diff --git a/.github/workflows/operator-ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/operator-ci.yaml
index d776bea7..f3a8147b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/operator-ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/operator-ci.yaml
@@ -79,9 +79,10 @@ jobs:
         id: kind
         uses: helm/kind-action@v1
         with:
-          version: v0.26.0
-          kubernetes_version: v${{ matrix.k8s-version }}
-          install_only: true
+          version: v0.29.0
+          node_image: kindest/node:v${{ matrix.k8s-version }}
+          config: operator/config/local-dev/kind-config.yaml
+          cluster_name: kind
       # Cache build tools and dependencies for faster builds
       - name: Restore cached Binaries
         id: cached-binaries
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: end-to-end-tests
         run: |
           cd operator
-          GITHUB_TOKEN=${{ secrets.github_token }} make create-kind-cluster
+          make setup-kind-cluster
           make test
   
   # Build multi-platform container image and push to registry
diff --git a/operator/Makefile b/operator/Makefile
index 184906c2..d2a48056 100644
--- a/operator/Makefile
+++ b/operator/Makefile
@@ -192,18 +192,17 @@ else
 DOCKER_AUTH_FILE=${HOME}/.config/containers/auth.json
 endif
 
-create-kind-cluster: ## deletes and creates a new kind cluster. versions is set via KIND_VERSION
-ifdef CI
-	@echo $(GITHUB_TOKEN) | docker login ghcr.io -u $(GITHUB_ACTOR) --password-stdin
-endif
-	kind delete cluster && kind create cluster --image=kindest/node:v$(KIND_VERSION) --config config/local-dev/kind-config.yaml
-	$(KUBECTL) label node/kind-worker skyhook.nvidia.com/test-node=skyhooke2e
-	
+setup-kind-cluster: ## setup kind cluster with local docker creds and skyhook namespace
 	## sets you local $(DOCKER_CMD) creds into a secret in kind in the skyhook namespace
+	$(KUBECTL) label node/kind-worker skyhook.nvidia.com/test-node=skyhooke2e
 	$(KUBECTL) create namespace $(SKYHOOK_NAMESPACE) --dry-run=client -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
 	$(KUBECTL) create secret generic node-init-secret --type=kubernetes.io/dockerconfigjson -n $(SKYHOOK_NAMESPACE) \
 		--from-file=.dockerconfigjson=$(DOCKER_AUTH_FILE)
 
+create-kind-cluster: ## deletes and creates a new kind cluster. versions is set via KIND_VERSION
+	kind delete cluster && kind create cluster --image=kindest/node:v$(KIND_VERSION) --config config/local-dev/kind-config.yaml
+	$(MAKE) setup-kind-cluster
+
 podman-create-machine: ## creates a podman machine
 	podman machine stop podman-machine-default || true
 	podman machine rm -f podman-machine-default || true