReconciler) setTempestConfigVars(envVars map[string]string,
 	}
 
 	// Int
-	numValue := mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.Concurrency, wtRun.Concurrency)
+	numValue := tRun.Concurrency
 	envVars["TEMPEST_CONCURRENCY"] = r.GetDefaultInt(numValue)
 
 	// Dictionary
-	dictValue := mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.ExternalPlugin, wtRun.ExternalPlugin)
+	dictValue := tRun.ExternalPlugin
 	for _, externalPluginDictionary := range dictValue {
 		envVars["TEMPEST_EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_GIT_URL"] += externalPluginDictionary.Repository + ","
 
@@ -506,7 +502,7 @@ func (r *TempestReconciler) setTempestConfigVars(envVars map[string]string,
 
 	envVars["TEMPEST_WORKFLOW_STEP_DIR_NAME"] = r.GetJobName(instance, workflowStepNum)
 
-	extraImages := mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.ExtraImages, wtRun.ExtraImages)
+	extraImages := tRun.ExtraImages
 	for _, extraImageDict := range extraImages {
 		envVars["TEMPEST_EXTRA_IMAGES_URL"] += extraImageDict.URL + ","
 		envVars["TEMPEST_EXTRA_IMAGES_OS_CLOUD"] += extraImageDict.OsCloud + ","
@@ -524,7 +520,7 @@ func (r *TempestReconciler) setTempestConfigVars(envVars map[string]string,
 		envVars["TEMPEST_EXTRA_IMAGES_FLAVOR_VCPUS"] += r.GetDefaultInt(extraImageDict.Flavor.Vcpus, "-") + ","
 	}
 
-	extraRPMs := mergeWithWorkflow(tRun.ExtraRPMs, wtRun.ExtraRPMs)
+	extraRPMs := tRun.ExtraRPMs
 	for _, extraRPMURL := range extraRPMs {
 		envVars["TEMPEST_EXTRA_RPMS"] += extraRPMURL + ","
 	}