diff --git a/internal/backup/backup.go b/internal/backup/backup.go
index 6c3e834..6046d88 100644
--- a/internal/backup/backup.go
+++ b/internal/backup/backup.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (Implementation) Backup(
 ) (*backup.BackupResult, error) {
 	contextLogger := logging.FromContext(ctx)
 
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		contextLogger.Error(err, "Error while decoding cluster definition from CNPG")
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/internal/operator/mutations.go b/internal/operator/mutations.go
index 35c19d3..125f340 100644
--- a/internal/operator/mutations.go
+++ b/internal/operator/mutations.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func (Implementation) MutateCluster(
 	_ context.Context,
 	request *operator.OperatorMutateClusterRequest,
 ) (*operator.OperatorMutateClusterResult, error) {
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.Definition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.Definition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ func (Implementation) MutatePod(
 	_ context.Context,
 	request *operator.OperatorMutatePodRequest,
 ) (*operator.OperatorMutatePodResult, error) {
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromClusterAndPod(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition, request.PodDefinition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition).
+		WithPod(request.PodDefinition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/operator/validation.go b/internal/operator/validation.go
index 157f51a..aa1b64e 100644
--- a/internal/operator/validation.go
+++ b/internal/operator/validation.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func (Implementation) ValidateClusterCreate(
 ) (*operator.OperatorValidateClusterCreateResult, error) {
 	result := &operator.OperatorValidateClusterCreateResult{}
 
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.Definition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.Definition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ func (Implementation) ValidateClusterChange(
 ) (*operator.OperatorValidateClusterChangeResult, error) {
 	result := &operator.OperatorValidateClusterChangeResult{}
 
-	oldClusterHelper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.OldCluster)
+	oldClusterHelper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.OldCluster).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("while parsing old cluster: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	newClusterHelper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.NewCluster)
+	newClusterHelper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.NewCluster).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("while parsing new cluster: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/wal/status.go b/internal/wal/status.go
index 3ce9dea..cdf62be 100644
--- a/internal/wal/status.go
+++ b/internal/wal/status.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (Implementation) Status(
 ) (*wal.WALStatusResult, error) {
 	contextLogger := logging.FromContext(ctx)
 
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		contextLogger.Error(err, "Error while decoding cluster definition from CNPG")
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/internal/wal/wal.go b/internal/wal/wal.go
index 5af4c59..da3fefa 100644
--- a/internal/wal/wal.go
+++ b/internal/wal/wal.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (Implementation) Archive(
 ) (*wal.WALArchiveResult, error) {
 	contextLogger := logging.FromContext(ctx)
 
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		contextLogger.Error(err, "Error while decoding cluster definition from CNPG")
 		return nil, err
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func (Implementation) Restore(
 ) (*wal.WALRestoreResult, error) {
 	contextLogger := logging.FromContext(ctx)
 
-	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewFromJSONCluster(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition)
+	helper, err := pluginhelper.NewDataBuilder(metadata.Data.Name, request.ClusterDefinition).Build()
 	if err != nil {
 		contextLogger.Error(err, "Error while decoding cluster definition from CNPG")
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/pluginhelper/helper.go b/pkg/pluginhelper/helper.go
index 2f114c7..eaa3287 100644
--- a/pkg/pluginhelper/helper.go
+++ b/pkg/pluginhelper/helper.go
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ const (
 	pluginMountPath  = "/plugins"
 )
 
-// TODO: introduce a deserialize struct?
-
 // Data is an helper structure to be used by
 // plugins wanting to enhance the CNPG validating webhooks
 type Data struct {
@@ -44,21 +42,43 @@ type Data struct {
 	pluginIndex int
 }
 
-// NewFromJSONCluster creates a new validation helper loading
-// a cluster definition
-func NewFromJSONCluster(
-	pluginName string,
-	jsonCluster []byte,
-) (*Data, error) {
+// DataBuilder a fluent constructor for the Data struct
+type DataBuilder struct {
+	pluginName  string
+	clusterJSON []byte
+	podJSON     []byte
+}
+
+// NewDataBuilder initializes a basic DataBuilder
+func NewDataBuilder(pluginName string, clusterJSON []byte) *DataBuilder {
+	d := DataBuilder{clusterJSON: clusterJSON, pluginName: pluginName}
+	d.clusterJSON = clusterJSON
+	return &d
+}
+
+// WithPod adds Pod data to the DataBuilder
+func (d *DataBuilder) WithPod(podJSON []byte) *DataBuilder {
+	d.podJSON = podJSON
+	return d
+}
+
+// Build returns the constructed Data object and any errors encountered
+func (d *DataBuilder) Build() (*Data, error) {
 	result := &Data{}
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(jsonCluster, &result.cluster); err != nil {
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(d.clusterJSON, &result.cluster); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	if len(d.podJSON) > 0 {
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(d.podJSON, &result.pod); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	result.pluginIndex = -1
 	for idx, cfg := range result.cluster.Spec.Plugins {
-		if cfg.Name == pluginName {
+		if cfg.Name == d.pluginName {
 			result.pluginIndex = idx
 			result.Parameters = cfg.Parameters
 		}
@@ -67,25 +87,6 @@ func NewFromJSONCluster(
 	return result, nil
 }
 
-// NewFromClusterAndPod creates a new validation helper loading
-// a cluster and a Pod definition
-func NewFromClusterAndPod(
-	pluginName string,
-	clusterDefinition []byte,
-	podDefinition []byte,
-) (*Data, error) {
-	result, err := NewFromJSONCluster(pluginName, clusterDefinition)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(podDefinition, &result.pod); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return result, nil
-}
-
 // GetCluster gets the decoded cluster object
 func (helper *Data) GetCluster() *apiv1.Cluster {
 	return &helper.cluster