diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s.yaml
index 31b0405ab2477..9e5d2f54bc6af 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s.yaml
@@ -45,9 +45,13 @@ resources:
       memory: 3Gi
 tests:
 - as: validate
-  commands: ./ci/validate.sh
+  commands: |
+    #!/bin/bash
+    set -xeuo
+    ./ci/validate.sh
   container:
-    from: src
+    from: coreos_coreos-assembler_latest
+  skip_if_only_changed: ^docs/|\.md$|^(?:.*/)?(?:\.gitignore|OWNERS|PROJECT|LICENSE)$
 - as: build-test-qemu
   commands: /src/ci/build-test-qemu.sh
   container:
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master.yaml
index 56e30ff92c142..c14682f6a06d8 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master.yaml
@@ -139,9 +139,12 @@ resources:
       memory: 3Gi
 tests:
 - as: validate
-  commands: ./ci/validate.sh
+  commands: |
+    #!/bin/bash
+    set -xeuo
+    ./ci/validate.sh
   container:
-    from: src
+    from: coreos_coreos-assembler_latest
   skip_if_only_changed: ^docs/|\.md$|^(?:.*/)?(?:\.gitignore|OWNERS|PROJECT|LICENSE)$
 - as: validate-built-image
   commands: cat /etc/os-release
diff --git a/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master__periodic.yaml b/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master__periodic.yaml
index 1c6e0b266735b..aecbeda3ec57d 100644
--- a/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master__periodic.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/config/openshift/os/openshift-os-master__periodic.yaml
@@ -140,9 +140,12 @@ resources:
       memory: 3Gi
 tests:
 - as: validate
-  commands: ./ci/validate.sh
+  commands: |
+    #!/bin/bash
+    set -xeuo
+    ./ci/validate.sh
   container:
-    from: src
+    from: coreos_coreos-assembler_latest
   cron: '@daily'
 - as: validate-built-image
   commands: cat /etc/os-release
diff --git a/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s-presubmits.yaml b/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s-presubmits.yaml
index ff90c5cf304fb..2d33428a295ec 100644
--- a/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s-presubmits.yaml
+++ b/ci-operator/jobs/openshift/os/openshift-os-c9s-presubmits.yaml
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ presubmits:
           secretName: result-aggregator
     trigger: (?m)^/test( | .* )images,?($|\s.*)
   - agent: kubernetes
-    always_run: true
+    always_run: false
     branches:
     - ^c9s$
     - ^c9s-
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ presubmits:
       pj-rehearse.openshift.io/can-be-rehearsed: "true"
     name: pull-ci-openshift-os-c9s-validate
     rerun_command: /test validate
+    skip_if_only_changed: ^docs/|\.md$|^(?:.*/)?(?:\.gitignore|OWNERS|PROJECT|LICENSE)$
     spec:
       containers:
       - args: