diff --git a/backend/substrapp/compute_tasks/compute_pod.py b/backend/substrapp/compute_tasks/compute_pod.py
index 1deb1b367..63d65444f 100644
--- a/backend/substrapp/compute_tasks/compute_pod.py
+++ b/backend/substrapp/compute_tasks/compute_pod.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import json
+import yaml
 import os
 
 import kubernetes
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ def create_pod(
         image_pull_secrets = None
     spec = kubernetes.client.V1PodSpec(
         restart_policy="Never",
-        affinity=json.loads(os.getenv("COMPUTE_POD_AFFINITY")),
-        node_selector=json.loads(os.getenv("COMPUTE_POD_NODE_SELECTOR")),
-        tolerations=json.loads(os.getenv("COMPUTE_POD_TOLERATIONS")),
+        affinity=yaml.safe_load(os.getenv("COMPUTE_POD_AFFINITY")),
+        node_selector=yaml.safe_load(os.getenv("COMPUTE_POD_NODE_SELECTOR")),
+        tolerations=yaml.safe_load(os.getenv("COMPUTE_POD_TOLERATIONS")),
         containers=[container_compute],
         volumes=volumes + gpu_volume,
         security_context=get_pod_security_context(),
diff --git a/charts/substra-backend/templates/statefulset-worker.yaml b/charts/substra-backend/templates/statefulset-worker.yaml
index 161f2d356..2e18b8992 100644
--- a/charts/substra-backend/templates/statefulset-worker.yaml
+++ b/charts/substra-backend/templates/statefulset-worker.yaml
@@ -131,11 +131,11 @@ spec:
                 fieldRef:
                   fieldPath: metadata.name
             - name: COMPUTE_POD_AFFINITY
-              value: {{ .Values.worker.computePod.affinity | quote }} # TODO see if it works to inject POD_NAME venv in string
+              value: {{ toYaml .Values.worker.computePod.affinity | quote }} # TODO see if it works to inject POD_NAME venv in string
             - name: COMPUTE_POD_NODE_SELECTOR
-              value: {{ .Values.worker.computePod.nodeSelector | quote }}
+              value: {{ toYaml .Values.worker.computePod.nodeSelector | quote }}
             - name: COMPUTE_POD_TOLERATIONS
-              value: {{ .Values.worker.computePod.tolerations | quote }}
+              value: {{ toYaml .Values.worker.computePod.tolerations | quote }}
             - name: COMPUTE_POD_RESOURCES
               value: {{ toYaml .Values.worker.computePod.resources | quote }}
             - name: COMPUTE_POD_MAX_STARTUP_WAIT_SECONDS
diff --git a/charts/substra-backend/values.yaml b/charts/substra-backend/values.yaml
index e4a361380..0477b7304 100644
--- a/charts/substra-backend/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/substra-backend/values.yaml
@@ -373,18 +373,19 @@ worker:
     ## @param worker.computePod.tolerations Toleration labels for pod assignment
     ##
     tolerations: []
-    ## @param worker.computePod.affinity Worker compute pod container affinity
+    ## @param worker.computePod.affinity Worker compute pod container affinity. Pass as a string in order to catch the generated pod name on the statefuset environment variable PODNAME.
     ##
+    ##  '{"podAffinity": {"requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution": {"topologyKey":"kubernetes.io/hostname", "labelSelector": {"matchExpressions":{"key":"statefulset.kubernetes.io/pod-name", "operator":"In","values":"$POD_NAME"}}}}}'
     affinity:
       podAffinity:
         requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
-          - labelSelector:
-            matchExpressions:
-              - key: statefulset.kubernetes.io/pod-name
-                operator: In
-                values:
-                  - $(POD_NAME)
-            topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname"
+        - labelSelector:
+          matchExpressions:
+          - key: statefulset.kubernetes.io/pod-name
+            operator: In
+            values:
+            - POD_NAME
+        topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname
   events:
     ## @param worker.events.enabled Enable event service
     ##