diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index d182dc9160..6f4eebdf6f 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.8.1-dev
+0.8.1
diff --git a/bundle/manifests/security-profiles-operator.clusterserviceversion.yaml b/bundle/manifests/security-profiles-operator.clusterserviceversion.yaml
index 54d2de869c..de04c916b3 100644
--- a/bundle/manifests/security-profiles-operator.clusterserviceversion.yaml
+++ b/bundle/manifests/security-profiles-operator.clusterserviceversion.yaml
@@ -241,15 +241,15 @@ metadata:
       ]
     capabilities: Basic Install
     categories: Security
-    containerImage: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.0
-    olm.skipRange: '>=0.4.1 <0.8.1-dev'
+    containerImage: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
+    olm.skipRange: '>=0.4.1 <0.8.1'
     operatorframework.io/cluster-monitoring: "true"
     operatorframework.io/suggested-namespace: security-profiles-operator
     operators.openshift.io/valid-subscription: '["OpenShift Kubernetes Engine", "OpenShift
       Container Platform", "OpenShift Platform Plus"]'
     operators.operatorframework.io/builder: operator-sdk-v1.25.0
     operators.operatorframework.io/project_layout: go.kubebuilder.io/v3
-  name: security-profiles-operator.v0.8.1-dev
+  name: security-profiles-operator.v0.8.1
   namespace: placeholder
 spec:
   apiservicedefinitions: {}
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ spec:
                       fieldPath: spec.nodeName
                 - name: KUBELET_DIR
                   value: /var/lib/kubelet
-                image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator:latest
+                image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
                 imagePullPolicy: Always
                 name: security-profiles-operator
                 resources:
@@ -985,5 +985,5 @@ spec:
     name: selinuxd-el8
   - image: quay.io/security-profiles-operator/selinuxd-el9:latest
     name: selinuxd-el9
-  replaces: security-profiles-operator.v0.7.1
-  version: 0.8.1-dev
+  replaces: security-profiles-operator.v0.8.0
+  version: 0.8.1
diff --git a/dependencies.yaml b/dependencies.yaml
index 28a7fe1306..2abadb7537 100644
--- a/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/dependencies.yaml
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ dependencies:
       match: BOM_VERSION
 
   - name: spo-current
-    version: 0.8.1-dev
+    version: 0.8.1
     refPaths:
     - path: VERSION
       match: ^.*
diff --git a/deploy/base/clusterserviceversion.yaml b/deploy/base/clusterserviceversion.yaml
index f9cfbe36aa..8a9830916f 100644
--- a/deploy/base/clusterserviceversion.yaml
+++ b/deploy/base/clusterserviceversion.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ metadata:
     alm-examples: '[]'
     capabilities: Basic Install
     categories: Security
-    containerImage: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.0
+    containerImage: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
     olm.skipRange: '>=0.4.1 <0.4.2-dev'
     operatorframework.io/suggested-namespace: security-profiles-operator
     operators.openshift.io/valid-subscription: '["OpenShift Kubernetes Engine", "OpenShift Container Platform", "OpenShift Platform Plus"]'
@@ -89,5 +89,5 @@ spec:
   provider:
     name: Kubernetes SIGs
     url: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs
-  replaces: security-profiles-operator.v0.7.1
+  replaces: security-profiles-operator.v0.8.0
   version: 0.0.0
diff --git a/deploy/catalog-preamble.json b/deploy/catalog-preamble.json
index 5e630c6c28..b37c5902e3 100644
--- a/deploy/catalog-preamble.json
+++ b/deploy/catalog-preamble.json
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
     "package": "security-profiles-operator",
     "entries": [
         {
-            "name": "security-profiles-operator.v0.8.1-dev",
-            "skipRange": ">=0.4.1 <0.8.1-dev"
+            "name": "security-profiles-operator.v0.8.1",
+            "skipRange": ">=0.4.1 <0.8.1"
         }
     ]
 }
diff --git a/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml b/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml
index 54d7955c17..e51f19cb54 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml
+++ b/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ apiVersion: v2
 name: security-profiles-operator
 description: "The Kubernetes Security Profiles Operator."
 type: application
-version: "0.8.1-dev"
-appVersion: "0.8.1-dev"
+version: "0.8.1"
+appVersion: "0.8.1"
diff --git a/deploy/kustomize-deployment/kustomization.yaml b/deploy/kustomize-deployment/kustomization.yaml
index 93930ac65e..bac71bfde2 100644
--- a/deploy/kustomize-deployment/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kustomize-deployment/kustomization.yaml
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ kind: Kustomization
 
 images:
 - name: security-profiles-operator
-  newName: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator
-  newTag: latest
+  # newName: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator
+  # newTag: latest
   # For images to be released:
-  # newName: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator
-  # newTag: v0.8.1
+  newName: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator
+  newTag: v0.8.1
 
