diff --git a/test/k8s-integration/driver.go b/test/k8s-integration/driver.go
index 0481e8ad6..4b9032348 100644
--- a/test/k8s-integration/driver.go
+++ b/test/k8s-integration/driver.go
@@ -27,19 +27,17 @@ func installDriver(testParams *testParameters, stagingImage, deployOverlayName s
 
 		// Edit ci kustomization to use given image tag
 		overlayDir := getOverlayDir(testParams.pkgDir, deployOverlayName)
-		err = os.Chdir(overlayDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to change to overlay directory: %s, err: %v", out, err.Error())
-		}
 
 		// TODO (#138): in a local environment this is going to modify the actual kustomize files.
 		// maybe a copy should be made instead
-		out, err = exec.Command(
+		kustomizeCommand := exec.Command(
 			filepath.Join(testParams.pkgDir, "bin", "kustomize"),
 			"edit",
 			"set",
 			"image",
-			fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s:%s", pdImagePlaceholder, stagingImage, testParams.stagingVersion)).CombinedOutput()
+			fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s:%s", pdImagePlaceholder, stagingImage, testParams.stagingVersion))
+		kustomizeCommand.Dir = overlayDir
+		out, err = kustomizeCommand.CombinedOutput()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to edit kustomize: %s, err: %v", out, err.Error())
 		}
diff --git a/test/k8s-integration/main.go b/test/k8s-integration/main.go
index 811f23ad6..9edb0ef52 100644
--- a/test/k8s-integration/main.go
+++ b/test/k8s-integration/main.go
@@ -867,16 +867,11 @@ func runTestsWithConfig(testParams *testParameters, testConfigArg, reportPrefix
 			// path sent to kubetest2 through its --artifacts path
 
 			// pkg/_artifacts is the default value that kubetests uses for --artifacts
-			kubernetesTestBinariesPath := filepath.Join(testParams.pkgDir, "_artifacts")
-			if kubetestDumpDir != "" {
-				// a custom artifacts dir was set
-				kubernetesTestBinariesPath = kubetestDumpDir
-			}
+			kubernetesTestBinariesPath := filepath.Join(testParams.pkgDir, "_rundir")
 			kubernetesTestBinariesPath = filepath.Join(kubernetesTestBinariesPath, runID)
 
 			klog.Infof("Copying kubernetes binaries to path=%s to run the tests", kubernetesTestBinariesPath)
-			err := copyKubernetesTestBinaries(testParams.k8sSourceDir, kubernetesTestBinariesPath)
-			if err != nil {
+			if err := copyKubernetesTestBinaries(testParams.k8sSourceDir, kubernetesTestBinariesPath); err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to copy the kubernetes test binaries, err=%v", err.Error())
 			}
 			kubeTest2Args = append(kubeTest2Args, "--use-built-binaries")