diff --git a/.github/cr.sh b/.github/cr.sh
index 30958246..0b360cb6 100755
--- a/.github/cr.sh
+++ b/.github/cr.sh
@@ -15,19 +15,19 @@ main() {
     RELEASE_NAME=$(yq -e '.name + "-" + .version' deploy/helm/Chart.yaml)
 
     # Check release type 
-    if [[ "$RELEASE_NAME" == *"alpha"* ]]; then
-        echo "Handling alpha release: $RELEASE_NAME"
-        PREVIOUS_TAG=$(git tag --sort=version:refname | grep alpha | grep -B1 "^swo-k8s-collector" | tail -n 1)
-        PRE_RELEASE_CMD="--prerelease  --latest=false"
-        RELEASE="alpha"
+    if [[ "$RELEASE_NAME" =~ (^|[^a-zA-Z])(alpha|beta|rc)([^a-zA-Z]|$) ]]; then
+        echo "Handling pre-release: $RELEASE_NAME"
+        PREVIOUS_TAG=$(git tag --sort=version:refname | grep -E "(alpha|beta|rc)" | grep -B1 "^swo-k8s-collector" | tail -n 1)
+        GH_RELEASE_PARAMS="--prerelease --latest=false"
+        ADD_ANNOTATION_PARAMS=""
     else
         echo "Handling standard release: $RELEASE_NAME"
-        PREVIOUS_TAG=$(git tag --sort=version:refname | grep -v alpha | grep -B1 "^swo-k8s-collector" | tail -n 1)
+        PREVIOUS_TAG=$(git tag --sort=version:refname | grep -vE "(alpha|beta|rc)" | grep -B1 "^swo-k8s-collector" | tail -n 1)
         PRE_RELEASE_CMD=""
-        RELEASE="official"
+        ADD_ANNOTATION_PARAMS="official"
     fi
     
-    .github/add_annotation.sh deploy/helm/Chart.yaml $RELEASE
+    .github/add_annotation.sh deploy/helm/Chart.yaml $ADD_ANNOTATION_PARAMS
 
     echo "Packaging chart ..."
     cr package "deploy/helm"
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ main() {
     echo "Release name: $RELEASE_NAME"
     echo "Release file: $RELEASE_FILE"
     echo "Previous tag: $PREVIOUS_TAG"
-    echo "Prerelease opt:  $PRE_RELEASE_CMD"
+    echo "Prerelease opt:  $GH_RELEASE_PARAMS"
     echo "****************************************"
     echo ""
     echo ""
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ main() {
     echo 'Releasing chart...'
     gh release create $RELEASE_NAME \
       --title $RELEASE_NAME \
-      $PRE_RELEASE_CMD \
+      $GH_RELEASE_PARAMS \
       --title $RELEASE_NAME \
       --notes-start-tag $PREVIOUS_TAG \
       --generate-notes \
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ main() {
 }
 
 install_chart_releaser() {
-    local version="v1.6.0"
+    local version="v1.8.1"
     local install_dir="$RUNNER_TOOL_CACHE/cr/$version/$(uname -m)"
     if [[ ! -d "$install_dir" ]]; then
         mkdir -p "$install_dir"
diff --git a/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml b/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml
index 5031792c..f119ca4e 100644
--- a/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml
+++ b/deploy/helm/Chart.yaml
@@ -39,16 +39,3 @@ dependencies:
 annotations:
   artifacthub.io/prerelease: "false"
   artifacthub.io/license: Apache-2.0
-  artifacthub.io/images: |
-    - name: ebpf-kernelCollector
-      image: solarwinds/opentelemetry-ebpf-kernel-collector:v0.10.3
-      whitelisted: true
-    - name: ebpf-k8sCollectorWatcher
-      image: solarwinds/opentelemetry-ebpf-k8s-watcher:v0.10.3
-      whitelisted: true
-    - name: ebpf-k8sCollectorRelay
-      image: solarwinds/opentelemetry-ebpf-k8s-relay:v0.10.3
-      whitelisted: true
-    - name: ebpf-reducer
-      image: solarwinds/opentelemetry-ebpf-reducer:v0.10.3
-      whitelisted: true
diff --git a/utils/update_images.py b/utils/update_images.py
index b9e668a1..338fe973 100644
--- a/utils/update_images.py
+++ b/utils/update_images.py
@@ -306,6 +306,10 @@ def _bump_version(self, old_version: str) -> str:
                 base_version, beta_part = old_version.split('-beta.', 1)
                 if beta_part.isdigit():
                     return f"{base_version}-beta.{int(beta_part) + 1}"
+            elif '-rc.' in old_version:
+                base_version, rc_part = old_version.split('-rc.', 1)
+                if rc_part.isdigit():
+                    return f"{base_version}-rc.{int(rc_part) + 1}"
             
             # Handle standard semantic versions
             version_parts = old_version.split('.')