 
 resources:
diff --git a/deploy/namespace-operator.yaml b/deploy/namespace-operator.yaml
index 5d72867b00..e7046311a8 100644
--- a/deploy/namespace-operator.yaml
+++ b/deploy/namespace-operator.yaml
@@ -3210,7 +3210,7 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: spec.nodeName
         - name: KUBELET_DIR
           value: /var/lib/kubelet
-        image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator:latest
+        image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         name: security-profiles-operator
         resources:
diff --git a/deploy/openshift-dev.yaml b/deploy/openshift-dev.yaml
index f1690d0485..6874cf4dbe 100644
--- a/deploy/openshift-dev.yaml
+++ b/deploy/openshift-dev.yaml
@@ -3201,7 +3201,7 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: spec.nodeName
         - name: KUBELET_DIR
           value: /var/lib/kubelet
-        image: image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000/openshift/security-profiles-operator:latest
+        image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         name: security-profiles-operator
         resources:
diff --git a/deploy/openshift-downstream.yaml b/deploy/openshift-downstream.yaml
index 72bc5f7706..bd186c8ac7 100644
--- a/deploy/openshift-downstream.yaml
+++ b/deploy/openshift-downstream.yaml
@@ -3221,7 +3221,7 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: spec.nodeName
         - name: KUBELET_DIR
           value: /var/lib/kubelet
-        image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator:latest
+        image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         name: security-profiles-operator
         resources:
diff --git a/deploy/operator.yaml b/deploy/operator.yaml
index 2967d3d922..fea2a222a6 100644
--- a/deploy/operator.yaml
+++ b/deploy/operator.yaml
@@ -3208,7 +3208,7 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: spec.nodeName
         - name: KUBELET_DIR
           value: /var/lib/kubelet
-        image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator:latest
+        image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         name: security-profiles-operator
         resources:
diff --git a/deploy/webhook-operator.yaml b/deploy/webhook-operator.yaml
index 44175d64ab..0d75287564 100644
--- a/deploy/webhook-operator.yaml
+++ b/deploy/webhook-operator.yaml
@@ -3208,7 +3208,7 @@ spec:
               fieldPath: spec.nodeName
         - name: KUBELET_DIR
           value: /var/lib/kubelet
-        image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator:latest
+        image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         name: security-profiles-operator
         resources:
diff --git a/examples/olm/install-resources.yaml b/examples/olm/install-resources.yaml
index fd2c49734e..d1499cee38 100644
--- a/examples/olm/install-resources.yaml
+++ b/examples/olm/install-resources.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: olm
 spec:
   sourceType: grpc
-  image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator-catalog:latest
+  image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator-catalog:v0.8.1
 ---
 apiVersion: operators.coreos.com/v1alpha1
 kind: Subscription
diff --git a/hack/ci/e2e-olm.sh b/hack/ci/e2e-olm.sh
index 683d595361..a48f9eba29 100755
--- a/hack/ci/e2e-olm.sh
+++ b/hack/ci/e2e-olm.sh
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function build_and_push_packages() {
 
     # Create a manifest with local image
     cp deploy/operator.yaml ${OPERATOR_MANIFEST}
-    sed -i "s#gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator.*\$#${IMG}#" ${OPERATOR_MANIFEST}
+    sed -i "s#registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator.*\$#${IMG}#" ${OPERATOR_MANIFEST}
     grep ${IMG} ${OPERATOR_MANIFEST} || exit 1
 
     # this is a kludge, we need to make sure kustomize can be overwritten
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ function deploy_deps() {
     kubectl_wait -ncert-manager --for condition=ready pod -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=cert-manager
 
     # All installation methods run off the same catalog
-    sed -i "s#gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator-catalog:latest#${CATALOG_IMG}#g" examples/olm/install-resources.yaml
+    sed -i "s#registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator-catalog:v0.8.1#${CATALOG_IMG}#g" examples/olm/install-resources.yaml
 
 }
 
diff --git a/hack/deploy-localhost.patch b/hack/deploy-localhost.patch
index 5e6bbf305a..e61902022c 100644
--- a/hack/deploy-localhost.patch
+++ b/hack/deploy-localhost.patch
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ index d7bf1964..d2a9c614 100644
                fieldPath: spec.nodeName
          - name: KUBELET_DIR
            value: /var/lib/kubelet
--        image: gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/security-profiles-operator:latest
+-        image: registry.k8s.io/security-profiles-operator/security-profiles-operator:v0.8.1
 -        imagePullPolicy: Always
 +        image: localhost/security-profiles-operator:latest
 +        imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
diff --git a/test/e2e_test.go b/test/e2e_test.go
index f83706b7a2..f0195dce75 100644
--- a/test/e2e_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e_test.go
@@ -306,8 +306,8 @@ func (e *e2e) deployOperator(manifest string) {
 	// ones from the nodes
 	e.logf("Setting imagePullPolicy to '%s' in manifest: %s", e.pullPolicy, manifest)
 	e.updateManifest(manifest, "imagePullPolicy: Always", fmt.Sprintf("imagePullPolicy: %s", e.pullPolicy))
-	e.updateManifest(manifest, "image: .*gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/.*", fmt.Sprintf("image: %s", e.testImage))
-	e.updateManifest(manifest, "value: .*gcr.io/k8s-staging-sp-operator/.*", fmt.Sprintf("value: %s", e.testImage))
+	e.updateManifest(manifest, "image: .*registry.k8s.io/.*", fmt.Sprintf("image: %s", e.testImage))
+	e.updateManifest(manifest, "value: .*registry.k8s.io/.*", fmt.Sprintf("value: %s", e.testImage))
 	e.updateManifest(manifest, "value: .*quay.io/.*/selinuxd.*", fmt.Sprintf("value: %s", e.selinuxdImage))
 	if e.selinuxEnabled {
 		e.updateManifest(manifest, "enableSelinux: false", "enableSelinux: true")