diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/template_types.go b/api/v1alpha1/template_types.go
index 0c86603..90331a5 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/template_types.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/template_types.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ type TemplateSource struct {
 	Object *LocalObjectReference `json:"object,omitempty"`
 	// Value is a literal yaml value to use as source.
 	// +optional
-	Value apiextensionsv1.JSON `json:"value,omitempty"`
+	Value *apiextensionsv1.JSON `json:"value,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // LocalObjectReference references an object in a specific api version.
diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index 7085f39..63afcd1 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 package v1alpha1
 
 import (
+	apiextensionsv1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	runtime "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 )
@@ -161,7 +162,11 @@ func (in *TemplateSource) DeepCopyInto(out *TemplateSource) {
 		*out = new(LocalObjectReference)
 		**out = **in
 	}
-	in.Value.DeepCopyInto(&out.Value)
+	if in.Value != nil {
+		in, out := &in.Value, &out.Value
+		*out = new(apiextensionsv1.JSON)
+		(*in).DeepCopyInto(*out)
+	}
 }
 
 // DeepCopy is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, creating a new TemplateSource.
diff --git a/charts/template-operator/Chart.yaml b/charts/template-operator/Chart.yaml
index fc979c3..20935b7 100644
--- a/charts/template-operator/Chart.yaml
+++ b/charts/template-operator/Chart.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: v2
 name: template-operator
 description: A Helm chart for the template operator
 type: application
-version: 0.1.5
+version: 0.1.6
 appVersion: 0.1.0
 engine: gotpl
 home: https://github.com/onmetal/template-operator
diff --git a/config/samples/template_v1alpha1_template.yaml b/config/samples/template_v1alpha1_template.yaml
index 2706312..c625349 100644
--- a/config/samples/template_v1alpha1_template.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/template_v1alpha1_template.yaml
@@ -13,19 +13,20 @@ spec:
       managed-by: template-sample
   prune: true
   sources:
-  #    - name: token
-  #      object:
-  #        apiVersion: v1
-  #        kind: Secret
-  #        namespace: default
-  #        name: default-token-rtxld
+    - name: secretName
+      value: my-secret
+  #  - name: token
+  #    object:
+  #      apiVersion: v1
+  #      kind: Secret
+  #      name: default-token-rtxld
   data:
     inline: |-
       apiVersion: v1
       kind: Secret
       metadata:
         namespace: {{ .Template.metadata.namespace }}
-        name: my-secret
+        name: {{ .Values.secretName }}
       type: Opaque
       data:
         kubeconfig: {{ .Template.metadata.name | b64enc }}
diff --git a/pkg/template/template.go b/pkg/template/template.go
index 307178a..e54e9ab 100644
--- a/pkg/template/template.go
+++ b/pkg/template/template.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/yaml"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	ctrl "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime"
@@ -179,7 +180,13 @@ func (e *Engine) resolveSources(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, templat
 
 			values[src.Name] = u.Object
 		default:
-			values[src.Name] = src.Value
+			var v interface{}
+			if src.Value != nil {
+				if err := json.Unmarshal(src.Value.Raw, &v); err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("error unmarshaling raw value %s: %w", src.Name, err)
+				}
+			}
+			values[src.Name] = v
 		}
 	}