diff --git a/config/operator/default_images.yaml b/config/operator/default_images.yaml
index 198412fb6..08f630152 100644
--- a/config/operator/default_images.yaml
+++ b/config/operator/default_images.yaml
@@ -181,12 +181,8 @@ spec:
           value: quay.io/podified-antelope-centos9/openstack-swift-proxy-server:current-podified
         - name: RELATED_IMAGE_TEST_TEMPEST_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT
           value: quay.io/podified-antelope-centos9/openstack-tempest-all:current-podified
-        - name: RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_API_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT
-          value: quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-api:current-podified
-        - name: RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_APPLIER_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT
-          value: quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-applier:current-podified
-        - name: RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_DECISION_ENGINE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT
-          value: quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-decision-engine:current-podified
+        - name: RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_BASE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT
+          value: quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest
           # NOTE: TEST_ images below do not get released downstream. They should not be prefixed with RELATED
         - name: TEST_TOBIKO_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT
           value: quay.io/podified-antelope-centos9/openstack-tobiko:current-podified
diff --git a/hack/export_related_images.sh b/hack/export_related_images.sh
index e3ef5be8b..92e594a5d 100755
--- a/hack/export_related_images.sh
+++ b/hack/export_related_images.sh
@@ -87,9 +87,7 @@ export RELATED_IMAGE_OPENSTACK_NETWORK_EXPORTER_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/openst
 export RELATED_IMAGE_EDPM_KEPLER_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/sustainable_computing_io/kepler:release-0.7.12
 export RELATED_IMAGE_EDPM_PODMAN_EXPORTER_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/prometheus-podman-exporter:latest
 export RELATED_IMAGE_TEST_TEMPEST_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/podified-antelope-centos9/openstack-tempest-all:current-podified
-export RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_API_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-api:current-podified
-export RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_APPLIER_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-applier:current-podified
-export RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_DECISION_ENGINE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-decision-engine:current-podified
+export RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_BASE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest
 #NOTE: TEST_ images below do not get released downstream. They should not be prefixed with RELATED
 export TEST_TOBIKO_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/podified-antelope-centos9/openstack-tobiko:current-podified
 export TEST_ANSIBLETEST_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT=quay.io/podified-antelope-centos9/openstack-ansible-tests:current-podified
diff --git a/internal/openstack/version.go b/internal/openstack/version.go
index 5fb3e8bb2..e0ce976af 100644
--- a/internal/openstack/version.go
+++ b/internal/openstack/version.go
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ func InitializeOpenStackVersionImageDefaults(ctx context.Context, envImages map[
 	if envImages["TEST_HORIZONTEST_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT"] != nil {
 		defaults.TestHorizontestImage = envImages["TEST_HORIZONTEST_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT"]
 	}
+	// s2i base image: a single watcher base image populates all three service images
+	if envImages["RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_BASE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT"] != nil {
+		defaults.WatcherAPIImage = envImages["RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_BASE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT"]
+		defaults.WatcherApplierImage = envImages["RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_BASE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT"]
+		defaults.WatcherDecisionEngineImage = envImages["RELATED_IMAGE_WATCHER_BASE_IMAGE_URL_DEFAULT"]
+	}
 
 	Log.Info("Initialize OpenStackVersion return defaults")
 	return defaults
diff --git a/test/functional/ctlplane/openstackoperator_controller_test.go b/test/functional/ctlplane/openstackoperator_controller_test.go
index 684823601..6400604a2 100644
--- a/test/functional/ctlplane/openstackoperator_controller_test.go
+++ b/test/functional/ctlplane/openstackoperator_controller_test.go
@@ -2125,7 +2125,7 @@ var _ = Describe("OpenStackOperator controller", func() {
 			Expect(watcher.Spec.APIContainerImageURL).Should(Not(BeNil()))
 			Expect(watcher.Spec.ApplierContainerImageURL).Should(Not(BeNil()))
 			Expect(watcher.Spec.DecisionEngineContainerImageURL).Should(Not(BeNil()))
-			Expect(watcher.Spec.DecisionEngineContainerImageURL).Should(Equal("quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-decision-engine:current-podified"))
+			Expect(watcher.Spec.DecisionEngineContainerImageURL).Should(Equal("quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest"))
 
 			Expect(watcher.Spec.APIServiceTemplate.TLS.Ca.CaBundleSecretName).Should(Equal("combined-ca-bundle"))
 
@@ -2232,9 +2232,9 @@ var _ = Describe("OpenStackOperator controller", func() {
 			}, timeout, interval).Should(Succeed())
 
 			OSCtlplane := GetOpenStackControlPlane(names.OpenStackControlplaneName)
-			Expect(OSCtlplane.Status.ContainerImages.WatcherAPIImage).Should(Equal(ptr.To("quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-api:current-podified")))
-			Expect(OSCtlplane.Status.ContainerImages.WatcherApplierImage).Should(Equal(ptr.To("quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-applier:current-podified")))
-			Expect(OSCtlplane.Status.ContainerImages.WatcherDecisionEngineImage).Should(Equal(ptr.To("quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-decision-engine:current-podified")))
+			Expect(OSCtlplane.Status.ContainerImages.WatcherAPIImage).Should(Equal(ptr.To("quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest")))
+			Expect(OSCtlplane.Status.ContainerImages.WatcherApplierImage).Should(Equal(ptr.To("quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest")))
+			Expect(OSCtlplane.Status.ContainerImages.WatcherDecisionEngineImage).Should(Equal(ptr.To("quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest")))
 		})
 	})
 
@@ -2311,7 +2311,7 @@ var _ = Describe("OpenStackOperator controller", func() {
 			// default Watche container images are set
 			Expect(watcher.Spec.APIContainerImageURL).Should(Not(BeNil()))
 			Expect(watcher.Spec.ApplierContainerImageURL).Should(Not(BeNil()))
-			Expect(watcher.Spec.DecisionEngineContainerImageURL).Should(Equal("quay.io/podified-master-centos9/openstack-watcher-decision-engine:current-podified"))
+			Expect(watcher.Spec.DecisionEngineContainerImageURL).Should(Equal("quay.io/openstack-k8s-operators/openstack-watcher-base:master-latest"))
 
 		})