diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate-release.yml b/.github/workflows/generate-release.yml
index a1a6faac7..19bd383fa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generate-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate-release.yml
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: '3.12'
 
       - name: Run pre-commit checks
-        uses: pre-commit/action@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065
+        uses: pre-commit/action@576ff52938d158a24ac7e009dfa94b1455e7df99
         continue-on-error: true
         id: precommit
         env:
@@ -178,16 +178,38 @@ jobs:
             echo "✅ Committed release changes to ${{ steps.validate.outputs.release_branch }}"
           fi
 
-  finalize-release:
+  generate-e2e-tag:
     needs: generate-release
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    outputs:
+      image_tag: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.value }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ needs.generate-release.outputs.release_branch }}
+
+      - name: Generate image tag
+        id: tag
+        run: echo "value=${{ needs.generate-release.outputs.release_branch }}_$(date +%m%d-%H%M)_$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+  run-e2e-tests:
+    name: step name
+    needs: [generate-release, generate-e2e-tag]
+    uses: llamastack/llama-stack-k8s-operator/.github/workflows/run-e2e-test.yml@200881258fba8f0411003062e47e94c0a397b7c4
+    with:
+      image_tag: ${{ needs.generate-e2e-tag.outputs.image_tag }}
+
+  finalize-release:
+    needs: [generate-release, run-e2e-tests]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     env:
       operator_version: ${{ needs.generate-release.outputs.operator_version }}
       llamastack_version: ${{ needs.generate-release.outputs.llamastack_version }}
       release_branch: ${{ needs.generate-release.outputs.release_branch }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
-        uses: actions/checkout@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065
+        uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683
         with:
           ref: ${{ env.release_branch }}
           fetch-depth: 0
@@ -244,7 +266,7 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
 
       - name: Set up Go
-        uses: actions/setup-go@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065
+        uses: actions/setup-go@d35c59abb061a4a6fb18e82ac0862c26744d6ab5
         with:
           go-version: ${{ env.GO_VERSION }}
 
@@ -254,7 +276,7 @@ jobs:
           make image-build IMG=quay.io/llamastack/llama-stack-k8s-operator:v${{ env.operator_version }}
 
       - name: Log in to Quay.io
-        uses: docker/login-action@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065
+        uses: docker/login-action@465a07811f14bebb1938fbed4728c6a1ff8901fc
         with:
           registry: quay.io
           username: ${{ secrets.APP_QUAY_USERNAME }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-e2e-test.yml b/.github/workflows/run-e2e-test.yml
index bc9b1310e..a5d3ee818 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-e2e-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-e2e-test.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
     branches: [ main ]
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      image_tag:
+        description: 'Image tag to use for the operator image'
+        required: true
+        type: string
 
 jobs:
   e2e-tests:
@@ -59,11 +65,14 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build operator image
         run: |
-          # Build the image with a simpler tag format
-          docker build -t kind-registry:5000/llama-stack-k8s-operator:pr${{ github.event.pull_request.number }} -f Dockerfile .
+          if [ -n "${{ inputs.image_tag }}" ]; then
+            IMAGE_TAG="${{ inputs.image_tag }}"
+          else
+            IMAGE_TAG="pr${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}"
+          fi
 
-          # Tag the image for local registry
-          docker tag kind-registry:5000/llama-stack-k8s-operator:pr${{ github.event.pull_request.number }} kind-registry:5000/llama-stack-k8s-operator:latest
+          docker build -t kind-registry:5000/llama-stack-k8s-operator:${IMAGE_TAG} -f Dockerfile .
+          docker tag kind-registry:5000/llama-stack-k8s-operator:${IMAGE_TAG} kind-registry:5000/llama-stack-k8s-operator:latest
 
       - name: Push operator image to local registry
         run: |