diff --git a/tests/.gitignore b/tests/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..122d160715
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+integration/kubernetes/runtimeclass_workloads_work/
diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
index 01e7d8c51a..fb68e47cbd 100755
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/setup.sh
@@ -10,25 +10,31 @@ set -o pipefail
 kubernetes_dir=$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")
 source "${kubernetes_dir}/../../common.bash"
 
+reset_workloads_work_dir() {
+    rm -rf ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads_work
+    cp -R ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads_work
+}
+
 set_runtime_class() {
-    sed -i -e "s|runtimeClassName: kata|runtimeClassName: kata-${KATA_HYPERVISOR}|" ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads/*.yaml
+    sed -i -e "s|runtimeClassName: kata|runtimeClassName: kata-${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"
-        find ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads/*.yaml -exec yq write -i {} 'metadata.annotations[io.katacontainers.config.hypervisor.kernel]' "${mariner_kernel_path}" \;
+        find ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads_work/*.yaml -exec yq write -i {} 'metadata.annotations[io.katacontainers.config.hypervisor.kernel]' "${mariner_kernel_path}" \;
     fi
 }
 
 set_initrd_path() {
     if [[ "${KATA_HOST_OS}" = "cbl-mariner" ]]; then
         initrd_path="/opt/kata/share/kata-containers/kata-containers-initrd-mariner.img"
-        find ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads/*.yaml -exec yq write -i {} 'metadata.annotations[io.katacontainers.config.hypervisor.initrd]' "${initrd_path}" \;
+        find ${kubernetes_dir}/runtimeclass_workloads_work/*.yaml -exec yq write -i {} 'metadata.annotations[io.katacontainers.config.hypervisor.initrd]' "${initrd_path}" \;
     fi
 }
 
 main() {
+    reset_workloads_work_dir
     set_runtime_class
     set_kernel_path
     set_initrd_path
diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh
index 481cf4a570..bcf686241c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/tests_common.sh
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ dragonball_limitations="https://github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/issue
 export KUBECONFIG="${KUBECONFIG:-$HOME/.kube/config}"
 
 get_pod_config_dir() {
-	pod_config_dir="${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/runtimeclass_workloads"
+	pod_config_dir="${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/runtimeclass_workloads_work"
 	info "k8s configured to use runtimeclass"
 }