diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 38b6a7987..498dbd9ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ jobs:
           export APP_VERSION="appver-${SHORT_SHA}"
 
           export LOCAL_ARTIFACT_MIRROR_IMAGE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.build-images.outputs.local-artifact-mirror }}
-          export OPERATOR_IMAGE_OVERRIDE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.build-operator.outputs.operator-image }}
+          export OPERATOR_IMAGE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.build-operator.outputs.operator-image }}
           echo "# channel release object" > e2e/kots-release-install/release.yaml
           echo 'channelID: "2cHXb1RCttzpR0xvnNWyaZCgDBP"' >> e2e/kots-release-install/release.yaml
           echo 'channelSlug: "ci"' >> e2e/kots-release-install/release.yaml
@@ -252,9 +252,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           export SHORT_SHA=dev-${{ needs.git-sha.outputs.git_sha }}
           export EC_VERSION="v${SHORT_SHA}"
-
-          export OPERATOR_IMAGE_OVERRIDE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.build-operator.outputs.operator-image }}
+          export OPERATOR_IMAGE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.build-operator.outputs.operator-image }}
           export OPERATOR_VERSION=${{ needs.build-operator.outputs.operator-version }}
+
           ./scripts/cache-files.sh
           ./scripts/create-upgrade-release.sh
           ./scripts/create-previous-k0s-release.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml
index 036f6741b..05d278b9f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-prod.yaml
@@ -29,18 +29,20 @@ jobs:
           echo "tag-name=${V_TAG}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
   buildtools:
-    name: Build Buildtools
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Setup Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
+
       - name: Compile buildtools
         run: |
           make buildtools
+
       - name: Upload buildtools artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "image=$(cat operator/build/image)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
   publish-operator-chart:
-    runs-on: 'ubuntu-20.04'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [get-tag, publish-operator-image]
     outputs:
       chart: ${{ steps.operator-chart.outputs.chart }}
@@ -182,6 +184,9 @@ jobs:
           AWS_REGION: "us-east-1"
         run: |
           export EC_VERSION="${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}"
+          export OPERATOR_IMAGE=proxy.replicated.com/anonymous/${{ needs.publish-operator-image.outputs.image }}
+          export OPERATOR_VERSION=${{ needs.get-tag.outputs.tag-name }}
+
           ./scripts/cache-files.sh
 
       - name: Publish release
diff --git a/scripts/cache-files.sh b/scripts/cache-files.sh
index be317cd8c..3e12db4c3 100755
--- a/scripts/cache-files.sh
+++ b/scripts/cache-files.sh
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function k0sbin() {
 }
 
 function operatorbin() {
-    docker run --platform linux/amd64 -d --name operator "$OPERATOR_IMAGE_OVERRIDE"
+    docker run --platform linux/amd64 -d --name operator "$OPERATOR_IMAGE"
     mkdir -p operator/bin
     docker cp operator:/manager operator/bin/operator
     docker rm -f operator