diff --git a/api/v1/coherence_webhook.go b/api/v1/coherence_webhook.go
index 7bde9e46..1f6a7c57 100644
--- a/api/v1/coherence_webhook.go
+++ b/api/v1/coherence_webhook.go
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ package v1
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	cncf "github.com/distribution/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/go-test/deep"
 	"github.com/oracle/coherence-operator/pkg/operator"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 	apiequality "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/equality"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
@@ -136,6 +138,10 @@ func (in *Coherence) ValidateCreate() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	err = commonWebHook.validateNodePorts(in)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	err = commonWebHook.validateImageNames(in)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -156,6 +162,9 @@ func (in *Coherence) ValidateUpdate(previous runtime.Object) error {
 	if err := commonWebHook.validateNodePorts(in); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := commonWebHook.validateImageNames(in); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	var errorList field.ErrorList
 	sts := in.Spec.CreateStatefulSet(in)
@@ -246,6 +255,27 @@ func (in *CommonWebHook) validateNodePorts(current CoherenceResource) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// validateImageName validates a container image name
+func (in *CommonWebHook) validateImageNames(c CoherenceResource) error {
+	cohImage := c.GetSpec().GetCoherenceImage()
+	if cohImage != nil {
+		_, err := cncf.Parse(*cohImage)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error validating Coherence image name")
+		}
+	}
+
+	utilsImage := c.GetSpec().GetUtilsImage()
+	if utilsImage != "" {
+		_, err := cncf.Parse(utilsImage)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error validating utils image name")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ValidateStatefulSetUpdate tests if required fields in the StatefulSet are set.
 func ValidateStatefulSetUpdate(statefulSet, oldStatefulSet *appsv1.StatefulSet) field.ErrorList {
 	var allErrs field.ErrorList
diff --git a/api/v1/coherence_webhook_test.go b/api/v1/coherence_webhook_test.go
index 1ee1d14e..29a51264 100644
--- a/api/v1/coherence_webhook_test.go
+++ b/api/v1/coherence_webhook_test.go
@@ -755,3 +755,35 @@ func TestValidateNodePortsOnUpdateWithInvalidPort(t *testing.T) {
 	err := current.ValidateUpdate(prev)
 	g.Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
 }
+
+func TestValidateInvalidCoherenceImage(t *testing.T) {
+	g := NewGomegaWithT(t)
+
+	current := &coh.Coherence{
+		Spec: coh.CoherenceStatefulSetResourceSpec{
+			CoherenceResourceSpec: coh.CoherenceResourceSpec{
+				Image: pointer.String("foo/BaD iMaGeNaMe:latest"), // images must be lowercase without spaces
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := current.ValidateCreate()
+	g.Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+}
+
+func TestValidateInvalidUtilsImage(t *testing.T) {
+	g := NewGomegaWithT(t)
+
+	current := &coh.Coherence{
+		Spec: coh.CoherenceStatefulSetResourceSpec{
+			CoherenceResourceSpec: coh.CoherenceResourceSpec{
+				CoherenceUtils: &coh.ImageSpec{
+					Image: pointer.String("foo/BaD iMaGeNaMe:latest"), // images must be lowercase without spaces
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := current.ValidateCreate()
+	g.Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+}
diff --git a/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go b/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go
index 6ecb081e..230dfc45 100644
--- a/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/coherenceresourcespec_types.go
@@ -912,15 +912,20 @@ func (in *CoherenceResourceSpec) UpdateDefaultLivenessProbeAction(probe *corev1.
 	return probe
 }
 
-// CreateOperatorInitContainer creates the Operator init-container spec.
-func (in *CoherenceResourceSpec) CreateOperatorInitContainer(deployment CoherenceResource) corev1.Container {
+// GetUtilsImage returns the name of the utils image to use.
+func (in *CoherenceResourceSpec) GetUtilsImage() string {
 	var image string
 	if in.CoherenceUtils == nil || in.CoherenceUtils.Image == nil {
 		image = operator.GetDefaultOperatorImage()
 	} else {
 		image = *in.CoherenceUtils.Image
 	}
+	return image
+}
 
+// CreateOperatorInitContainer creates the Operator init-container spec.
+func (in *CoherenceResourceSpec) CreateOperatorInitContainer(deployment CoherenceResource) corev1.Container {
+	image := in.GetUtilsImage()
 	vm := in.CreateCommonVolumeMounts()
 
 	c := corev1.Container{
diff --git a/controllers/coherence_controller.go b/controllers/coherence_controller.go
index 7120bc27..4aae9906 100644
--- a/controllers/coherence_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/coherence_controller.go
@@ -143,6 +143,13 @@ func (in *CoherenceReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, request ctrl.Reque
 
