diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 6c79d60a76..88cf78a1f9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -238,6 +238,43 @@ jobs:
           version: ${{ needs.process-inputs.outputs.NEXT_PATCH_PRE_WITHOUT_V }}
           commit: true
 
+  test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: read
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4.1.1
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/setup_nix
+        with:
+          githubToken: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          cachixToken: ${{ secrets.CACHIX_AUTH_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Log in to ghcr.io Container registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@e92390c5fb421da1463c202d546fed0ec5c39f20 # v3.1.0
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Login to Azure
+        uses: azure/login@6b2456866fc08b011acb422a92a4aa20e2c4de32 # v2.1.0
+        with:
+          creds: ${{ secrets.CONTRAST_CI_INFRA_AZURE }}
+      - uses: nicknovitski/nix-develop@a2060d116a50b36dfab02280af558e73ab52427d # v1.1.0
+      - name: Create justfile.env
+        run: |
+          cat <<EOF > justfile.env
+          container_registry=${{ env.container_registry }}
+          azure_resource_group=${{ env.azure_resource_group }}
+          EOF
+      - name: Get credentials for CI cluster
+        run: |
+          just get-credentials
+      - name: E2E Test
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          nix shell .#contrast.e2e --command release.test -test.v --tag ${{ inputs.version }}
+
   create-github-stuff:
     name: Create backport label and milestone
     if: ${{ inputs.kind == 'minor' }}
diff --git a/e2e/release/release_test.go b/e2e/release/release_test.go
index e643654b86..f5d97bc31b 100644
--- a/e2e/release/release_test.go
+++ b/e2e/release/release_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func TestRelease(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(err)
 
 		for _, r := range resources {
-			require.NoError(k.PatchNamespace(*namespace, r))
+			r.SetNamespace(*namespace)
 		}
 
 		require.NoError(k.Apply(ctx, resources...))
@@ -118,13 +118,12 @@ func TestRelease(t *testing.T) {
 		for _, info := range infos {
 			name := path.Join(path.Join(dir, "deployment"), info.Name())
 			yaml, err := os.ReadFile(name)
-			resources, err := kubeapi.UnmarshalUnstructuredK8SResource(yaml)
+			require.NoError(err)
+			resources, err := kubeapi.UnmarshalK8SResources(yaml)
 			require.NoError(err)
 
-			for _, r := range resources {
-				require.NoError(k.PatchNamespace(*namespace, r))
-			}
-			newYAML, err := kuberesource.EncodeUnstructured(resources)
+			resources = kuberesource.PatchNamespaces(resources, *namespace)
+			newYAML, err := kuberesource.EncodeResources(resources...)
 			require.NoError(err)
 			require.NoError(os.WriteFile(name, newYAML, 0o644))