diff --git a/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.test.ts b/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.test.ts
index 26fb0eaf3..fa23c9791 100644
--- a/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.test.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.test.ts
@@ -25,4 +25,83 @@ describe('manifestUpdateUtils', () => {
          manifestUpdateUtils.moveFilesToTmpDir(originalFilePaths)
       expect(newFilePaths).toEqual(expected)
    })
+
+   describe('updateImagesInK8sObject', () => {
+      it('updates image in Deployment containers', () => {
+         const obj: any = {
+            kind: 'Deployment',
+            spec: {template: {spec: {containers: [{image: 'nginx:old'}]}}}
+         }
+         manifestUpdateUtils['updateImagesInK8sObject'](
+            obj,
+            'nginx',
+            'nginx:new'
+         )
+         expect(obj.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image).toBe('nginx:new')
+      })
+
+      it('updates image in CronJob containers', () => {
+         const obj: any = {
+            kind: 'CronJob',
+            spec: {
+               jobTemplate: {
+                  spec: {
+                     template: {
+                        spec: {containers: [{image: 'busybox:old'}]}
+                     }
+                  }
+               }
+            }
+         }
+         manifestUpdateUtils['updateImagesInK8sObject'](
+            obj,
+            'busybox',
+            'busybox:new'
+         )
+         expect(
+            obj.spec.jobTemplate.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image
+         ).toBe('busybox:new')
+      })
+
+      it('does not update image if name does not match', () => {
+         const obj: any = {
+            kind: 'Deployment',
+            spec: {template: {spec: {containers: [{image: 'nginx:old'}]}}}
+         }
+         manifestUpdateUtils['updateImagesInK8sObject'](
+            obj,
+            'redis',
+            'redis:new'
+         )
+         expect(obj.spec.template.spec.containers[0].image).toBe('nginx:old')
+      })
+
+      it('updates image in initContainers for Deployment', () => {
+         const obj: any = {
+            kind: 'Deployment',
+            spec: {template: {spec: {initContainers: [{image: 'init:old'}]}}}
+         }
+         manifestUpdateUtils['updateImagesInK8sObject'](obj, 'init', 'init:new')
+         expect(obj.spec.template.spec.initContainers[0].image).toBe('init:new')
+      })
+
+      it('updates image in initContainers for CronJob', () => {
+         const obj: any = {
+            kind: 'CronJob',
+            spec: {
+               jobTemplate: {
+                  spec: {
+                     template: {
+                        spec: {initContainers: [{image: 'init:old'}]}
+                     }
+                  }
+               }
+            }
+         }
+         manifestUpdateUtils['updateImagesInK8sObject'](obj, 'init', 'init:new')
+         expect(
+            obj.spec.jobTemplate.spec.template.spec.initContainers[0].image
+         ).toBe('init:new')
+      })
+   })
 })
diff --git a/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.ts b/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.ts
index 9f7718458..42b1e148c 100644
--- a/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/manifestUpdateUtils.ts
@@ -79,70 +79,71 @@ function updateContainerImagesInManifestFiles(
    filePaths: string[],
    containers: string[]
 ): string[] {
-   if (filePaths?.length <= 0) return filePaths
+   if (!filePaths?.length) return filePaths
 
-   // update container images
    filePaths.forEach((filePath: string) => {
-      let contents = fs.readFileSync(filePath).toString()
-      containers.forEach((container: string) => {
-         let [imageName] = container.split(':')
-         if (imageName.indexOf('@') > 0) {
-            imageName = imageName.split('@')[0]
-         }
+      const fileContents = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf8')
+      const inputObjects = yaml.loadAll(fileContents) as K8sObject[]
 
-         if (contents.indexOf(imageName) > 0)
-            contents = substituteImageNameInSpecFile(
-               contents,
-               imageName,
-               container
-            )
-      })
+      const updatedObjects = inputObjects.map((obj) => {
+         if (!isWorkloadEntity(obj.kind)) return obj
 
-      // write updated files
-      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(filePath), contents)
-   })
+         containers.forEach((container: string) => {
+            let [imageName] = container.split(':')
+            if (imageName.includes('@')) {
+               imageName = imageName.split('@')[0]
+            }
+            updateImagesInK8sObject(obj, imageName, container)
+         })
 
+         return obj
+      })
+      const newYaml = updatedObjects.map((o) => yaml.dump(o)).join('---\n')
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(filePath), newYaml)
+   })
    return filePaths
 }
 
-/*
-  Example:
-
-  Input of
-    currentString: `image: "example/example-image"`
-    imageName: `example/example-image`
-    imageNameWithNewTag: `example/example-image:identifiertag`
-
-  would return
-    `image: "example/example-image:identifiertag"`
-*/
-export function substituteImageNameInSpecFile(
-   spec: string,
+export function updateImagesInK8sObject(
+   obj: any,
    imageName: string,
-   imageNameWithNewTag: string
+   newImage: string
 ) {
-   if (spec.indexOf(imageName) < 0) return spec
-
-   return spec.split('\n').reduce((acc, line) => {
-      const imageKeyword = line.match(/^ *-? *image:/)
-      if (imageKeyword) {
-         let [currentImageName] = line
-            .substring(imageKeyword[0].length) // consume the line from keyword onwards
-            .trim()
-            .replace(/[',"]/g, '') // replace allowed quotes with nothing
-            .split(':')
-
-         if (currentImageName?.indexOf(' ') > 0) {
-            currentImageName = currentImageName.split(' ')[0] // remove comments
-         }
-
-         if (currentImageName === imageName) {
-            return acc + `${imageKeyword[0]} ${imageNameWithNewTag}\n`
-         }
+   const isCronJob = obj?.kind?.toLowerCase() === KubernetesWorkload.CRON_JOB
+
+   const containerPaths = [
+      // Regular workload
+      obj?.spec?.template?.spec,
+      // CronJob workload
+      isCronJob ? obj?.spec?.jobTemplate?.spec?.template?.spec : null
+   ].filter(Boolean) // Remove any undefined/null entries
+
+   for (const path of containerPaths) {
+      if (path?.containers) {
+         updateImageInContainerArray(path.containers, imageName, newImage)
       }
+      if (path?.initContainers) {
+         updateImageInContainerArray(path.initContainers, imageName, newImage)
+      }
+   }
+}
 
-      return acc + line + '\n'
-   }, '')
+function updateImageInContainerArray(
+   containers: any[],
+   imageName: string,
+   newImage: string
+) {
+   if (!Array.isArray(containers)) return
+   containers.forEach((container) => {
+      if (
+         container.image &&
+         (container.image === imageName ||
+            container.image.startsWith(imageName + ':') ||
+            container.image.startsWith(imageName + '@'))
+      ) {
+         container.image = newImage
+      }
+   })
 }
 
 export function getReplicaCount(inputObject: any): any {