diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh
index d756ccfdce..ff340aa105 100755
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh
@@ -72,8 +72,14 @@ function deploy_kata() {
 
     # Enable debug for Kata Containers
     yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[1].value' --tag '!!str' "true"
+    # Create the runtime class only for the shim that's being tested
+    yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[2].value' "${KATA_HYPERVISOR}"
+    # Set the tested hypervisor as the default `kata` shim
+    yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[3].value' "${KATA_HYPERVISOR}"
     # Let the `kata-deploy` script take care of the runtime class creation / removal
     yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[4].value' --tag '!!str' "true"
+    # Let the `kata-deploy` create the default `kata` runtime class
+    yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[5].value' --tag '!!str' "true"
 
     if [ "${KATA_HOST_OS}" = "cbl-mariner" ]; then
         yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[+].name' "HOST_OS"
@@ -154,6 +160,12 @@ function cleanup() {
 
     # Let the `kata-deploy` script take care of the runtime class creation / removal
     yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[4].value' --tag '!!str' "true"
+    # Create the runtime class only for the shim that's being tested
+    yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[2].value' "${KATA_HYPERVISOR}"
+    # Set the tested hypervisor as the default `kata` shim
+    yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[3].value' "${KATA_HYPERVISOR}"
+    # Let the `kata-deploy` create the default `kata` runtime class
+    yq write -i "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml" 'spec.template.spec.containers[0].env[5].value' --tag '!!str' "true"
 
     sed -i -e "s|quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:latest|${DOCKER_REGISTRY}/${DOCKER_REPO}:${DOCKER_TAG}|g" "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml"
     cat "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml"
diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
index fb68e47cbd..67a2599643 100755
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ reset_workloads_work_dir() {
     cp -R ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads_work
 }
 
-set_runtime_class() {
-    sed -i -e "s|runtimeClassName: kata|runtimeClassName: kata-${KATA_HYPERVISOR}|" ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads_work/*.yaml
-}
-
 set_kernel_path() {
     if [[ "${KATA_HOST_OS}" = "cbl-mariner" ]]; then
         mariner_kernel_path="/usr/share/cloud-hypervisor/vmlinux.bin"
@@ -35,7 +31,6 @@ set_initrd_path() {
 
 main() {
     reset_workloads_work_dir
-    set_runtime_class
     set_kernel_path
     set_initrd_path
 }