diff --git a/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment.go b/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment.go
index c3872e837..499afc5cd 100644
--- a/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment.go
+++ b/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment.go
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func getRegistryAPIImageWithEnvGetter(envGetter func(string) string) string {
 	if img := envGetter("TOOLHIVE_REGISTRY_API_IMAGE"); img != "" {
 		return img
 	}
-	return "ghcr.io/stacklok/thv-registry-api:v0.1.0"
+	return "ghcr.io/stacklok/thv-registry-api:latest"
 }
 
 // findContainerByName finds a container by name in a slice of containers
diff --git a/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment_test.go b/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment_test.go
index 13feb21f3..69f7f8422 100644
--- a/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment_test.go
+++ b/cmd/thv-operator/pkg/registryapi/deployment_test.go
@@ -145,14 +145,14 @@ func TestGetRegistryAPIImage(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:        "default image when env not set",
 			setEnv:      false,
-			expected:    "ghcr.io/stacklok/thv-registry-api:v0.1.0",
+			expected:    "ghcr.io/stacklok/thv-registry-api:latest",
 			description: "Should return default image when environment variable is not set",
 		},
 		{
 			name:        "default image when env empty",
 			envValue:    "",
 			setEnv:      true,
-			expected:    "ghcr.io/stacklok/thv-registry-api:v0.1.0",
+			expected:    "ghcr.io/stacklok/thv-registry-api:latest",
 			description: "Should return default image when environment variable is empty",
 		},
 		{