diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/external-access/opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/external-access/opensearch.yaml.j2
index 2b7da52..05df6b6 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/external-access/opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/external-access/opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 {% if lookup('env', 'VECTOR_AGGREGATOR') %}
   clusterConfig:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/ldap/21-install-opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/ldap/21-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
index ffd74f8..a98249b 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/ldap/21-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/ldap/21-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 {% if lookup('env', 'VECTOR_AGGREGATOR') %}
   clusterConfig:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/logging/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/logging/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
index f17b427..164f957 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/logging/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/logging/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -21,10 +21,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
   clusterConfig:
     vectorAggregatorConfigMapName: opensearch-vector-aggregator-discovery
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/metrics/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/metrics/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
index ad50b21..1ccd35e 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/metrics/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/metrics/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 {% if lookup('env', 'VECTOR_AGGREGATOR') %}
   clusterConfig:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
index 0d620e1..a34f1cb 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 {% if lookup('env', 'VECTOR_AGGREGATOR') %}
   clusterConfig:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/20_opensearch-dashboards-values.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/20_opensearch-dashboards-values.yaml.j2
index d1caea0..b1bc73b 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/20_opensearch-dashboards-values.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/opensearch-dashboards/20_opensearch-dashboards-values.yaml.j2
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 image:
   repository: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch-dashboards
-  tag: {{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}-stackable0.0.0-dev
+  tag: {{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}-stackable{{ test_scenario['values']['release'] }}
 service:
   type: NodePort
 serviceAccount:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-assert.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-assert.yaml.j2
index 43b8aa5..eb94bd6 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-assert.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-assert.yaml.j2
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ spec:
           value: info
         - name: VECTOR_LOG
           value: info
-        image: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch:3.1.0-stackable0.0.0-dev
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
         name: vector
         resources:
@@ -531,7 +530,6 @@ spec:
           value: info
         - name: VECTOR_LOG
           value: info
-        image: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch:3.1.0-stackable0.0.0-dev
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
         name: vector
         resources:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
index c717b98..47c203c 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/smoke/10-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 {% if lookup('env', 'VECTOR_AGGREGATOR') %}
   clusterConfig:
diff --git a/tests/templates/kuttl/snapshot-s3/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2 b/tests/templates/kuttl/snapshot-s3/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
index fd33951..2839ecb 100644
--- a/tests/templates/kuttl/snapshot-s3/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
+++ b/tests/templates/kuttl/snapshot-s3/20-install-opensearch.yaml.j2
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ spec:
   image:
 {% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
     custom: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
-{% else %}
-    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'] }}"
 {% endif %}
+    productVersion: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}"
     pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 {% if lookup('env', 'VECTOR_AGGREGATOR') %}
   clusterConfig:
@@ -51,7 +49,11 @@ spec:
       spec:
         initContainers:
           - name: init-keystore
-            image: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch:3.1.0-stackable0.0.0-dev
+{% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
+            image: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
+{% else %}
+            image: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch:{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}-stackable{{ test_scenario['values']['release'] }}
+{% endif %}
             command:
               - /bin/bash
               - -euxo
@@ -75,7 +77,11 @@ spec:
                 mountPath: /stackable/opensearch/keystore-secrets
                 readOnly: true
           - name: init-system-keystore
-            image: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch:3.1.0-stackable0.0.0-dev
+{% if test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].find(",") > 0 %}
+            image: "{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[1] }}"
+{% else %}
+            image: oci.stackable.tech/sdp/opensearch:{{ test_scenario['values']['opensearch'].split(',')[0] }}-stackable{{ test_scenario['values']['release'] }}
+{% endif %}
             command:
               - update-ca-trust
             args:
diff --git a/tests/test-definition.yaml b/tests/test-definition.yaml
index 40792a1..781d572 100644
--- a/tests/test-definition.yaml
+++ b/tests/test-definition.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ dimensions:
   - name: opensearch_home
     values:
       - /stackable/opensearch
+  # The release must sometimes be known in podOverrides or Helm values
+  - name: release
+    values:
+      - 25.11.0
 tests:
   - name: smoke
     dimensions:
@@ -34,10 +38,12 @@ tests:
     dimensions:
       - opensearch
       - opensearch_home
+      - release
   # requires the repository-s3 plugin
   - name: snapshot-s3
     dimensions:
       - opensearch
+      - release
 suites:
   - name: nightly
     patch: