diff --git a/pkg/sdk/logging/api/v1beta1/logging_types.go b/pkg/sdk/logging/api/v1beta1/logging_types.go
index dc8ab0b42e..03c0f1a6c9 100644
--- a/pkg/sdk/logging/api/v1beta1/logging_types.go
+++ b/pkg/sdk/logging/api/v1beta1/logging_types.go
@@ -302,7 +302,12 @@ func (l *Logging) SetDefaults() error {
 		}
 		if l.Spec.FluentdSpec.FluentOutLogrotate == nil {
 			l.Spec.FluentdSpec.FluentOutLogrotate = &FluentOutLogrotate{
-				Enabled: true,
+				Enabled: false,
+			}
+		}
+		if !l.Spec.FluentdSpec.FluentOutLogrotate.Enabled {
+			if _, ok := l.Spec.FluentdSpec.Annotations["fluentbit.io/exclude"]; !ok {
+				l.Spec.FluentdSpec.Annotations["fluentbit.io/exclude"] = "true"
 			}
 		}
 		if l.Spec.FluentdSpec.FluentOutLogrotate.Path == "" {