diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 0f13b2a15..97fea70c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -395,6 +395,11 @@ jobs:
           export APP_VERSION="appver-${SHORT_SHA}-pre-minio-removal"
           replicated release promote 807 2cHXb1RCttzpR0xvnNWyaZCgDBP --version "${APP_VERSION}"
 
+          # re-promote a release containing an old version of embedded-cluster to test upgrades
+          export APP_VERSION="appver-${SHORT_SHA}-1.8.0-k8s-1.28"
+          replicated release promote 11615 2cHXb1RCttzpR0xvnNWyaZCgDBP --version "${APP_VERSION}"
+          replicated release promote 11615 2eAqMYG1IEtX8cwpaO1kgNV6EB3 --version "${APP_VERSION}"
+
           # install the previous k0s version to ensure an upgrade occurs
           export EC_VERSION="$(git describe --tags --match='[0-9]*.[0-9]*.[0-9]*')-previous-k0s"
           export APP_VERSION="appver-${SHORT_SHA}-previous-k0s"
diff --git a/e2e/install_test.go b/e2e/install_test.go
index 29b1faffa..fc3b0618a 100644
--- a/e2e/install_test.go
+++ b/e2e/install_test.go
@@ -551,19 +551,21 @@ func TestUpgradeEC18FromReplicatedApp(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	defer tc.Cleanup(withEnv)
 
-	t.Logf("%s: downloading embedded-cluster 1.8.0+k8s-1.28 on node 0", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
-	line := []string{"vandoor-prepare.sh", "1.8.0+k8s-1.28", os.Getenv("LICENSE_ID"), "false"}
+	appVer := fmt.Sprintf("appver-%s-1.8.0-k8s-1.28", os.Getenv("SHORT_SHA"))
+
+	t.Logf("%s: downloading embedded-cluster %s on node 0", appVer, time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
+	line := []string{"vandoor-prepare.sh", appVer, os.Getenv("LICENSE_ID"), "false"}
 	if stdout, stderr, err := tc.RunCommandOnNode(0, line); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("fail to download embedded-cluster on node 0: %v: %s: %s", err, stdout, stderr)
 	}
 
-	t.Logf("%s: downloading embedded-cluster 1.8.0+k8s-1.28 on worker node", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
-	line = []string{"vandoor-prepare.sh", "1.8.0+k8s-1.28", os.Getenv("LICENSE_ID"), "false"}
+	t.Logf("%s: downloading embedded-cluster %s on worker node", appVer, time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
+	line = []string{"vandoor-prepare.sh", appVer, os.Getenv("LICENSE_ID"), "false"}
 	if stdout, stderr, err := tc.RunCommandOnNode(1, line); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("fail to download embedded-cluster on node 0: %v: %s: %s", err, stdout, stderr)
 	}
 
-	t.Logf("%s: installing embedded-cluster 1.8.0+k8s-1.28 on node 0", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
+	t.Logf("%s: installing embedded-cluster %s on node 0", appVer, time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
 	line = []string{"single-node-install.sh", "ui"}
 	if stdout, stderr, err := tc.RunCommandOnNode(0, line, withEnv); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("fail to install embedded-cluster on node 0: %v: %s: %s", err, stdout, stderr)
@@ -600,7 +602,7 @@ func TestUpgradeEC18FromReplicatedApp(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	t.Logf("%s: checking installation state", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
-	line = []string{"check-installation-state.sh", "1.8.0+k8s-1.28", "v1.28.11"}
+	line = []string{"check-installation-state.sh", appVer, "v1.28.11"}
 	if stdout, stderr, err := tc.RunCommandOnNode(0, line, withEnv); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("fail to check installation state: %v: %s: %s", err, stdout, stderr)
 	}
@@ -1039,12 +1041,14 @@ func TestAirgapUpgradeFromEC18(t *testing.T) {
 
 	withEnv := map[string]string{"KUBECONFIG": "/var/lib/k0s/pki/admin.conf"}
 
+	appVer := fmt.Sprintf("appver-%s-1.8.0-k8s-1.28", os.Getenv("SHORT_SHA"))
+
 	t.Logf("%s: downloading airgap files", time.Now().Format(time.RFC3339))
 	airgapInstallBundlePath := "/tmp/airgap-install-bundle.tar.gz"
 	airgapUpgradeBundlePath := "/tmp/airgap-upgrade-bundle.tar.gz"
 	runInParallel(t,
 		func(t *testing.T) error {
-			return downloadAirgapBundle(t, "1.8.0+k8s-1.28", airgapInstallBundlePath, os.Getenv("AIRGAP_LICENSE_ID"))
+			return downloadAirgapBundle(t, appVer, airgapInstallBundlePath, os.Getenv("AIRGAP_LICENSE_ID"))
 		}, func(t *testing.T) error {
 			return downloadAirgapBundle(t, fmt.Sprintf("appver-%s-upgrade", os.Getenv("SHORT_SHA")), airgapUpgradeBundlePath, os.Getenv("AIRGAP_LICENSE_ID"))
 		},
@@ -1150,7 +1154,7 @@ func TestAirgapUpgradeFromEC18(t *testing.T) {
 		"check-airgap-installation-state.sh",
 		// the initially installed version is 1.8.0+k8s-1.28
 		// the '+' character is problematic in the regex used to validate the version, so we use '.' instead
-		"1.8.0.k8s-1.28",
+		appVer,
 		"v1.28.11"}
 	if _, _, err := tc.RunCommandOnNode(0, line, withEnv); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("fail to check installation state: %v", err)
diff --git a/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-installation-state.sh b/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-installation-state.sh
index 8c46c5a01..86eb98855 100755
--- a/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-installation-state.sh
+++ b/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-installation-state.sh
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ main() {
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    # if this is the current version
-    if echo "$version" | grep -E "^(dev|appver)-" ; then
+    # if this is the current version in CI
+    if echo "$version" | grep -qvE "(pre-minio-removal|1.8.0-k8s)" ; then
         validate_data_dirs
     fi
 
diff --git a/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-post-ha-state.sh b/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-post-ha-state.sh
index 7434006e4..0031a4df8 100755
--- a/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-post-ha-state.sh
+++ b/e2e/scripts/check-airgap-post-ha-state.sh
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ main() {
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    # if this is the current version
-    if echo "$version" | grep -E "^(dev|appver)-" ; then
+    # if this is the current version in CI
+    if echo "$version" | grep -qvE "(pre-minio-removal|1.8.0-k8s)" ; then
         validate_data_dirs
     fi
 
diff --git a/e2e/scripts/check-installation-state.sh b/e2e/scripts/check-installation-state.sh
index f5bef9185..cb05a5da6 100755
--- a/e2e/scripts/check-installation-state.sh
+++ b/e2e/scripts/check-installation-state.sh
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ main() {
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    # if this is the current version
-    if echo "$version" | grep -E "^(dev|appver)-" ; then
+    # if this is the current version in CI
+    if echo "$version" | grep -qvE "(pre-minio-removal|1.8.0-k8s)" ; then
         validate_data_dirs
     fi
 
diff --git a/e2e/scripts/check-post-ha-state.sh b/e2e/scripts/check-post-ha-state.sh
index 314cede3b..29c8b81c2 100755
--- a/e2e/scripts/check-post-ha-state.sh
+++ b/e2e/scripts/check-post-ha-state.sh
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ main() {
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    # if this is the current version
-    if echo "$version" | grep -E "^(dev|appver)-" ; then
+    # if this is the current version in CI
+    if echo "$version" | grep -qvE "(pre-minio-removal|1.8.0-k8s)" ; then
         validate_data_dirs
     fi