diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 80cc37999..1bfa75359 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -517,6 +517,7 @@ def minio_pod(
         label=pod_labels,
         annotations=request.param.get("annotations"),
     ) as minio_pod:
+        minio_pod.wait_for_status(status=Pod.Status.RUNNING)
         yield minio_pod
 
 
diff --git a/tests/model_registry/async_job/test_async_upload_e2e.py b/tests/model_registry/async_job/test_async_upload_e2e.py
index 073c54fba..3c98a2185 100644
--- a/tests/model_registry/async_job/test_async_upload_e2e.py
+++ b/tests/model_registry/async_job/test_async_upload_e2e.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     "minio_pod, oci_registry_pod_with_minio",
     [
         pytest.param(
-            MinIo.PodConfig.MODEL_MESH_MINIO_CONFIG,
+            MinIo.PodConfig.MODEL_REGISTRY_MINIO_CONFIG,
             OCIRegistry.PodConfig.REGISTRY_BASE_CONFIG,
         )
     ],
diff --git a/utilities/constants.py b/utilities/constants.py
index 30e574102..f3d0d1abd 100644
--- a/utilities/constants.py
+++ b/utilities/constants.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ class Metadata:
         DEFAULT_HTTP_ADDRESS: str = "0.0.0.0"
 
     class PodConfig:
-        REGISTRY_IMAGE: str = "ghcr.io/project-zot/zot-linux-amd64:v2.1.7"
+        REGISTRY_IMAGE: str = "ghcr.io/project-zot/zot:v2.1.8"
         REGISTRY_BASE_CONFIG: dict[str, Any] = {
             "args": None,
             "labels": {
@@ -291,9 +291,7 @@ class PodConfig:
             "quay.io/jooholee/model-minio@sha256:b9554be19a223830cf792d5de984ccc57fc140b954949f5ffc6560fab977ca7a"
             # noqa: E501
         )
-
-        MINIO_BASE_CONFIG: dict[str, Any] = {
-            "args": ["server", "/data1"],
+        MINIO_BASE_LABELS_ANNOTATIONS: dict[str, Any] = {
             "labels": {
                 "maistra.io/expose-route": "true",
             },
@@ -302,6 +300,11 @@ class PodConfig:
             },
         }
 
+        MINIO_BASE_CONFIG: dict[str, Any] = {
+            "args": ["server", "/data1"],
+            **MINIO_BASE_LABELS_ANNOTATIONS,
+        }
+
         MODEL_MESH_MINIO_CONFIG: dict[str, Any] = {
             "image": "quay.io/trustyai_testing/modelmesh-minio-examples@"
             "sha256:d2ccbe92abf9aa5085b594b2cae6c65de2bf06306c30ff5207956eb949bb49da",
@@ -328,6 +331,12 @@ class PodConfig:
             **MINIO_BASE_CONFIG,
         }
 
+        MODEL_REGISTRY_MINIO_CONFIG: dict[str, Any] = {
+            "image": "quay.io/minio/minio@sha256:14cea493d9a34af32f524e538b8346cf79f3321eff8e708c1e2960462bd8936e",
+            "args": ["server", "/data"],
+            **MINIO_BASE_LABELS_ANNOTATIONS,
+        }
+
     class RunTimeConfig:
         # TODO: Remove runtime_image once ovms/loan_model_alpha model works with latest ovms
         IMAGE = "quay.io/opendatahub/openvino_model_server@sha256:564664371d3a21b9e732a5c1b4b40bacad714a5144c0a9aaf675baec4a04b148"  # noqa: E501