diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main.yaml
index c238211adeef0..387e4d72e72ee 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main.yaml
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
 base_images:
-  base-rhel9:
-    name: "4.19"
-    namespace: ocp
-    tag: base-rhel9
-binary_build_commands: echo no
-releases:
-  latest:
-    candidate:
-      product: ocp
-      stream: nightly
-      version: "4.19"
+  base:
+    name: ci-tools-build-root
+    namespace: ci
+    tag: "1.23"
 resources:
   '*':
     limits:
@@ -21,7 +14,7 @@ tests:
 - as: verify
   commands: make verify
   container:
-    from: src
+    from: base
 zz_generated_metadata:
   branch: main
   org: openshift
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1.yaml
index fb53a79ff114f..ba9d76bb9f0fa 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1.yaml
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
 base_images:
-  base-rhel9:
-    name: "4.19"
-    namespace: ocp
-    tag: base-rhel9
-binary_build_commands: echo no
-releases:
-  latest:
-    candidate:
-      product: ocp
-      stream: nightly
-      version: "4.19"
+  base:
+    name: ci-tools-build-root
+    namespace: ci
+    tag: "1.23"
 resources:
   '*':
     limits:
@@ -21,7 +14,7 @@ tests:
 - as: verify
   commands: make verify
   container:
-    from: src
+    from: base
 zz_generated_metadata:
   branch: release-0.1
   org: openshift
diff --git a/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main-presubmits.yaml b/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main-presubmits.yaml
index 44d5a3ba770f7..2faa13729a392 100644
--- a/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main-presubmits.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main-presubmits.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ presubmits:
       skip_cloning: true
     labels:
       ci.openshift.io/generator: prowgen
-      job-release: "4.19"
       pj-rehearse.openshift.io/can-be-rehearsed: "true"
     name: pull-ci-openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-main-verify
     rerun_command: /test verify
diff --git a/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1-presubmits.yaml b/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1-presubmits.yaml
index d618719d9c0f8..20123488aab7b 100644
--- a/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1-presubmits.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/external-secrets-operator-release/openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1-presubmits.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ presubmits:
       skip_cloning: true
     labels:
       ci.openshift.io/generator: prowgen
-      job-release: "4.19"
       pj-rehearse.openshift.io/can-be-rehearsed: "true"
     name: pull-ci-openshift-external-secrets-operator-release-release-0.1-verify
     rerun_command: /test verify