diff --git a/internal/descriptor/provider/provider.go b/internal/descriptor/provider/provider.go
index 138d10d3db..4d36bd06fb 100644
--- a/internal/descriptor/provider/provider.go
+++ b/internal/descriptor/provider/provider.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	ErrTypeAssert    = errors.New("failed to convert to v1beta2.Descriptor")
 	ErrDecode        = errors.New("failed to decode to descriptor target")
+	ErrEncode        = errors.New("failed to encode the descriptor")
 	ErrTemplateNil   = errors.New("module template is nil")
 	ErrDescriptorNil = errors.New("module template contains nil descriptor")
 )
@@ -70,6 +71,20 @@ func (c *CachedDescriptorProvider) GetDescriptor(template *v1beta2.ModuleTemplat
 	return descriptor, nil
 }
 
+func (c *CachedDescriptorProvider) SetDescriptor(template *v1beta2.ModuleTemplate, descriptor *v1beta2.Descriptor,
+) error {
+	if template == nil {
+		return ErrTemplateNil
+	}
+	template.Spec.Descriptor.Object = descriptor
+	encoded, err := compdesc.Encode(descriptor.ComponentDescriptor, compdesc.DefaultJSONCodec)
+	template.Spec.Descriptor.Raw = encoded
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Join(ErrEncode, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *CachedDescriptorProvider) Add(template *v1beta2.ModuleTemplate) error {
 	if template == nil {
 		return ErrTemplateNil
diff --git a/pkg/testutils/moduletemplate.go b/pkg/testutils/moduletemplate.go
index 91f82fea18..1425a44bf0 100644
--- a/pkg/testutils/moduletemplate.go
+++ b/pkg/testutils/moduletemplate.go
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ func GetModuleTemplate(ctx context.Context,
 	return templateInfo.ModuleTemplate, nil
 }
 
+func UpdateModuleTemplate(ctx context.Context,
+	clnt client.Client,
+	moduleTemplate *v1beta2.ModuleTemplate,
+) error {
+	if err := clnt.Update(ctx, moduleTemplate); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("update module tempate: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func ModuleTemplateExists(ctx context.Context,
 	clnt client.Client,
 	module v1beta2.Module,
@@ -65,8 +75,8 @@ func UpdateModuleTemplateSpec(ctx context.Context,
 		return ErrManifestResourceIsNil
 	}
 	moduleTemplate.Spec.Data.Object["spec"] = map[string]any{key: newValue}
-	if err := clnt.Update(ctx, moduleTemplate); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("update module tempate: %w", err)
+	if err := UpdateModuleTemplate(ctx, clnt, moduleTemplate); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -102,3 +112,18 @@ func ReadModuleVersionFromModuleTemplate(ctx context.Context, clnt client.Client
 
 	return ocmDesc.Version, nil
 }
+
+func ModifyModuleTemplateVersion(moduleTemplate *v1beta2.ModuleTemplate, newVersion string) error {
+	descriptorProvider := provider.NewCachedDescriptorProvider(nil)
+	ocmDesc, err := descriptorProvider.GetDescriptor(moduleTemplate)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get descriptor: %w", err)
+	}
+	ocmDesc.Version = newVersion
+	err = descriptorProvider.SetDescriptor(moduleTemplate, ocmDesc)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set descriptor: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/controller/kyma/kyma_test.go b/tests/integration/controller/kyma/kyma_test.go
index 3e9b01f66b..7fc9bb6cf9 100644
--- a/tests/integration/controller/kyma/kyma_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/controller/kyma/kyma_test.go
@@ -514,9 +514,33 @@ func updateKCPModuleTemplateSpecData(kymaName, valueUpdated string) func() error
 			return err
 		}
 		for _, activeModule := range createdKyma.Spec.Modules {
-			return UpdateModuleTemplateSpec(ctx, kcpClient,
+			err := UpdateModuleTemplateSpec(ctx, kcpClient,
 				activeModule, InitSpecKey, valueUpdated, createdKyma.Spec.Channel)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			err = changeKCPModuleTemplateVersion(ctx, activeModule, createdKyma.Spec.Channel, "v1.7.2") // required to allow SSA for manifest
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+func changeKCPModuleTemplateVersion(ctx context.Context,
+	module v1beta2.Module, channel, version string,
+) error {
+	moduleTemplate, err := GetModuleTemplate(ctx, kcpClient, module, channel)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	err = ModifyModuleTemplateVersion(moduleTemplate, version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := UpdateModuleTemplate(ctx, kcpClient, moduleTemplate); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration/controller/kyma/manifest_test.go b/tests/integration/controller/kyma/manifest_test.go
index 82a7048e4f..c30471a323 100644
--- a/tests/integration/controller/kyma/manifest_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/controller/kyma/manifest_test.go
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Update Manifest CR", Ordered, func() {
 					Fail("Can't find \"baseUrl\" property in ModuleTemplate spec")
 				}
 				repositoryContext["baseUrl"] = updateRepositoryURL
+				descriptor.Version = "v1.7.3" // required to allow for SSA of manifest
 
 				newDescriptorRaw, err := compdesc.Encode(descriptor.ComponentDescriptor, compdesc.DefaultJSONCodec)
 				Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())