diff --git a/cmd/deploy/local.go b/cmd/deploy/local.go
index b720b067ea7a..c7c8ee1e38e2 100644
--- a/cmd/deploy/local.go
+++ b/cmd/deploy/local.go
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func (ld *localDeployer) runDeploySection(ctx context.Context, opts *Options) er
 	}
 
 	// deploy externals if any
-	if opts.Manifest.External != nil {
+	if len(opts.Manifest.External) > 0 {
 		oktetoLog.SetStage("External configuration")
 		if !okteto.IsOkteto() {
 			oktetoLog.Warning("external resources cannot be deployed on a cluster not managed by okteto")
diff --git a/cmd/deploy/remote.go b/cmd/deploy/remote.go
index 73cca009f421..308b28ea102f 100644
--- a/cmd/deploy/remote.go
+++ b/cmd/deploy/remote.go
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
 
 	remoteBuild "github.com/okteto/okteto/cmd/build/remote"
 	buildv2 "github.com/okteto/okteto/cmd/build/v2"
 	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/cmd/build"
+	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/constants"
 	oktetoErrors "github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/errors"
 	oktetoLog "github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/log"
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@ func (rd *remoteDeployCommand) deploy(ctx context.Context, deployOptions *Option
 	}
 
 	dockerfileSyntax := dockerfileTemplateProperties{
-		OktetoCLIImage:     constants.OktetoCLIImageForRemote,
+		OktetoCLIImage:     getOktetoCLIVersion(config.VersionString),
 		UserDeployImage:    deployOptions.Manifest.Deploy.Image,
 		OktetoBuildEnvVars: rd.builder.GetBuildEnvVars(),
 		ContextEnvVar:      model.OktetoContextEnvVar,
@@ -224,3 +226,19 @@ func getOriginalCWD(cwd, manifestPath string) string {
 	manifestPathDir := filepath.Dir(fmt.Sprintf("/%s", manifestPath))
 	return strings.TrimSuffix(cwd, manifestPathDir)
 }
+
+func getOktetoCLIVersion(versionString string) string {
+	var version string
+	if match, _ := regexp.MatchString(`\d+\.\d+\.\d+`, versionString); match {
+		version = fmt.Sprintf(constants.OktetoCLIImageForRemoteTemplate, versionString)
+	} else {
+		remoteOktetoImage := os.Getenv(constants.OKtetoDeployRemoteImage)
+		if remoteOktetoImage != "" {
+			version = remoteOktetoImage
+		} else {
+			version = fmt.Sprintf(constants.OktetoCLIImageForRemoteTemplate, "latest")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return version
+}
diff --git a/cmd/deploy/remote_test.go b/cmd/deploy/remote_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5b585f4aa10e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/deploy/remote_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package deploy
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/constants"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func Test_getOktetoCLIVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		name                                 string
+		versionString, expected, cliImageEnv string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "no version string and no env return latest",
+			versionString: "",
+			expected:      "okteto/okteto:latest",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "no version string return env value",
+			versionString: "",
+			cliImageEnv:   "okteto/remote:test",
+			expected:      "okteto/remote:test",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "found version string",
+			versionString: "2.2.2",
+			expected:      "okteto/okteto:2.2.2",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "found incorrect version string return latest ",
+			versionString: "2.a.2",
+			expected:      "okteto/okteto:latest",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if tt.cliImageEnv != "" {
+				os.Setenv(constants.OKtetoDeployRemoteImage, tt.cliImageEnv)
+				defer os.Unsetenv(constants.OKtetoDeployRemoteImage)
+			}
+
+			version := getOktetoCLIVersion(tt.versionString)
+			require.Equal(t, version, tt.expected)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/destroy/remote.go b/cmd/destroy/remote.go
index 0496f23468a5..b260c824020e 100644
--- a/cmd/destroy/remote.go
+++ b/cmd/destroy/remote.go
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"math/rand"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
 
 	remoteBuild "github.com/okteto/okteto/cmd/build/remote"
+	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/config"
 	oktetoErrors "github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/errors"
 
 	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/cmd/build"
@@ -96,7 +98,7 @@ func (rd *remoteDestroyCommand) destroy(ctx context.Context, opts *Options) erro
 	}
 
 	dockerfileSyntax := dockerfileTemplateProperties{
-		OktetoCLIImage:     constants.OktetoCLIImageForRemote,
+		OktetoCLIImage:     getOktetoCLIVersion(config.VersionString),
 		UserDestroyImage:   rd.manifest.Destroy.Image,
 		ContextEnvVar:      model.OktetoContextEnvVar,
 		ContextValue:       okteto.Context().Name,
@@ -204,3 +206,19 @@ func getDestroyFlags(opts *Options) []string {
 
 	return deployFlags
 }
+
+func getOktetoCLIVersion(versionString string) string {
+	var version string
+	if match, _ := regexp.MatchString(`\d+\.\d+\.\d+`, versionString); match {
+		version = fmt.Sprintf(constants.OktetoCLIImageForRemoteTemplate, versionString)
+	} else {
+		remoteOktetoImage := os.Getenv(constants.OKtetoDeployRemoteImage)
+		if remoteOktetoImage != "" {
+			version = remoteOktetoImage
+		} else {
+			version = fmt.Sprintf(constants.OktetoCLIImageForRemoteTemplate, "latest")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return version
+}
diff --git a/cmd/destroy/remote_test.go b/cmd/destroy/remote_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2e7a8da9d525
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/destroy/remote_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package destroy
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/okteto/okteto/pkg/constants"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func Test_getOktetoCLIVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	var tests = []struct {
+		name                                 string
+		versionString, expected, cliImageEnv string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "no version string and no env return latest",
+			versionString: "",
+			expected:      "okteto/okteto:latest",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "no version string return env value",
+			versionString: "",
+			cliImageEnv:   "okteto/remote:test",
+			expected:      "okteto/remote:test",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "found version string",
+			versionString: "2.2.2",
+			expected:      "okteto/okteto:2.2.2",
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "found incorrect version string return latest ",
+			versionString: "2.a.2",
+			expected:      "okteto/okteto:latest",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if tt.cliImageEnv != "" {
+				os.Setenv(constants.OKtetoDeployRemoteImage, tt.cliImageEnv)
+				defer os.Unsetenv(constants.OKtetoDeployRemoteImage)
+			}
+
+			version := getOktetoCLIVersion(tt.versionString)
+			require.Equal(t, version, tt.expected)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/constants/constants.go b/pkg/constants/constants.go
index 9f59475fcdb4..a264a7c7e355 100644
--- a/pkg/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/constants/constants.go
@@ -53,8 +53,11 @@ const (
 	// OKtetoDeployRemote defines if deployment is executed remotely
 	OKtetoDeployRemote = "OKTETO_DEPLOY_REMOTE"
 
-	// OktetoCLIImageForRemote defines okteto CLI image to use for remote deployments
-	OktetoCLIImageForRemote = "okteto/okteto:remote-deploy"
+	// OKtetoDeployRemoteImage defines okteto cli image used for deploy an evironment remotely
+	OKtetoDeployRemoteImage = "OKTETO_REMOTE_CLI_IMAGE"
+
+	// OktetoCLIImageForRemoteTemplate defines okteto CLI image template to use for remote deployments
+	OktetoCLIImageForRemoteTemplate = "okteto/okteto:%s"
 
 	// OktetoPipelineRunnerImage defines image to use for remote deployments if empty
 	OktetoPipelineRunnerImage = "okteto/installer:1.7.6"