diff --git a/hack/deploy-operator-helm.sh b/hack/deploy-operator-helm.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..9a5e20a1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/deploy-operator-helm.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -xeo pipefail
+
+HOME="/root"
+here="$(dirname "$(readlink --canonicalize "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")"
+root="$(readlink --canonicalize "$here/..")"
+domain_name=lab
+
+source hack/env.sh
+
+export ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_ENABLED=true
+export ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_CERTIFICATES_CERT_MANAGER_ENABLED=true
+export OPERATOR_LEADER_ELECTION_ENABLE=true
+export SKIP_VAR_SET=""
+export NAMESPACE="sriov-network-operator"
+export OPERATOR_NAMESPACE="sriov-network-operator"
+export CNI_BIN_PATH=/opt/cni/bin
+export OPERATOR_EXEC=kubectl
+export CLUSTER_HAS_EMULATED_PF=TRUE
+
+HELM_MODE=${HELM_MODE:-install}
+
+HELM_VALUES_OPTS="\
+  --set images.operator=${SRIOV_NETWORK_OPERATOR_IMAGE} \
+  --set images.sriovConfigDaemon=${SRIOV_NETWORK_CONFIG_DAEMON_IMAGE} \
+  --set images.sriovCni=${SRIOV_CNI_IMAGE} \
+  --set images.sriovDevicePlugin=${SRIOV_DEVICE_PLUGIN_IMAGE} \
+  --set images.resourcesInjector=${NETWORK_RESOURCES_INJECTOR_IMAGE} \
+  --set images.webhook=${SRIOV_NETWORK_WEBHOOK_IMAGE} \
+  --set operator.admissionControllers.enabled=${ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_ENABLED} \
+  --set operator.admissionControllers.certificates.certManager.enabled=${ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_CERTIFICATES_CERT_MANAGER_ENABLED} \
+  --set sriovOperatorConfig.deploy=true"
+
+PATH=$PATH:${root}/bin
+make helm
+helm  ${HELM_MODE} -n ${NAMESPACE} --create-namespace \
+  $HELM_VALUES_OPTS \
+  --wait sriov-network-operator ./deployment/sriov-network-operator-chart
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hack/run-e2e-conformance-virtual-cluster.sh b/hack/run-e2e-conformance-virtual-cluster.sh
index 8dbf51593..fbbc63c98 100755
--- a/hack/run-e2e-conformance-virtual-cluster.sh
+++ b/hack/run-e2e-conformance-virtual-cluster.sh
@@ -364,36 +364,8 @@ do
     ATTEMPTS=$((ATTEMPTS+1))
 done
 
-
-source hack/env.sh
-
-export ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_ENABLED=true
-export ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_CERTIFICATES_CERT_MANAGER_ENABLED=true
-export SKIP_VAR_SET=""
-export NAMESPACE="sriov-network-operator"
-export OPERATOR_NAMESPACE="sriov-network-operator"
-export CNI_BIN_PATH=/opt/cni/bin
-export OPERATOR_EXEC=kubectl
-export CLUSTER_HAS_EMULATED_PF=TRUE
-
-
-HELM_VALUES_OPTS="\
-  --set images.operator=${SRIOV_NETWORK_OPERATOR_IMAGE} \
-  --set images.sriovConfigDaemon=${SRIOV_NETWORK_CONFIG_DAEMON_IMAGE} \
-  --set images.sriovCni=${SRIOV_CNI_IMAGE} \
-  --set images.sriovDevicePlugin=${SRIOV_DEVICE_PLUGIN_IMAGE} \
-  --set images.resourcesInjector=${NETWORK_RESOURCES_INJECTOR_IMAGE} \
-  --set images.webhook=${SRIOV_NETWORK_WEBHOOK_IMAGE} \
-  --set operator.admissionControllers.enabled=${ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_ENABLED} \
-  --set operator.admissionControllers.certificates.certManager.enabled=${ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_CERTIFICATES_CERT_MANAGER_ENABLED} \
-  --set sriovOperatorConfig.deploy=true"
-
-PATH=$PATH:${root}/bin
-make helm
-helm  install -n ${NAMESPACE} --create-namespace \
-  $HELM_VALUES_OPTS \
-  --wait sriov-network-operator ./deployment/sriov-network-operator-chart
-
+# Deploy the sriov operator via helm
+hack/deploy-operator-helm.sh
 
 echo "## create certificates for webhook"
 cat <<EOF | kubectl apply -f -
diff --git a/hack/virtual-cluster-redeploy.sh b/hack/virtual-cluster-redeploy.sh
index bb2976b91..a16aeeaf4 100755
--- a/hack/virtual-cluster-redeploy.sh
+++ b/hack/virtual-cluster-redeploy.sh
@@ -19,10 +19,14 @@ if [ $CLUSTER_TYPE == "openshift" ]; then
   echo ${auth} > registry-login.conf
 
   internal_registry="image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000"
-  pass=$( jq .\"$internal_registry\".password registry-login.conf )
+  pass=$( jq .\"image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000\".auth registry-login.conf  )
+  pass=`echo ${pass:1:-1} | base64 -d`
+
+  # dockercfg password is in the form `<token>:password`. We need to trim the `<token>:` prefix
+  pass=${pass#"<token>:"}
 
   registry="default-route-openshift-image-registry.apps.${cluster_name}.${domain_name}"
-  podman login -u serviceaccount -p ${pass:1:-1} $registry --tls-verify=false
+  podman login -u serviceaccount -p ${pass} $registry --tls-verify=false
 
   export SRIOV_NETWORK_OPERATOR_IMAGE="$registry/$NAMESPACE/sriov-network-operator:latest"
   export SRIOV_NETWORK_CONFIG_DAEMON_IMAGE="$registry/$NAMESPACE/sriov-network-config-daemon:latest"
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 export ADMISSION_CONTROLLERS_ENABLED=true
+export OPERATOR_LEADER_ELECTION_ENABLE=true
 export SKIP_VAR_SET=""
 export OPERATOR_NAMESPACE=$NAMESPACE
 export OPERATOR_EXEC=kubectl
@@ -67,9 +72,11 @@ if [ $CLUSTER_TYPE == "openshift" ]; then
   export SRIOV_NETWORK_OPERATOR_IMAGE="image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000/$NAMESPACE/sriov-network-operator:latest"
   export SRIOV_NETWORK_CONFIG_DAEMON_IMAGE="image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000/$NAMESPACE/sriov-network-config-daemon:latest"
   export SRIOV_NETWORK_WEBHOOK_IMAGE="image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000/$NAMESPACE/sriov-network-operator-webhook:latest"
+  echo "## deploying SRIOV Network Operator"
+  hack/deploy-setup.sh $NAMESPACE
+else
+  export HELM_MODE=upgrade
+  hack/deploy-operator-helm.sh
 fi
 
-echo "## deploying SRIOV Network Operator"
-hack/deploy-setup.sh $NAMESPACE
-
 kubectl -n ${NAMESPACE} delete po --all