diff --git a/operator/Dockerfile b/operator/Dockerfile
index 579e7ab4453a0..7047d1a8ff689 100644
--- a/operator/Dockerfile
+++ b/operator/Dockerfile
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # We have to emulate directory layout as in the repo so that imports in go files work fine.
 ARG roxpath=/workspace/src/github.com/stackrox/rox
+ARG GO_VERSION
 
-FROM golang:1.17 as builder
+FROM golang:${GO_VERSION} as builder
 
 # Build the manager binary
 ARG roxpath
@@ -50,16 +51,13 @@ RUN GOOS=$(go env GOOS) scripts/go-build.sh operator
 # Copy the operator binary to a location from where it will be taken into the final image.
 RUN cp -a bin/$(go env GOOS)/operator stackrox-operator
 
-# https://access.redhat.com/containers/?tab=tags#/registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8-minimal
-FROM registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8-minimal:8.5
+FROM registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8-micro:8.5
 
 ARG roxpath
 
 ARG ROX_IMAGE_FLAVOR
 ENV ROX_IMAGE_FLAVOR=${ROX_IMAGE_FLAVOR}
 
-RUN microdnf update && microdnf clean all && rm -rf /var/cache/yum/*
-
 COPY --from=builder ${roxpath}/stackrox-operator /usr/local/bin/
 
 # The following are numeric uid and gid of `nobody` user in UBI.
diff --git a/operator/Makefile b/operator/Makefile
index 224ed5411c896..12edf39881b7d 100644
--- a/operator/Makefile
+++ b/operator/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 # dropped (e.g. 3.0.61.1 -> 3.61.1) and development version ".x" is changed to ".0" (e.g. 3.0.61.x-123 -> 3.0.61.0-123).
 VERSION ?= $(shell $(MAKE) --quiet --no-print-directory -C .. tag | sed -E 's@^(([[:digit:]]+\.)+)x(-)?@\10\3@g' | sed -E 's@^3.0.([[:digit:]]+\.[[:digit:]]+)(-)?@3.\1\2@g')
 
+GO_VERSION ?= $(shell cat ../EXPECTED_GO_VERSION | sed 's/go//')
+
+
 # CHANNELS define the bundle channels used in the bundle.
 # Add a new line here if you would like to change its default config. (E.g CHANNELS = "preview,fast,stable")
 # To re-generate a bundle for other specific channels without changing the standard setup, you can:
@@ -284,6 +287,7 @@ docker-build: test ## Build docker image with the operator.
 		"$${smuggled_status_sh}" ;\
 	)
 	DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 BUILDKIT_PROGRESS=plain docker build \
+		--build-arg "GO_VERSION=${GO_VERSION}" \
 		-t ${IMG} \
 		--ssh default=${SSH_AUTH_SOCK} \
 		--build-arg ROX_IMAGE_FLAVOR=$(ROX_IMAGE_FLAVOR) \