diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f32fafaf..15f35450 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ OUTPUT_TYPE ?= type=docker
 BUILDPLATFORM ?= linux/amd64
 IMG_TAG ?= $(subst v,,$(VERSION))
 INIT_IMG_TAG ?= 0.1.0
+K8S_VERSION ?= 1.23.12
 
 
 ## --------------------------------------
@@ -92,15 +93,28 @@ clean:
 .PHONY: test
 test:
 	@echo running tests
-	LOCATION=$(LOCATION) AZURE_AUTH_LOCATION=$(TEST_CREDENTIALS_JSON) LOG_ANALYTICS_AUTH_LOCATION=$(TEST_LOGANALYTICS_JSON) go test -v $(shell go list ./... | grep -v /e2e) -race -coverprofile=coverage.out -covermode=atomic
+	LOCATION=$(LOCATION) AZURE_AUTH_LOCATION=$(TEST_CREDENTIALS_JSON) \
+	LOG_ANALYTICS_AUTH_LOCATION=$(TEST_LOGANALYTICS_JSON) \
+	go test -v $(shell go list ./... | grep -v /e2e) -race -coverprofile=coverage.out -covermode=atomic
 
 .PHONY: e2e-test
 e2e-test:
-	PR_RAND=$(PR_COMMIT_SHA) E2E_TARGET=$(E2E_TARGET) IMG_URL=$(REGISTRY) IMG_REPO=$(IMG_NAME) IMG_TAG=$(IMG_TAG) LOCATION=$(LOCATION) RESOURCE_GROUP=$(E2E_CLUSTER_NAME) $(AKS_E2E_SCRIPT) go test -timeout 30m -v ./e2e
+	PR_RAND=$(PR_COMMIT_SHA) E2E_TARGET=$(E2E_TARGET) \
+ 	IMG_URL=$(REGISTRY) IMG_REPO=$(IMG_NAME) IMG_TAG=$(IMG_TAG) \
+ 	INIT_IMG_REPO=$(INIT_IMG_REPO) INIT_IMG_TAG=$(INIT_IMG_TAG) \
+ 	LOCATION=$(LOCATION) RESOURCE_GROUP=$(E2E_CLUSTER_NAME) \
+ 	K8S_VERSION=$(K8S_VERSION) \
+ 	$(AKS_E2E_SCRIPT) go test -timeout 30m -v ./e2e
 
 .PHONY: aks-addon-e2e-test
 aks-addon-e2e-test:
-	PR_RAND=$(PR_COMMIT_SHA) E2E_TARGET=$(E2E_TARGET) IMG_URL=$(REGISTRY) IMG_REPO=$(IMG_NAME) IMG_TAG=$(IMG_TAG) LOCATION=$(LOCATION) RESOURCE_GROUP=$(E2E_CLUSTER_NAME) $(AKS_ADDON_E2E_SCRIPT) go test -timeout 30m -v ./e2e
+	PR_RAND=$(PR_COMMIT_SHA) E2E_TARGET=$(E2E_TARGET) \
+	IMG_URL=$(REGISTRY) IMG_REPO=$(IMG_NAME) IMG_TAG=$(IMG_TAG) \
+	INIT_IMG_REPO=$(INIT_IMG_REPO) INIT_IMG_TAG=$(INIT_IMG_TAG) \
+	LOCATION=$(LOCATION) RESOURCE_GROUP=$(E2E_CLUSTER_NAME) \
+	K8S_VERSION=$(K8S_VERSION) \
+	$(AKS_ADDON_E2E_SCRIPT) go test -timeout 30m -v ./e2e
+
 .PHONY: vet
 vet:
 	@go vet ./... #$(packages)
diff --git a/hack/e2e/aks-addon.sh b/hack/e2e/aks-addon.sh
index 81728f73..c92fdfc4 100755
--- a/hack/e2e/aks-addon.sh
+++ b/hack/e2e/aks-addon.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ fi
 : "${ACR_NAME=aksaddonacr$RANDOM_NUM}"
 : "${CSI_DRIVER_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_NAME=aksaddonvk$RANDOM_NUM}"
 : "${CSI_DRIVER_SHARE_NAME=vncsidriversharename}"
+: "${K8S_VERSION:=1.23.12}"
 
 error() {
     echo "$@" >&2
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ cluster_subnet_id="$(az network vnet subnet show \
 if [ "$E2E_TARGET" = "pr" ]; then
 az aks create \
     -g "$RESOURCE_GROUP" \
-    --kubernetes-version "1.23.12" \
+    --kubernetes-version "$K8S_VERSION" \
     -l "$LOCATION" \
     -c "$NODE_COUNT" \
     --node-vm-size standard_d8_v3 \
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ else
 
 az aks create \
     -g "$RESOURCE_GROUP" \
-    --kubernetes-version "1.23.12" \
+    --kubernetes-version "$K8S_VERSION" \
     -l "$LOCATION" \
     -c "$NODE_COUNT" \
     --node-vm-size standard_d8_v3 \
diff --git a/hack/e2e/aks.sh b/hack/e2e/aks.sh
index 114e56cf..5e30bd35 100755
--- a/hack/e2e/aks.sh
+++ b/hack/e2e/aks.sh
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ fi
 : "${ACR_NAME=vkacr$RANDOM_NUM}"
 : "${CSI_DRIVER_STORAGE_ACCOUNT_NAME=vkcsidrivers$RANDOM_NUM}"
 : "${CSI_DRIVER_SHARE_NAME=vncsidriversharename}"
+: "${K8S_VERSION:=1.23.12}"
 
 error() {
     echo "$@" >&2
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ node_identity_client_id="$(az identity create --name "${RESOURCE_GROUP}-aks-iden
 if [ "$E2E_TARGET" = "pr" ]; then
 az aks create \
     -g "$RESOURCE_GROUP" \
-    --kubernetes-version "1.23.12" \
+    --kubernetes-version "$K8S_VERSION" \
     -l "$LOCATION" \
     -c "$NODE_COUNT" \
     --node-vm-size standard_d8_v3 \
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ else
 
 az aks create \
     -g "$RESOURCE_GROUP" \
-    --kubernetes-version "1.23.12" \
+    --kubernetes-version "$K8S_VERSION" \
     -l "$LOCATION" \
     -c "$NODE_COUNT" \
     --node-vm-size standard_d8_v3 \