diff --git a/internal/install/application_configuration.go b/internal/install/application_configuration.go
index 4f852e515..8f8366e0c 100644
--- a/internal/install/application_configuration.go
+++ b/internal/install/application_configuration.go
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ const (
 	// like 8.16.0-21bba6f5-SNAPSHOT
 	stackVersion8160 = "8.16.0-00000000-SNAPSHOT"
 
-	elasticAgentImageName               = "docker.elastic.co/beats/elastic-agent"
+	elasticAgentLegacyImageName         = "docker.elastic.co/beats/elastic-agent"
+	elasticAgentImageName               = "docker.elastic.co/elastic-agent/elastic-agent"
 	elasticAgentCompleteLegacyImageName = "docker.elastic.co/beats/elastic-agent-complete"
 	elasticAgentCompleteImageName       = "docker.elastic.co/elastic-agent/elastic-agent-complete"
 	elasticAgentWolfiImageName          = "docker.elastic.co/elastic-agent/elastic-agent-wolfi"
@@ -152,13 +153,13 @@ func (ac *ApplicationConfiguration) SetCurrentProfile(name string) {
 // This is mandatory as "elastic-agent-complete" is available since 7.15.0-SNAPSHOT.
 func selectElasticAgentImageName(version, agentBaseImage string) string {
 	if version == "" { // as version is optional and can be empty
-		return elasticAgentImageName
+		return elasticAgentLegacyImageName
 	}
 
 	v, err := semver.NewVersion(version)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Errorf("stack version not in semver format (value: %s): %v", v, err)
-		return elasticAgentImageName
+		return elasticAgentLegacyImageName
 	}
 
 	disableWolfiImages := true
@@ -167,15 +168,36 @@ func selectElasticAgentImageName(version, agentBaseImage string) string {
 		disableWolfiImages = false
 	}
 	switch {
-	case !disableWolfiImages && !v.LessThan(elasticAgentWolfiVersion) && agentBaseImage != "complete":
-		return elasticAgentWolfiImageName
-	case !v.LessThan(elasticAgentCompleteOwnNamespaceVersion):
+	case agentBaseImage == "complete":
+		return selectElasticAgentCompleteImageName(v)
+	case agentBaseImage == "systemd":
+		return selectElasticAgentSystemDImageName(v)
+	default:
+		switch {
+		case !disableWolfiImages && !v.LessThan(elasticAgentWolfiVersion):
+			return elasticAgentWolfiImageName
+		default:
+			return selectElasticAgentCompleteImageName(v)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func selectElasticAgentCompleteImageName(version *semver.Version) string {
+	switch {
+	case !version.LessThan(elasticAgentCompleteOwnNamespaceVersion):
 		return elasticAgentCompleteImageName
-	case !v.LessThan(elasticAgentCompleteFirstSupportedVersion):
+	case !version.LessThan(elasticAgentCompleteFirstSupportedVersion):
 		return elasticAgentCompleteLegacyImageName
 	default:
+		return elasticAgentLegacyImageName
+	}
+}
+
+func selectElasticAgentSystemDImageName(version *semver.Version) string {
+	if !version.LessThan(elasticAgentCompleteOwnNamespaceVersion) {
 		return elasticAgentImageName
 	}
+	return elasticAgentLegacyImageName
 }
 
 type configurationOptions struct {
diff --git a/internal/install/application_configuration_test.go b/internal/install/application_configuration_test.go
index d85830f86..3350a8005 100644
--- a/internal/install/application_configuration_test.go
+++ b/internal/install/application_configuration_test.go
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ import (
 func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_NoVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	var version string
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "")
-	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentImageName)
+	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentLegacyImageName)
 }
 
 func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_OlderStack(t *testing.T) {
 	version := "7.14.99-SNAPSHOT"
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "")
-	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentImageName)
+	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentLegacyImageName)
 }
 
 func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_FirstStackWithCompleteAgent(t *testing.T) {
@@ -53,31 +53,49 @@ func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_NextStackInOwnNamespace(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_DefaultImage816(t *testing.T) {
-	version := "8.16.0-SNAPSHOT"
+	version := stackVersion8160
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "")
 	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentCompleteImageName)
 }
 
 func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_DisableWolfiImageEnvVar(t *testing.T) {
-	version := "8.16.0-SNAPSHOT"
+	version := stackVersion8160
 	t.Setenv(disableElasticAgentWolfiEnvVar, "true")
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "")
 	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentCompleteImageName)
 }
 func TestSelectElasticAgentImageName_EnableWolfiImageEnvVar(t *testing.T) {
-	version := "8.16.0-SNAPSHOT"
+	version := stackVersion8160
 	t.Setenv(disableElasticAgentWolfiEnvVar, "false")
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "")
 	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentWolfiImageName)
 }
 
 func TestSelectCompleteElasticAgentImageName_ForceCompleteImage(t *testing.T) {
-	version := "8.16.0-SNAPSHOT"
+	version := stackVersion8160
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "complete")
 	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentCompleteImageName)
 }
 func TestSelectCompleteElasticAgentImageName_ForceDefaultImage(t *testing.T) {
-	version := "8.16.0-SNAPSHOT"
+	version := stackVersion8160
+	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "default")
+	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentCompleteImageName)
+}
+
+func TestSelectCompleteElasticAgentImageName_ForceDefaultImageOldStack(t *testing.T) {
+	version := "8.15.0-SNAPSHOT"
 	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "default")
 	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentCompleteImageName)
 }
+
+func TestSelectCompleteElasticAgentImageName_ForceSystemDImage(t *testing.T) {
+	version := stackVersion8160
+	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "systemd")
+	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentImageName)
+}
+
+func TestSelectCompleteElasticAgentImageName_ForceSystemDImageOldStack(t *testing.T) {
+	version := stackVersion715
+	selected := selectElasticAgentImageName(version, "systemd")
+	assert.Equal(t, selected, elasticAgentLegacyImageName)
+}
diff --git a/internal/testrunner/runners/system/tester.go b/internal/testrunner/runners/system/tester.go
index 8ae04ed3d..6bae63935 100644
--- a/internal/testrunner/runners/system/tester.go
+++ b/internal/testrunner/runners/system/tester.go
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ func (r *tester) createAgentInfo(policy *kibana.Policy, config *testConfig, runI
 	}
 
 	// This could be removed once package-spec adds this new field
-	if !slices.Contains([]string{"", "default", "complete"}, info.Agent.BaseImage) {
+	if !slices.Contains([]string{"", "default", "complete", "systemd"}, info.Agent.BaseImage) {
 		return agentdeployer.AgentInfo{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid value for agent.base_image: %q", info.Agent.BaseImage)
 	}