diff --git a/.bingo/Variables.mk b/.bingo/Variables.mk
index 16a0e58a2..273cfb709 100644
--- a/.bingo/Variables.mk
+++ b/.bingo/Variables.mk
@@ -53,11 +53,11 @@ $(GORELEASER): $(BINGO_DIR)/goreleaser.mod
 	@echo "(re)installing $(GOBIN)/goreleaser-v1.26.2"
 	@cd $(BINGO_DIR) && GOWORK=off $(GO) build -mod=mod -modfile=goreleaser.mod -o=$(GOBIN)/goreleaser-v1.26.2 "github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser"
 
-KIND := $(GOBIN)/kind-v0.27.0
+KIND := $(GOBIN)/kind-v0.29.0
 $(KIND): $(BINGO_DIR)/kind.mod
 	@# Install binary/ries using Go 1.14+ build command. This is using bwplotka/bingo-controlled, separate go module with pinned dependencies.
-	@echo "(re)installing $(GOBIN)/kind-v0.27.0"
-	@cd $(BINGO_DIR) && GOWORK=off $(GO) build -mod=mod -modfile=kind.mod -o=$(GOBIN)/kind-v0.27.0 "sigs.k8s.io/kind"
+	@echo "(re)installing $(GOBIN)/kind-v0.29.0"
+	@cd $(BINGO_DIR) && GOWORK=off $(GO) build -mod=mod -modfile=kind.mod -o=$(GOBIN)/kind-v0.29.0 "sigs.k8s.io/kind"
 
 KUSTOMIZE := $(GOBIN)/kustomize-v5.6.0
 $(KUSTOMIZE): $(BINGO_DIR)/kustomize.mod
diff --git a/.bingo/kind.mod b/.bingo/kind.mod
index 3037dbbaa..90ef6aa18 100644
--- a/.bingo/kind.mod
+++ b/.bingo/kind.mod
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ module _ // Auto generated by https://github.com/bwplotka/bingo. DO NOT EDIT
 
 go 1.20
 
-require sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.27.0
+require sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.29.0
diff --git a/.bingo/kind.sum b/.bingo/kind.sum
index b4115fe16..30e183508 100644
--- a/.bingo/kind.sum
+++ b/.bingo/kind.sum
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.26.0 h1:8fS6I0Q5WGlmLprSpH0DarlOSdcsv0txnwc93J2BP7M=
 sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.26.0/go.mod h1:t7ueEpzPYJvHA8aeLtI52rtFftNgUYUaCwvxjk7phfw=
 sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.27.0 h1:PQ3f0iAWNIj66LYkZ1ivhEg/+Zb6UPMbO+qVei/INZA=
 sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.27.0/go.mod h1:RZVFmy6qcwlSWwp6xeIUv7kXCPF3i8MXsEXxW/J+gJY=
+sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.29.0 h1:3TpCsyh908IkXXpcSnsMjWdwdWjIl7o9IMZImZCWFnI=
+sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.29.0/go.mod h1:ldWQisw2NYyM6k64o/tkZng/1qQW7OlzcN5a8geJX3o=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0 h1:a2VclLzOGrwOHDiV8EfBGhvjHvP46CtW5j6POvhYGGo=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0/go.mod h1:GeOyir5tyXNByN85N/dRIT9es5UQNerPYEKK56eTBm8=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.4.0 h1:Mk1wCc2gy/F0THH0TAp1QYyJNzRm2KCLy3o5ASXVI5E=
diff --git a/.bingo/variables.env b/.bingo/variables.env
index 07e40961f..b773bd006 100644
--- a/.bingo/variables.env
+++ b/.bingo/variables.env
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ GOLANGCI_LINT="${GOBIN}/golangci-lint-v1.64.6"
 
 GORELEASER="${GOBIN}/goreleaser-v1.26.2"
 
-KIND="${GOBIN}/kind-v0.27.0"
+KIND="${GOBIN}/kind-v0.29.0"
 
 KUSTOMIZE="${GOBIN}/kustomize-v5.6.0"
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a576df128..acb547bbb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -40,12 +40,6 @@ endif
 # Ensure ENVTEST_VERSION follows correct "X.Y.x" format
 ENVTEST_VERSION := $(K8S_VERSION).x
 
-# Not guaranteed to have patch releases available and node image tags are full versions (i.e v1.28.0 - no v1.28, v1.29, etc.)
-# The K8S_VERSION is set by getting the version of the k8s.io/client-go dependency from the go.mod
-# and sets major version to "1" and the patch version to "0". For example, a client-go version of v0.28.5
-# will map to a K8S_VERSION of 1.28.0
-KIND_CLUSTER_IMAGE := kindest/node:v$(K8S_VERSION).0
-
 # Define dependency versions (use go.mod if we also use Go code from dependency)
 export CERT_MGR_VERSION := v1.17.1
 export WAIT_TIMEOUT := 60s
@@ -320,8 +314,9 @@ kind-deploy: manifests
 
 .PHONY: kind-cluster
 kind-cluster: $(KIND) #EXHELP Standup a kind cluster.
+	env K8S_VERSION=v$(K8S_VERSION) KIND=$(KIND) GOBIN=$(GOBIN) hack/tools/validate_kindest_node.sh
 	-$(KIND) delete cluster --name $(KIND_CLUSTER_NAME)
-	$(KIND) create cluster --name $(KIND_CLUSTER_NAME) --image $(KIND_CLUSTER_IMAGE) --config ./kind-config.yaml
+	$(KIND) create cluster --name $(KIND_CLUSTER_NAME) --config ./kind-config.yaml
 	$(KIND) export kubeconfig --name $(KIND_CLUSTER_NAME)
 
 .PHONY: kind-clean
diff --git a/hack/tools/validate_kindest_node.sh b/hack/tools/validate_kindest_node.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..c1fdcc313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/tools/validate_kindest_node.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# This script verifies that the version of kind used for testing uses a major.minor version of k8s that operator-controller does
+
+# Extract the version of kind, by removing the "${GOBIN}/kind-" prefix
+KIND=${KIND#${GOBIN}/kind-}
+
+# Get the version of the image
+KIND_VER=$(curl -L -s https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind/raw/refs/tags/${KIND}/pkg/apis/config/defaults/image.go | grep -Eo 'v[0-9]+\.[0-9]+')
+
+# Compare the versions
+if [ "${KIND_VER}" != "${K8S_VERSION}" ]; then
+    echo "kindest/node:${KIND_VER} version does not match k8s ${K8S_VERSION}"
+    exit 1
+fi
+exit 0