diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 1d56b1c33..0aea27256 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ARG GO_TAG=1.24
+ARG DOCKER_REGISTRY=docker.io
 # Build the manager binary
-FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM golang:${GO_TAG} AS builder
+FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM ${DOCKER_REGISTRY}/library/golang:${GO_TAG} AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /workspace
 
@@ -29,7 +30,9 @@ ENV GOFIPS140=$FIPS_MODE
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GO111MODULE=on go build -a -tags timetzdata -o manager main.go
 
 # ---------------------------------------
-FROM alpine:latest AS etc-builder
+ARG DOCKER_REGISTRY=docker.io
+FROM ${DOCKER_REGISTRY}/library/alpine:latest AS etc-builder
+
 
 RUN echo "rabbitmq-cluster-operator:x:1000:" > /etc/group && \
     echo "rabbitmq-cluster-operator:x:1000:1000::/home/rabbitmq-cluster-operator:/usr/sbin/nologin" > /etc/passwd
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1a37f68b5..f1cbdf333 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -177,11 +177,13 @@ deploy-dev::deploy-namespace-rbac
 deploy-dev::docker-registry-secret
 deploy-dev::deploy-manager-dev
 
+CONTAINER ?= docker
+
 GIT_COMMIT := $(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD)
 deploy-kind: manifests deploy-namespace-rbac ## Load operator image and deploy operator into current KinD cluster
 	@$(call check_defined, OPERATOR_IMAGE, path to the Operator image within the registry e.g. rabbitmq/cluster-operator)
 	@$(call check_defined, DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER, URL of docker registry containing the Operator image e.g. registry.my-company.com)
-	docker buildx build --build-arg=GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) -t $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT) .
+	$(CONTAINER) buildx build --build-arg=DOCKER_REGISTRY=$(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER) --build-arg=GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) -t $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT) .
 	kind load docker-image $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT)
 	kustomize build config/crd | kubectl apply -f -
 	kustomize build config/default/overlays/kind | sed 's@((operator_docker_image))@"$(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT)"@' | kubectl apply -f -
@@ -205,18 +207,18 @@ generate-installation-manifest: | $(YTT)
 docker-build: ## Build the docker image with tag `latest`
 	@$(call check_defined, OPERATOR_IMAGE, path to the Operator image within the registry e.g. rabbitmq/cluster-operator)
 	@$(call check_defined, DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER, URL of docker registry containing the Operator image e.g. registry.my-company.com)
-	docker buildx build --build-arg=GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) -t $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):latest .
+	$(CONTAINER) buildx build --build-arg=DOCKER_REGISTRY=$(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER) --build-arg=GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) -t $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):latest .
 
 docker-push: ## Push the docker image with tag `latest`
 	@$(call check_defined, OPERATOR_IMAGE, path to the Operator image within the registry e.g. rabbitmq/cluster-operator)
 	@$(call check_defined, DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER, URL of docker registry containing the Operator image e.g. registry.my-company.com)
-	docker push $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):latest
+	$(CONTAINER) push $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):latest
 
 docker-build-dev:
 	@$(call check_defined, OPERATOR_IMAGE, path to the Operator image within the registry e.g. rabbitmq/cluster-operator)
 	@$(call check_defined, DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER, URL of docker registry containing the Operator image e.g. registry.my-company.com)
-	docker buildx build --build-arg=GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) -t $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT) .
-	docker push $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT)
+	$(CONTAINER) buildx build --build-arg=DOCKER_REGISTRY=$(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER) --build-arg=GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) -t $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT) .
+	$(CONTAINER) push $(DOCKER_REGISTRY_SERVER)/$(OPERATOR_IMAGE):$(GIT_COMMIT)
 
 # https://github.com/cert-manager/cmctl/releases
 # Cert Manager now publishes CMCTL independently from cert-manager