diff --git a/pkg/builder/image.go b/pkg/builder/image.go
index 8523262187..617795e393 100644
--- a/pkg/builder/image.go
+++ b/pkg/builder/image.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/apache/camel-k/v2/pkg/util/io"
 	"github.com/apache/camel-k/v2/pkg/util/log"
@@ -230,16 +231,30 @@ func findBestImage(images []v1.IntegrationKitStatus, artifacts []v1.Artifact) (v
 		return bestImage, nil
 	}
 
+	log.Infof("Required Artifacts")
 	requiredLibs := make(map[string]string, len(artifacts))
 	for _, entry := range artifacts {
+		log.Infof("%s - %s", entry.ID, entry.Checksum)
 		requiredLibs[entry.ID] = entry.Checksum
 	}
 
 	bestImageCommonLibs := make(map[string]bool)
 
 	for _, image := range images {
+		nonLibArtifacts := 0
 		common := make(map[string]bool)
+		log.Infof("Image Artifacts")
+
 		for _, artifact := range image.Artifacts {
+			log.Infof("%s - %s", artifact.ID, artifact.Checksum)
+
+			// the application artifacts should not be considered as dependencies for image reuse
+			// otherwise, checksums would never match and we would always use the root image
+			if !strings.HasPrefix(artifact.Target, "dependencies/lib") {
+				nonLibArtifacts++
+				continue
+			}
+
 			// If the Artifact's checksum is not defined we can't reliably determine if for some
 			// reason the artifact has been changed but not the ID (as example for snapshots or
 			// other generated jar) thus we do not take this artifact into account.
@@ -252,7 +267,7 @@ func findBestImage(images []v1.IntegrationKitStatus, artifacts []v1.Artifact) (v
 		}
 
 		numCommonLibs := len(common)
-		surplus := len(image.Artifacts) - numCommonLibs
+		surplus := len(image.Artifacts) - numCommonLibs - nonLibArtifacts
 
 		if surplus > 0 {
 			// the base image cannot have extra libs that we don't need
diff --git a/pkg/builder/image_test.go b/pkg/builder/image_test.go
index 7fcfa7eb90..0014c48dc6 100644
--- a/pkg/builder/image_test.go
+++ b/pkg/builder/image_test.go
@@ -99,14 +99,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Checksum: "1",
 			ID:       "artifact-1",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 		},
 		{
 			Checksum: "2",
 			ID:       "artifact-2",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 		},
 		{
 			Checksum: "3",
 			ID:       "artifact-3",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 		},
 	}
 	iks := []v1.IntegrationKitStatus{
@@ -116,10 +119,12 @@ func TestFindBestImageExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "3",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -129,14 +134,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "3",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -146,18 +154,22 @@ func TestFindBestImageExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "3",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "4",
 					ID:       "artifact-4",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-4.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -167,14 +179,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "4",
 					ID:       "artifact-4",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-4.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		}}
@@ -196,14 +211,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Checksum: "1",
 			ID:       "artifact-1",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 		},
 		{
 			Checksum: "2",
 			ID:       "artifact-2",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 		},
 		{
 			Checksum: "3",
 			ID:       "artifact-3",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 		},
 	}
 	iks := []v1.IntegrationKitStatus{
@@ -213,6 +231,7 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -222,10 +241,12 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "3",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -235,18 +256,22 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "3",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "4",
 					ID:       "artifact-4",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-4.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -256,14 +281,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "4",
 					ID:       "artifact-4",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-4.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		}}
@@ -284,14 +312,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatchBadChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			Checksum: "1",
 			ID:       "artifact-1",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 		},
 		{
 			Checksum: "2",
 			ID:       "artifact-2",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 		},
 		{
 			Checksum: "3",
 			ID:       "artifact-3",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 		},
 	}
 	iks := []v1.IntegrationKitStatus{
@@ -301,6 +332,7 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatchBadChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -310,10 +342,12 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatchBadChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "bad-checksum",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -323,18 +357,22 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatchBadChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "3",
 					ID:       "artifact-3",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-3.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "4",
 					ID:       "artifact-4",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-4.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -344,14 +382,17 @@ func TestFindBestImageNoExactMatchBadChecksum(t *testing.T) {
 				{
 					Checksum: "1",
 					ID:       "artifact-1",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-1.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "2",
 					ID:       "artifact-2",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-2.jar",
 				},
 				{
 					Checksum: "4",
 					ID:       "artifact-4",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/main/artifact-4.jar",
 				},
 			},
 		}}
@@ -455,3 +496,49 @@ func TestFindBestImageAllImagesWithSurplus(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "", bestImage.Image)
 	assert.Empty(t, commonLibs)
 }
+
+func TestFindBestImageShouldIgnoreIntegrationArfifact(t *testing.T) {
+	requiredArtifacts := []v1.Artifact{
+		{
+			Checksum: "sha1:eMo2eeyP9wfBixeIXvWJRneAxIY=",
+			ID:       "io.github.crac.org-crac-0.1.3.jar",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/boot/io.github.crac.org-crac-0.1.3.jar",
+		},
+		{
+			Checksum: "sha1:bOYm5KjEIJKipCZTSMpiGReLm80=",
+			ID:       "io.quarkus.quarkus-development-mode-spi-3.8.3.jar",
+			Target:   "dependencies/lib/boot/io.quarkus.quarkus-development-mode-spi-3.8.3.jar",
+		},
+	}
+	iks := []v1.IntegrationKitStatus{
+		{
+			// the integration jar file should not be taken into account, so this should be a good match
+			Artifacts: []v1.Artifact{
+				{
+					Checksum: "sha1:Nca4e5f6WohYvjBCigLINWbigAo=",
+					ID:       "camel-k-integration-2.5.0-SNAPSHOT.jar",
+					Target:   "dependencies/app/camel-k-integration-2.5.0-SNAPSHOT.jar",
+				},
+				{
+					Checksum: "sha1:eMo2eeyP9wfBixeIXvWJRneAxIY=",
+					ID:       "io.github.crac.org-crac-0.1.3.jar",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/boot/io.github.crac.org-crac-0.1.3.jar",
+				},
+				{
+					Checksum: "sha1:bOYm5KjEIJKipCZTSMpiGReLm80=",
+					ID:       "io.quarkus.quarkus-development-mode-spi-3.8.3.jar",
+					Target:   "dependencies/lib/boot/io.quarkus.quarkus-development-mode-spi-3.8.3.jar",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	bestImage, commonLibs := findBestImage(iks, requiredArtifacts)
+
+	assert.NotNil(t, bestImage)
+	assert.Equal(t, iks[0], bestImage)
+	assert.NotNil(t, commonLibs)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(commonLibs))
+	assert.True(t, commonLibs["io.github.crac.org-crac-0.1.3.jar"])
+	assert.True(t, commonLibs["io.quarkus.quarkus-development-mode-spi-3.8.3.jar"])
+}