diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 16799bda4e..418e74a9d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -100,10 +100,14 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # tag the container image we created and push to DockerHub
           tag=$(echo $GITHUB_REF | cut -d/ -f3-)
-          docker tag katadocker/kata-deploy-ci:${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}} katadocker/kata-deploy:${tag}
-          docker tag quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy-ci:${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}} quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${tag}
-          docker push katadocker/kata-deploy:${tag}
-          docker push quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${tag}
+          tags=$(tag)
+          tags+=$([[ "$tag" =~ "alpha"|"rc" ]] && echo "latest" || echo "stable")
+          for tag in ${tags[@]}; do \
+            docker tag katadocker/kata-deploy-ci:${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}} katadocker/kata-deploy:${tag} && \
+            docker tag quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy-ci:${{steps.build-and-push-kata-deploy-ci.outputs.PKG_SHA}} quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${tag} && \
+            docker push katadocker/kata-deploy:${tag} && \
+            docker push quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${tag}; \
+          done
 
   upload-static-tarball:
     needs: kata-deploy
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/README.md b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/README.md
index e33fab314f..9f54f0a728 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/README.md
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/README.md
@@ -11,19 +11,40 @@ a node only if it uses either containerd or CRI-O CRI-shims.
 
 ### Install Kata on a running Kubernetes cluster
 
+#### Installing the latest image
+
+The latest image refers to pre-release and release candidate content.  For stable releases, please, use the "stable" instructions.
+
 ```sh
-$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy
-$ kubectl apply -f kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
-$ kubectl apply -f kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
 ```
 
-or on a [k3s](https://k3s.io/) cluster:
+#### Installing the stable image
+
+The stable image refers to the last stable releases content.
+
+Note that if you use a tagged version of the repo, the stable image does match that version.
+For instance, if you use the 2.2.1 tagged version of the kata-deploy.yaml file, then the version 2.2.1 of the kata runtime will be deployed.
 
 ```sh
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy-stable.yaml
+```
+
+#### For your [k3s](https://k3s.io/) cluster, do:
+
+```sh
+$ GO111MODULE=auto go get github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers
 $ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy
 $ kubectl apply -k kata-deploy/overlays/k3s
 ```
 
+#### Ensure kata-deploy is ready
+```sh
+kubectl -n kube-system wait --timeout=10m --for=condition=Ready -l name=kata-deploy pod
+```
+
 ### Run a sample workload
 
 Workloads specify the runtime they'd like to utilize by setting the appropriate `runtimeClass` object within
@@ -32,8 +53,7 @@ which will ensure the workload is only scheduled on a node that has Kata Contain
 
 `runtimeClass` is a built-in type in Kubernetes. To apply each Kata Containers `runtimeClass`:
 ```sh
-  $ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses
-  $ kubectl apply -f kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
+  $ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
 ```
 
 The following YAML snippet shows how to specify a workload should use Kata with Cloud Hypervisor:
@@ -66,42 +86,74 @@ spec:
 To run an example with `kata-clh`:
 
 ```sh
-$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples
-$ kubectl apply -f test-deploy-kata-clh.yaml
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples/test-deploy-kata-clh.yaml
 ```
 
 To run an example with `kata-fc`:
 
 ```sh
-$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples
-$ kubectl apply -f test-deploy-kata-fc.yaml
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples/test-deploy-kata-fc.yaml
 ```
 
 To run an example with `kata-qemu`:
 
 ```sh
-$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples
-$ kubectl apply -f test-deploy-kata-qemu.yaml
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples/test-deploy-kata-qemu.yaml
 ```
 
 The following removes the test pods:
 
 ```sh
-$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples
-$ kubectl delete -f test-deploy-kata-clh.yaml
-$ kubectl delete -f test-deploy-kata-fc.yaml
-$ kubectl delete -f test-deploy-kata-qemu.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples/test-deploy-kata-clh.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples/test-deploy-kata-fc.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/examples/test-deploy-kata-qemu.yaml
 ```
 
