diff --git a/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform.go b/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform.go
index c8de4b50b..98ac1a057 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform.go
@@ -39,3 +39,12 @@ func (o FreeForm) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 func (o FreeForm) IsEmpty() bool {
 	return len(o.json) == 0 || string(o.json) == "{}"
 }
+
+// GetMap returns a map created from json
+func (o FreeForm) GetMap() (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+	m := map[string]interface{}{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(o.json, &m); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return m, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform_test.go b/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform_test.go
index 33328bb6d..a64d67a1a 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform_test.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/jaegertracing/v1/freeform_test.go
@@ -51,3 +51,25 @@ func TestFreeFormIsEmptyNilTrue(t *testing.T) {
 	o := NewFreeForm(nil)
 	assert.True(t, o.IsEmpty())
 }
+
+func TestToMap(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		m        map[string]interface{}
+		expected map[string]interface{}
+		err      string
+	}{
+		{err: "unexpected end of JSON input"},
+		{m: map[string]interface{}{"foo": "bar$"}, expected: map[string]interface{}{"foo": "bar$"}},
+		{m: map[string]interface{}{"foo": true}, expected: map[string]interface{}{"foo": true}},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		f := NewFreeForm(test.m)
+		got, err := f.GetMap()
+		if test.err != "" {
+			assert.EqualError(t, err, test.err)
+		} else {
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expected, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/strategy/controller.go b/pkg/strategy/controller.go
index 99868f27d..ab238de5a 100644
--- a/pkg/strategy/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/strategy/controller.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ func normalize(jaeger *v1.Jaeger) {
 	normalizeIndexCleaner(&jaeger.Spec.Storage.EsIndexCleaner, jaeger.Spec.Storage.Type)
 	normalizeElasticsearch(&jaeger.Spec.Storage.Elasticsearch)
 	normalizeRollover(&jaeger.Spec.Storage.Rollover)
+	normalizeUI(&jaeger.Spec)
 }
 
 func normalizeSparkDependencies(spec *v1.JaegerDependenciesSpec, storage string) {
@@ -133,6 +134,27 @@ func normalizeRollover(spec *v1.JaegerEsRolloverSpec) {
 	}
 }
 
+func normalizeUI(spec *v1.JaegerSpec) {
+	sOpts := spec.Storage.Options.Map()
+	uiOpts := map[string]interface{}{}
+	if !spec.UI.Options.IsEmpty() {
+		if m, err := spec.UI.Options.GetMap(); err == nil {
+			uiOpts = m
+		}
+	}
+	// we respect explicit UI config
+	if _, ok := uiOpts["archiveEnabled"]; ok {
+		return
+	}
+	if strings.EqualFold(sOpts["es-archive.enabled"], "true") ||
+		strings.EqualFold(sOpts["cassandra-archive.enabled"], "true") {
+		uiOpts["archiveEnabled"] = true
+	}
+	if len(uiOpts) > 0 {
+		spec.UI.Options = v1.NewFreeForm(uiOpts)
+	}
+}
+
 func unknownStorage(typ string) bool {
 	for _, k := range storage.ValidTypes() {
 		if strings.EqualFold(typ, k) {
diff --git a/pkg/strategy/controller_test.go b/pkg/strategy/controller_test.go
index 779ae80fa..4ab20e8e2 100644
--- a/pkg/strategy/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/strategy/controller_test.go
@@ -239,6 +239,48 @@ func TestNormalizeElasticsearch(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNormalizeUI(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		j        *v1.JaegerSpec
+		expected *v1.JaegerSpec
+	}{
+		{
+			j:        &v1.JaegerSpec{},
+			expected: &v1.JaegerSpec{},
+		},
+		{
+			j:        &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es.archive.enabled": "false"})}},
+			expected: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es.archive.enabled": "false"})}},
+		},
+		{
+			j: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es-archive.enabled": "true"})}},
+			expected: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es-archive.enabled": "true"})},
+				UI: v1.JaegerUISpec{Options: v1.NewFreeForm(map[string]interface{}{"archiveEnabled": true})}},
+		},
+		{
+			j: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"cassandra-archive.enabled": "true"})}},
+			expected: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"cassandra-archive.enabled": "true"})},
+				UI: v1.JaegerUISpec{Options: v1.NewFreeForm(map[string]interface{}{"archiveEnabled": true})}},
+		},
+		{
+			j: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es-archive.enabled": "true"})},
+				UI: v1.JaegerUISpec{Options: v1.NewFreeForm(map[string]interface{}{"other": "foo"})}},
+			expected: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es-archive.enabled": "true"})},
+				UI: v1.JaegerUISpec{Options: v1.NewFreeForm(map[string]interface{}{"other": "foo", "archiveEnabled": true})}},
+		},
+		{
+			j: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es-archive.enabled": "true"})},
+				UI: v1.JaegerUISpec{Options: v1.NewFreeForm(map[string]interface{}{"archiveEnabled": "respectThis"})}},
+			expected: &v1.JaegerSpec{Storage: v1.JaegerStorageSpec{Options: v1.NewOptions(map[string]interface{}{"es-archive.enabled": "true"})},
+				UI: v1.JaegerUISpec{Options: v1.NewFreeForm(map[string]interface{}{"archiveEnabled": "respectThis"})}},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		normalizeUI(test.j)
+		assert.Equal(t, test.expected, test.j)
+	}
+}
+
 func assertHasAllObjects(t *testing.T, name string, s S, deployments map[string]bool, daemonsets map[string]bool, services map[string]bool, ingresses map[string]bool, routes map[string]bool, serviceAccounts map[string]bool, configMaps map[string]bool) {
 	for _, o := range s.Deployments() {
 		deployments[o.Name] = true