diff --git a/pkg/install/deployment.go b/pkg/install/deployment.go
index 4ce4b5a4f..e9474f1fe 100644
--- a/pkg/install/deployment.go
+++ b/pkg/install/deployment.go
@@ -139,7 +139,10 @@ func WithPodVolumeOperationTimeout(val time.Duration) podTemplateOption {
 
 func WithPlugins(plugins []string) podTemplateOption {
 	return func(c *podTemplateConfig) {
-		c.plugins = plugins
+		c.plugins = make([]string, 0, len(plugins))
+		for _, plugin := range plugins {
+			c.plugins = append(c.plugins, strings.TrimSpace(plugin))
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/install/deployment_test.go b/pkg/install/deployment_test.go
index 53b696f72..0cfcb65dd 100644
--- a/pkg/install/deployment_test.go
+++ b/pkg/install/deployment_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ func TestDeployment(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Len(t, deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args, 2)
 	assert.Equal(t, "--features=EnableCSI,foo,bar,baz", deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args[1])
 
+	deploy = Deployment("velero", WithPlugins([]string{
+		"harbor-repo.vmware.com/harbor-ci/velero/velero-plugin-for-aws:v1.2.0",
+		" \n vsphereveleroplugin/velero-plugin-for-vsphere:v1.1.1 ",
+	}))
+	assert.Len(t, deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.InitContainers, 2)
+	assert.Equal(t, "harbor-repo.vmware.com/harbor-ci/velero/velero-plugin-for-aws:v1.2.0", deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.InitContainers[0].Image)
+	assert.Equal(t, "vsphereveleroplugin/velero-plugin-for-vsphere:v1.1.1", deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.InitContainers[1].Image)
+	assert.Equal(t, "vsphereveleroplugin-velero-plugin-for-vsphere", deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.InitContainers[1].Name)
+
 	deploy = Deployment("velero", WithUploaderType("kopia"))
 	assert.Len(t, deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args, 2)
 	assert.Equal(t, "--uploader-type=kopia", deploy.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Args[1])