 ### Remove Kata from the Kubernetes cluster
 
+#### Removing the latest image
+
 ```sh
-$ cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/tools/packaging/kata-deploy
-$ kubectl delete -f kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
-$ kubectl apply -f kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
-$ kubectl delete -f kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
-$ kubectl delete -f kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
-$ kubectl delete -f runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+$ kubectl -n kube-system wait --timeout=10m --for=delete -l name=kata-deploy pod
+```
+
+After ensuring kata-deploy has been deleted, cleanup the cluster:
+```sh
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+```
+
+The cleanup daemon-set will run a single time, cleaning up the node-label, which makes it difficult to check in an automated fashion.
+This process should take, at most, 5 minutes.
+
+After that, let's delete the cleanup daemon-set, the added RBAC and runtime classes:
+
+```sh
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
+```
+
+#### Removing the stable image
+
+```sh
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy-stable.yaml
+$ kubectl -n kube-system wait --timeout=10m --for=delete -l name=kata-deploy pod
+```
+
+After ensuring kata-deploy has been deleted, cleanup the cluster:
+```sh
+$ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup-stabe.yaml
+```
+
+The cleanup daemon-set will run a single time, cleaning up the node-label, which makes it difficult to check in an automated fashion.
+This process should take, at most, 5 minutes.
+
+After that, let's delete the cleanup daemon-set, the added RBAC and runtime classes:
+```sh
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup-stable.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml
+$ kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/main/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
 ```
 
 ## `kata-deploy` details
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup-stable.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup-stable.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f1d9d0a2f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup-stable.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: DaemonSet
+metadata:
+  name: kubelet-kata-cleanup
+  namespace: kube-system
+spec:
+  selector:
+      matchLabels:
+        name: kubelet-kata-cleanup
+  template:
+    metadata:
+        labels:
+          name: kubelet-kata-cleanup
+    spec:
+      serviceAccountName: kata-label-node
+      nodeSelector:
+          katacontainers.io/kata-runtime: cleanup
+      containers:
+      - name: kube-kata-cleanup
+        image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:stable
+        imagePullPolicy: Always
+        command: [ "bash", "-c", "/opt/kata-artifacts/scripts/kata-deploy.sh reset" ]
+        env:
+        - name: NODE_NAME
+          valueFrom:
+            fieldRef:
+              fieldPath: spec.nodeName
+        securityContext:
+          privileged: false
+        volumeMounts:
+        - name: dbus
+          mountPath: /var/run/dbus
+        - name: systemd
+          mountPath: /run/systemd
+      volumes:
+        - name: dbus
+          hostPath:
+            path: /var/run/dbus
+        - name: systemd
+          hostPath:
+            path: /run/systemd
+  updateStrategy:
+    rollingUpdate:
+      maxUnavailable: 1
+    type: RollingUpdate
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
index d4aa6d8f23..851e958a4c 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ spec:
           katacontainers.io/kata-runtime: cleanup
       containers:
       - name: kube-kata-cleanup
-        image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:2.3.0-alpha0
+        image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:latest
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         command: [ "bash", "-c", "/opt/kata-artifacts/scripts/kata-deploy.sh reset" ]
         env:
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy-stable.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy-stable.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..346e4c0ee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy-stable.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+---
+apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: DaemonSet
+metadata:
+  name: kata-deploy
+  namespace: kube-system
+spec:
+  selector:
+      matchLabels:
+        name: kata-deploy
+  template:
+    metadata:
+        labels:
+          name: kata-deploy
+    spec:
+      serviceAccountName: kata-label-node
+      containers:
+      - name: kube-kata
+        image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:stable
+        imagePullPolicy: Always
+        lifecycle:
+          preStop:
+            exec:
+              command: ["bash", "-c", "/opt/kata-artifacts/scripts/kata-deploy.sh cleanup"]
+        command: [ "bash", "-c", "/opt/kata-artifacts/scripts/kata-deploy.sh install" ]
+        env:
+        - name: NODE_NAME
+          valueFrom:
+            fieldRef:
+              fieldPath: spec.nodeName
+        securityContext:
+          privileged: false
+        volumeMounts:
+        - name: crio-conf
+          mountPath: /etc/crio/
+        - name: containerd-conf
+          mountPath: /etc/containerd/
+        - name: kata-artifacts
+          mountPath: /opt/kata/
+        - name: dbus
+          mountPath: /var/run/dbus
+        - name: systemd
+          mountPath: /run/systemd
+        - name: local-bin
+          mountPath: /usr/local/bin/
+      volumes:
+        - name: crio-conf
+          hostPath:
+            path: /etc/crio/
+        - name: containerd-conf
+          hostPath:
+            path: /etc/containerd/
+        - name: kata-artifacts
+          hostPath:
+            path: /opt/kata/
+            type: DirectoryOrCreate
+        - name: dbus
+          hostPath:
+            path: /var/run/dbus
+        - name: systemd
+          hostPath:
+            path: /run/systemd
+        - name: local-bin
+          hostPath:
+            path: /usr/local/bin/
+  updateStrategy:
+    rollingUpdate:
+      maxUnavailable: 1
+    type: RollingUpdate
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
index 7a396f0e4d..a03a56b84e 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ spec:
       serviceAccountName: kata-label-node
       containers:
       - name: kube-kata
-        image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:2.3.0-alpha0
+        image: quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:latest
         imagePullPolicy: Always
         lifecycle:
           preStop:
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
index fd8bc858be..9695ba6572 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/runtimeclasses/kata-runtimeClasses.yaml
@@ -1,19 +1,6 @@
 ---
 kind: RuntimeClass
 apiVersion: node.k8s.io/v1beta1
-metadata:
-    name: kata-qemu-virtiofs
-handler: kata-qemu-virtiofs
-overhead:
-    podFixed:
-        memory: "160Mi"
-        cpu: "250m"
-scheduling:
-  nodeSelector:
-    katacontainers.io/kata-runtime: "true"
----
-kind: RuntimeClass
-apiVersion: node.k8s.io/v1beta1
 metadata:
     name: kata-qemu
 handler: kata-qemu
diff --git a/tools/packaging/release/update-repository-version.sh b/tools/packaging/release/update-repository-version.sh
index d00c623a03..cded448cc0 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/release/update-repository-version.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/release/update-repository-version.sh
@@ -111,13 +111,68 @@ bump_repo() {
 	fi
 
