diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3c6aaf57..6282edd6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -201,11 +201,15 @@ test-integration:
 		$(MAKE) test-integration-local
 
 
+# Helper target to set up SKOPEO_BINARY variable for local test targets
+.eval-skopeo-binary: $(if $(SKOPEO_BINARY),,bin/skopeo)
+	$(eval SKOPEO_BINARY := $(or $(SKOPEO_BINARY),./bin/skopeo))
+	@echo "Testing with $(SKOPEO_BINARY) ..."
+
 # Primarily intended for CI.
-test-integration-local: bin/skopeo
+test-integration-local: .eval-skopeo-binary
 	hack/warn-destructive-tests.sh
-	$(MAKE) PREFIX=/usr install
-	cd ./integration && $(GO) test $(SKOPEO_LDFLAGS) $(TESTFLAGS) $(if $(BUILDTAGS),-tags "$(BUILDTAGS)")
+	cd ./integration && SKOPEO_BINARY="$(abspath $(SKOPEO_BINARY))" $(GO) test $(SKOPEO_LDFLAGS) $(TESTFLAGS) $(if $(BUILDTAGS),-tags "$(BUILDTAGS)")
 
 # complicated set of options needed to run podman-in-podman
 test-system:
@@ -220,9 +224,8 @@ test-system:
 	exit $$rc
 
 # Primarily intended for CI.
-test-system-local: $(if $(SKOPEO_BINARY),,bin/skopeo)
+test-system-local: .eval-skopeo-binary
 	hack/warn-destructive-tests.sh
-	@echo "Testing with $(or $(SKOPEO_BINARY),$(eval SKOPEO_BINARY := "bin/skopeo")$(SKOPEO_BINARY)) ..."
 	bats --tap systemtest
 
 test-unit:
diff --git a/integration/check_test.go b/integration/check_test.go
index 01b53036..07b8382b 100644
--- a/integration/check_test.go
+++ b/integration/check_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (s *skopeoSuite) TearDownSuite() {
 
 func (s *skopeoSuite) TestVersion() {
 	t := s.T()
-	assertSkopeoSucceeds(t, fmt.Sprintf(".*%s version %s.*", skopeoBinary, version.Version),
+	assertSkopeoSucceeds(t, fmt.Sprintf(".*skopeo version %s.*", version.Version),
 		"--version")
 }
 
diff --git a/integration/proxy_test.go b/integration/proxy_test.go
index 4a91b252..849968b2 100644
--- a/integration/proxy_test.go
+++ b/integration/proxy_test.go
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ func newProxy() (*proxy, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Note ExtraFiles starts at 3
-	proc := exec.Command("skopeo", "experimental-image-proxy", "--sockfd", "3")
+	proc := exec.Command(skopeoBinary, "experimental-image-proxy", "--sockfd", "3")
 	proc.Stderr = os.Stderr
 	cmdLifecycleToParentIfPossible(proc)
 	proc.ExtraFiles = append(proc.ExtraFiles, theirfd)
diff --git a/integration/utils_test.go b/integration/utils_test.go
index 4bfbf721..554b51ba 100644
--- a/integration/utils_test.go
+++ b/integration/utils_test.go
@@ -20,7 +20,14 @@ import (
 	"go.podman.io/image/v5/manifest"
 )
 
-const skopeoBinary = "skopeo"
+// FIXME: Move to SetupSuite
+// https://github.com/containers/skopeo/pull/2703#discussion_r2331374730
+var skopeoBinary = func() string {
+	if binary := os.Getenv("SKOPEO_BINARY"); binary != "" {
+		return binary
+	}
+	return "skopeo"
+}()
 
 const testFQIN = "docker://quay.io/libpod/busybox" // tag left off on purpose, some tests need to add a special one
 const testFQIN64 = "docker://quay.io/libpod/busybox:amd64"