diff --git a/config/default/kustomization.yaml b/config/default/kustomization.yaml
index 3c2396ba9..fa36d8a21 100644
--- a/config/default/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/default/kustomization.yaml
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ patches:
       - name: WATCH_NAMESPACE
         value: WATCH_NAMESPACE_VALUE
       - name: RELATED_IMAGE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE
-        value: docker.io/splunk/splunk:9.3.2
+        value: SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE
       - name: OPERATOR_NAME
         value: splunk-operator
       - name: POD_NAME
diff --git a/test/run-tests.sh b/test/run-tests.sh
index e72757603..f563cae55 100755
--- a/test/run-tests.sh
+++ b/test/run-tests.sh
@@ -38,16 +38,27 @@ if [ -n "${PRIVATE_REGISTRY}" ]; then
   fi
 
   # Always attempt to pull splunk enterprise image
-  docker pull ${SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    echo "Unable to pull ${SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}. Exiting..."
-    exit 1
-  fi
-  docker tag ${SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE} ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
-  docker push ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
-  if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    echo "Unable to push ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}. Exiting..."
-    exit 1
+  echo "check if image exists, docker manifest inspect $PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE"
+  if docker manifest inspect "$PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "Image $PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE exists on the remote repository."
+    docker pull ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+      echo "Unable to pull ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}. Exiting..."
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "Image $PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE does not exist on the remote repository."
+    docker pull ${SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+      echo "Unable to pull ${SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}. Exiting..."
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    docker tag ${SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE} ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
+    docker push ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+      echo "Unable to push ${PRIVATE_SPLUNK_ENTERPRISE_IMAGE}. Exiting..."
+      exit 1
+    fi
   fi
 
   # Output