diff --git a/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler.go b/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler.go
index 03436faf5eed8..1f1d1594722c8 100644
--- a/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler.go
+++ b/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ const (
 
 var (
 	defaultUpdateDays = []string{"Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu"}
-	defaultGroup      = &autoupdate.AgentAutoUpdateGroup{
+	defaultGroup      = autoupdate.AgentAutoUpdateGroup{
 		Name:      defaultGroupName,
 		Days:      defaultUpdateDays,
 		StartHour: defaultStartHour,
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ func (r *reconciler) defaultConfigGroup(ctx context.Context) (*autoupdate.AgentA
 	if err != nil {
 		if trace.IsNotFound(err) {
 			// There's no CMC, we return the default group.
-			return defaultGroup, nil
+			return &defaultGroup, nil
 		}
 
 		// If we had an error, and it's not trace.ErrNotFound, we stop.
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ func (r *reconciler) defaultConfigGroup(ctx context.Context) (*autoupdate.AgentA
 
 	if !ok {
 		// The CMC is here but does not contain upgrade window.
-		return defaultGroup, nil
+		return &defaultGroup, nil
 	}
 
 	weekdays := upgradeWindow.Weekdays
diff --git a/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler_test.go b/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler_test.go
index 850a9ce5f0f1e..1a6a7d3d00fdc 100644
--- a/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler_test.go
+++ b/lib/autoupdate/rollout/reconciler_test.go
@@ -890,7 +890,7 @@ func TestDefaultConfigGroup(t *testing.T) {
 			cmcAnswer: callAnswer[*types.ClusterMaintenanceConfigV1]{
 				nil, trace.NotFound("no cmc"),
 			},
-			expectedResult: defaultGroup,
+			expectedResult: &defaultGroup,
 			expectError:    require.NoError,
 		},
 		{
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ func TestDefaultConfigGroup(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				}, nil,
 			},
-			expectedResult: defaultGroup,
+			expectedResult: &defaultGroup,
 			expectError:    require.NoError,
 		},
 		{