diff --git a/config/default/kustomization.yaml b/config/default/kustomization.yaml
index 97b471d69..46923a916 100644
--- a/config/default/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/default/kustomization.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,3 @@ bases:
   - ../manager
   - ../server
   - ../server-rbac
-
-patchesStrategicMerge:
-  - manager_image.yaml
-  - server_image.yaml
diff --git a/config/default/manager_image.yaml b/config/default/manager_image.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index b250be9d1..000000000
--- a/config/default/manager_image.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-metadata:
-  name: controller-manager
-  namespace: system
-spec:
-  template:
-    spec:
-      containers:
-        # Change the value of image field below to your controller image URL
-        - image: tink-controller:latest
-          name: manager
diff --git a/config/default/server_image.yaml b/config/default/server_image.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 64d5dc626..000000000
--- a/config/default/server_image.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-metadata:
-  name: server
-  namespace: system
-spec:
-  template:
-    spec:
-      containers:
-        # Change the value of image field below to your controller image URL
-        - image: tink-server:latest
-          name: tink-server
diff --git a/kube.mk b/kube.mk
index 2ebd9b5a4..1d0070497 100644
--- a/kube.mk
+++ b/kube.mk
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 ## Generate
 ## --------------------------------------
 
-PHONY: generate
+.PHONY: generate
 generate: generate-go generate-manifests # Generate code, manifests etc.
 
 .PHONY: generate-go
@@ -40,25 +40,18 @@ generate-server-rbacs: bin/controller-gen
 		rbac:roleName=server-role
 	prettier --write ./config/server-rbac/
 
-REGISTRY ?= quay.io/tinkerbell
-TINK_SERVER_IMAGE_NAME ?= tink-server
-TINK_CONTROLLER_IMAGE_NAME ?= tink-controller
-TINK_SERVER_IMAGE_TAG ?= latest
-TINK_CONTROLLER_IMAGE_TAG ?= latest
-
-out/release/default/manager_image.yaml: config/default/manager_image.yaml out/release/default/kustomization.yaml
-out/release/default/manager_image.yaml: TAG=$(REGISTRY)/$(TINK_CONTROLLER_IMAGE_NAME):$(TINK_CONTROLLER_IMAGE_TAG)
-out/release/default/server_image.yaml: config/default/server_image.yaml out/release/default/kustomization.yaml
-out/release/default/server_image.yaml: TAG=$(REGISTRY)/$(TINK_SERVER_IMAGE_NAME):$(TINK_SERVER_IMAGE_TAG)
-out/release/default/manager_image.yaml out/release/default/server_image.yaml:
-	sed -e 's|image: .*|image: "$(TAG)"|' $^ >$@
+TINK_SERVER_IMAGE ?= quay.io/tinkerbell/tink-server
+TINK_CONTROLLER_IMAGE ?= quay.io/tinkerbell/tink-controller
+TINK_SERVER_TAG ?= latest
+TINK_CONTROLLER_TAG ?= latest
 
 out/release/default/kustomization.yaml: config/default/kustomization.yaml
 	rm -rf out/
 	mkdir -p out/
 	cp -a config/ out/release/
 
-out/release/tink.yaml: bin/kustomize generate-manifests out/release/default/manager_image.yaml out/release/default/manager_image.yaml
+out/release/tink.yaml: bin/kustomize generate-manifests out/release/default/kustomization.yaml
+	cd out/release/default && kustomize edit set image server=$(TINK_SERVER_IMAGE):$(TINK_CONTROLLER_TAG) controller=$(TINK_CONTROLLER_IMAGE):$(TINK_CONTROLLER_TAG)
 	kustomize build out/release/default -o $@
 	prettier --write $@