 	if [ "${repo}" == "kata-containers" ]; then
-		info "Updating kata-deploy / kata-cleanup image tags"
-		sed -i "s#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${current_version}#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${new_version}#g" tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
-		sed -i "s#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${current_version}#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${new_version}#g" tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
-		git diff
+		# Here there are 3 scenarios of what we can do, based on
+	        # which branch we're targetting:
+		#
+		# 1) [main] ------> [main]        NO-OP
+		#   "alpha0"       "alpha1"
+		#
+		#                   +----------------+----------------+
+		#                   |      from      |       to       |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#  kata-deploy      | "latest"       | "latest"       |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#  kata-deploy-base | "stable        | "stable"       |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#
+		#
+		# 2) [main] ------> [stable]  Update kata-deploy and
+		#   "alpha2"         "rc0"    get rid of kata-deploy-base
+		#
+		#                   +----------------+----------------+
+		#                   |      from      |       to       |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#  kata-deploy      | "latest"       | "rc0"          |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#  kata-deploy-base | "stable"       | REMOVED        |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#
+		#
+		# 3) [stable] ------> [stable]    Update kata-deploy
+		#    "x.y.z"         "x.y.(z+1)"
+		#
+		#                   +----------------+----------------+
+		#                   |      from      |       to       |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#  kata-deploy      | "x.y.z"        | "x.y.(z+1)"    |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
+		#  kata-deploy-base | NON-EXISTENT   | NON-EXISTENT   |
+		#  -----------------+----------------+----------------+
 
-		git add tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
-		git add tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+		info "Updating kata-deploy / kata-cleanup image tags"
+		if [ "${target_branch}" == "main" ] && [[ "${new_version}" =~ "rc" ]]; then
+			# case 2)
+			## change the "latest" tag to the "#{new_version}" one
+			sed -i "s#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:latest#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${new_version}#g" tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+			sed -i "s#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:latest#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${new_version}#g" tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+
+			git diff
+
+			git add tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+			git add tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+
+			## and remove the kata-deploy & kata-cleanup stable yaml files
+			git rm tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy-stable.yaml
+			git rm tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup-stable.yaml
+		elif [[ "${target_branch}" =~ "stable" ]]; then
+			# case 3)
+			sed -i "s#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${current_version}#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${new_version}#g" tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+			sed -i "s#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${current_version}#quay.io/kata-containers/kata-deploy:${new_version}#g" tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+			git diff
+
+			git add tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-deploy/base/kata-deploy.yaml
+			git add tools/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-cleanup/base/kata-cleanup.yaml
+		fi
 	fi
 
 	info "Creating PR message"