diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 39cd316631..8bcd4fbff2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ test:
 	cd "conformance/echo-basic" && go test -race -cover ./...
 	cd "gwctl" && go test -race -cover ./...
 
+# Run tests for CRDs validation
+.PHONY: test.crds-validation
+test.crds-validation:
+	./hack/test-crds-validation.sh $(VERSION)
+
 # Run conformance tests against controller implementation
 .PHONY: conformance
 conformance:
diff --git a/hack/verify-crds-kind.sh b/hack/test-crds-validation.sh
similarity index 72%
rename from hack/verify-crds-kind.sh
rename to hack/test-crds-validation.sh
index 319224f1ac..8f17b78dc7 100755
--- a/hack/verify-crds-kind.sh
+++ b/hack/test-crds-validation.sh
@@ -41,15 +41,48 @@ cleanup() {
 
 trap cleanup INT TERM EXIT
 
+# TODO(mlavacca): find a good way to keep this dependency up to date.
+KIND_VERSION="v0.24.0"
+
+# list of kind images taken from https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind/releases/tag/v0.24.0.
+# they need to be updated when kind is updated.
+KIND_IMAGES=(
+  "kindest/node:v1.27.17@sha256:3fd82731af34efe19cd54ea5c25e882985bafa2c9baefe14f8deab1737d9fabe"
+  "kindest/node:v1.28.13@sha256:45d319897776e11167e4698f6b14938eb4d52eb381d9e3d7a9086c16c69a8110"
+  "kindest/node:v1.29.8@sha256:d46b7aa29567e93b27f7531d258c372e829d7224b25e3fc6ffdefed12476d3aa"
+  "kindest/node:v1.30.4@sha256:976ea815844d5fa93be213437e3ff5754cd599b040946b5cca43ca45c2047"
+  "kindest/node:v1.31.0@sha256:53df588e04085fd41ae12de0c3fe4c72f7013bba32a20e7325357a1ac94ba865"
+)
+
+if [ "$#" -gt 1 ]; then
+    echo "Error: Too many arguments provided. Only 1 argument is allowed."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+DEFAULT_INDEX=$((1))
+
+if [ "$#" -eq 1 ]; then
+  # Check if the argument is a valid number between 1 and 5
+  if ! [[ "$1" =~ ^[1-5] ]]; then
+      echo "Error: Argument is not a valid integer between 1 and 5."
+      exit 1
+  fi
+  INDEX=$(($1))
+else
+  INDEX=$((DEFAULT_INDEX))
+fi
+
+K8S_IMAGE=${KIND_IMAGES[$((INDEX-1))]}
+
 # For exit code
 res=0
 
 # Install kind
-(cd $GOPATH && go install sigs.k8s.io/kind@v0.20.0) || res=$?
+(cd "${GOPATH}" && go install sigs.k8s.io/kind@${KIND_VERSION}) || res=$?
 
 # Create cluster
 KIND_CREATE_ATTEMPTED=true
-kind create cluster --name "${CLUSTER_NAME}"
+kind create cluster --name "${CLUSTER_NAME}" --image "${K8S_IMAGE}" || res=$?
 
 # Verify CEL validation
 for CHANNEL in experimental standard; do
diff --git a/hack/verify-all.sh b/hack/verify-all.sh
index 2f67b64c17..3df89f5870 100755
--- a/hack/verify-all.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-all.sh
@@ -53,10 +53,14 @@ fi
 
 EXCLUDE="verify-all.sh"
 
+# TODO(mlavacca): once the prow configuration will be updated with a new target for 
+# test-crds-validation.sh, we can remove it from the find command, otherwise it will be run twice.
+SCRIPTS=$(find "${SCRIPT_ROOT}"/hack -name "verify-*.sh" -o -name "test-crds-validation.sh")
+
 ret=0
-for t in `ls $SCRIPT_ROOT/hack/verify-*.sh`
+for t in $SCRIPTS;
 do
-  if is-excluded $t ; then
+  if is-excluded "${t}" ; then
     echo "Skipping $t"
     continue
   fi