diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 691e92ac21..02b6dda259 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: publish-kata-deploy-payload-amd64
     uses: ./.github/workflows/run-k8s-tests-on-aks.yaml
     with:
+      tarball-suffix: -${{ inputs.tag }}
       registry: ghcr.io
       repo: ${{ github.repository_owner }}/kata-deploy-ci
       tag: ${{ inputs.tag }}-amd64
diff --git a/.github/workflows/run-k8s-tests-on-aks.yaml b/.github/workflows/run-k8s-tests-on-aks.yaml
index aea0a02406..28a2cb950d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run-k8s-tests-on-aks.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run-k8s-tests-on-aks.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ name: CI | Run kubernetes tests on AKS
 on:
   workflow_call:
     inputs:
+      tarball-suffix:
+        required: false
+        type: string
       registry:
         required: true
         type: string
@@ -63,6 +66,15 @@ jobs:
         env:
           TARGET_BRANCH: ${{ inputs.target-branch }}
 
+      - name: get-kata-tarball
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: kata-static-tarball-amd64${{ inputs.tarball-suffix }}
+          path: kata-artifacts
+
+      - name: Install kata
+        run: bash tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh install-kata-tools kata-artifacts
+
       - name: Download Azure CLI
         run: bash tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh install-azure-cli
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh b/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh
index 3313fc43e1..717744aa5c 100755
--- a/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/kubernetes/gha-run.sh
@@ -236,6 +236,11 @@ function cleanup() {
 	kubectl delete -f "${tools_dir}/packaging/kata-deploy/kata-rbac/base/kata-rbac.yaml"
 }
 
+install_kata_tools_placeholder() {
+	echo "Kata tools will be installed (for the genpolicy app)"\
+		"after CI picks up the gha yaml changes required to test that installation."
+}
+
 function main() {
 	export KATA_HOST_OS="${KATA_HOST_OS:-}"
 	export K8S_TEST_HOST_TYPE="${K8S_TEST_HOST_TYPE:-}"
@@ -251,6 +256,7 @@ function main() {
 		setup-crio) setup_crio ;;
 		deploy-k8s) deploy_k8s ;;
 		install-bats) install_bats ;;
+		install-kata-tools) install_kata_tools_placeholder ;;
 		install-kubectl) install_kubectl ;;
 		get-cluster-credentials) get_cluster_credentials ;;
 		deploy-kata-aks) deploy_kata "aks" ;;