 	// The request is an add or update
 
+	if err := deployment.ValidateCreate(); err != nil {
+		reason := "Coherence resource is invalid: " + err.Error()
+		in.GetEventRecorder().Event(deployment, coreV1.EventTypeWarning, "Validation", reason)
+		log.Info(reason)
+		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
+	}
+
 	// Ensure the hash label is present (it should have been added by the web-hook, so this should be a no-op).
 	// The hash may not have been added if the Coherence resource was added/modified when the Operator was uninstalled.
 	if hashApplied, err := in.ensureHashApplied(ctx, deployment); hashApplied || err != nil {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index fb5baaeb..f646aec8 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ go 1.19
 
 require (
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1
+	github.com/distribution/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible
 	github.com/ghodss/yaml v1.0.1-0.20190212211648-25d852aebe32
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.2.3
 	github.com/go-test/deep v1.1.0
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ require (
 require (
 	github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1 // indirect
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.1.2 // indirect
+	github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/evanphx/json-patch v5.6.0+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.6.0 // indirect
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@ require (
 	github.com/modern-go/concurrent v0.0.0-20180306012644-bacd9c7ef1dd // indirect
 	github.com/modern-go/reflect2 v1.0.2 // indirect
 	github.com/munnerz/goautoneg v0.0.0-20191010083416-a7dc8b61c822 // indirect
+	github.com/opencontainers/go-digest v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/opencontainers/image-spec v1.0.2 // indirect
 	github.com/pelletier/go-toml/v2 v2.0.6 // indirect
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.14.0 // indirect
 	github.com/prometheus/client_model v0.3.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 14c48b96..2bd04840 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.2/go.mod h1:tgQtvFlXSQOSOSIRvRPT7W67SCa46t
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.0/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
+github.com/distribution/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible h1:k9+4DKdOG+quPFZXT/mUsiQrGu9vYCp+dXpuPkuqhk8=
+github.com/distribution/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible/go.mod h1:EgLm2NgWtdKgzF9NpMzUKgzmR7AMmb0VQi2B+ZzDRjc=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible h1:T3de5rq0dB1j30rp0sA2rER+m322EBzniBPB6ZIzuh8=
+github.com/docker/distribution v2.8.2+incompatible/go.mod h1:J2gT2udsDAN96Uj4KfcMRqY0/ypR+oyYUYmja8H+y+w=
 github.com/docopt/docopt-go v0.0.0-20180111231733-ee0de3bc6815/go.mod h1:WwZ+bS3ebgob9U8Nd0kOddGdZWjyMGR8Wziv+TBNwSE=
 github.com/elazarl/goproxy v0.0.0-20180725130230-947c36da3153 h1:yUdfgN0XgIJw7foRItutHYUIhlcKzcSf5vDpdhQAKTc=
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.9.0 h1:XwGDlfxEnQZzuopoqxwSEllNcCOM9DhhFyhFIIGKwxE=
@@ -262,6 +266,10 @@ github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2 v2.8.4 h1:gf5mIQ8cLFieruNLAdgijHF1PYfLphKm2dxxcUtcqK0=
 github.com/onsi/gomega v1.3.0/go.mod h1:C1qb7wdrVGGVU+Z6iS04AVkA3Q65CEZX59MT0QO5uiA=
 github.com/onsi/gomega v1.27.2 h1:SKU0CXeKE/WVgIV1T61kSa3+IRE8Ekrv9rdXDwwTqnY=
 github.com/onsi/gomega v1.27.2/go.mod h1:5mR3phAHpkAVIDkHEUBY6HGVsU+cpcEscrGPB4oPlZI=
+github.com/opencontainers/go-digest v1.0.0 h1:apOUWs51W5PlhuyGyz9FCeeBIOUDA/6nW8Oi/yOhh5U=
+github.com/opencontainers/go-digest v1.0.0/go.mod h1:0JzlMkj0TRzQZfJkVvzbP0HBR3IKzErnv2BNG4W4MAM=
+github.com/opencontainers/image-spec v1.0.2 h1:9yCKha/T5XdGtO0q9Q9a6T5NUCsTn/DrBg0D7ufOcFM=
+github.com/opencontainers/image-spec v1.0.2/go.mod h1:BtxoFyWECRxE4U/7sNtV5W15zMzWCbyJoFRP3s7yZA0=
 github.com/pelletier/go-toml/v2 v2.0.6 h1:nrzqCb7j9cDFj2coyLNLaZuJTLjWjlaz6nvTvIwycIU=
 github.com/pelletier/go-toml/v2 v2.0.6/go.mod h1:eumQOmlWiOPt5WriQQqoM5y18pDHwha2N+QD+EUNTek=
 github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.0/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=