diff --git a/pkg/controllers/gitserver/image_test.go b/pkg/controllers/gitserver/image_test.go
index 9efcbd21..7a77d2b4 100644
--- a/pkg/controllers/gitserver/image_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controllers/gitserver/image_test.go
@@ -3,8 +3,16 @@ package gitserver
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/cnoe-io/idpbuilder/pkg/kind"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
+	"github.com/docker/go-connections/nat"
+	"io"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cnoe-io/idpbuilder/api/v1alpha1"
 	"github.com/cnoe-io/idpbuilder/pkg/apps"
@@ -39,23 +47,74 @@ func TestReconcileGitServerImage(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	_, err = r.reconcileGitServerImage(ctx, controllerruntime.Request{}, &resource)
+	dockerClient, err := docker.GetDockerClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Getting docker client: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer dockerClient.Close()
+	reader, err := dockerClient.ImagePull(ctx, "docker.io/library/registry:2", types.ImagePullOptions{})
+	defer reader.Close()
+	// blocks until pull is completed
+	io.Copy(os.Stdout, reader)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("reconcile error: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed pulilng registry image: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if !strings.HasPrefix(resource.Status.ImageID, "sha256") {
-		t.Errorf("Invalid or no Image ID in status: %q", resource.Status.ImageID)
+	waitTimeout := time.Second * 90
+	waitInterval := time.Second * 3
+	// very crude. no guarantee that the port will be available by the time request is sent to docker
+	endTime := time.Now().Add(waitTimeout)
+	for {
+		if time.Now().After(endTime) {
+			t.Fatalf("Timed out waiting for port %d to be available", kind.ExposedRegistryPort)
+		}
+		conn, cErr := net.DialTimeout("tcp", net.JoinHostPort("0.0.0.0", strconv.Itoa(int(kind.ExposedRegistryPort))), time.Second*3)
+		if cErr != nil {
+			break
+		}
+		conn.Close()
+		time.Sleep(waitInterval)
 	}
 
-	dockerClient, err := docker.GetDockerClient()
+	resp, err := dockerClient.ContainerCreate(ctx, &container.Config{
+		Image: "docker.io/library/registry:2",
+		Tty:   false,
+		ExposedPorts: nat.PortSet{
+			nat.Port(fmt.Sprintf("%d/tcp", kind.InternalRegistryPort)): struct{}{},
+		},
+	}, &container.HostConfig{
+		PortBindings: nat.PortMap{
+			nat.Port(fmt.Sprintf("%d/tcp", kind.InternalRegistryPort)): []nat.PortBinding{
+				{
+					HostIP:   "0.0.0.0",
+					HostPort: fmt.Sprintf("%d", kind.ExposedRegistryPort),
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}, nil, nil, "testcase-registry")
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Getting docker client: %v", err)
+		t.Fatalf("failed creating registry container %v", err)
 	}
 
+	defer dockerClient.ContainerRemove(ctx, resp.ID, types.ContainerRemoveOptions{Force: true})
+
+	err = dockerClient.ContainerStart(ctx, resp.ID, types.ContainerStartOptions{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed starting container %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = r.reconcileGitServerImage(ctx, controllerruntime.Request{}, &resource)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reconcile error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(resource.Status.ImageID, "sha256") {
+		t.Fatalf("Invalid or no Image ID in status: %q", resource.Status.ImageID)
+	}
 	imageNameID := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", GetImageTag(&resource), resource.Status.ImageID)
 	_, err = dockerClient.ImageRemove(ctx, imageNameID, types.ImageRemoveOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Removing docker image: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
diff --git a/pkg/kind/registry_test.go b/pkg/kind/registry_test.go
index 06309b8b..084f8536 100644
--- a/pkg/kind/registry_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kind/registry_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package kind
 import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cnoe-io/idpbuilder/pkg/docker"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
@@ -19,6 +20,12 @@ func TestReconcileRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	defer dockerCli.Close()
 
+	kindNetwork, err := dockerCli.NetworkCreate(ctx, "kind", types.NetworkCreate{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed creaking kind network: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer dockerCli.NetworkRemove(ctx, kindNetwork.ID)
+
 	// Create cluster
 	cluster, err := NewCluster("testcase", "v1.26.3", "", "", "")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -26,9 +33,22 @@ func TestReconcileRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Create registry
-	err = cluster.ReconcileRegistry(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Error reconciling registry: %v", err)
+	defer dockerCli.ContainerRemove(ctx, cluster.getRegistryContainerName(), types.ContainerRemoveOptions{Force: true})
+	waitTimeout := time.Second * 90
+	waitInterval := time.Second * 3
+	endTime := time.Now().Add(waitTimeout)
+
+	for {
+		if time.Now().After(endTime) {
+			t.Fatalf("Timed out waiting for registry. recent error: %v", err)
+		}
+		err = cluster.ReconcileRegistry(ctx)
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+		t.Logf("Failed to reconcile: %v", err)
+		dockerCli.ContainerRemove(ctx, cluster.getRegistryContainerName(), types.ContainerRemoveOptions{Force: true})
+		time.Sleep(waitInterval)
 	}
 
 	// Get resulting container
@@ -36,6 +56,8 @@ func TestReconcileRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error getting registry container after reconcile: %v", err)
 	}
+	defer dockerCli.ImageRemove(ctx, container.ImageID, types.ImageRemoveOptions{})
+
 	if container == nil {
 		t.Fatal("Expected registry container after reconcile but got nil")
 	}
@@ -45,9 +67,5 @@ func TestReconcileRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Error reconciling registry: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	// Cleanup
-	if err = dockerCli.ContainerRemove(ctx, container.ID, types.ContainerRemoveOptions{Force: true}); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("Error removing registry docker container after reconcile: %v", err)
-	}
 }
+