diff --git a/tests/e2e/util/env/env.go b/pkg/env/env.go
similarity index 84%
rename from tests/e2e/util/env/env.go
rename to pkg/env/env.go
index 84b33c1ae..55e1618ab 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/util/env/env.go
+++ b/pkg/env/env.go
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-//go:build e2e
-
 // Copyright Istio Authors
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 // You may obtain a copy of the License at
 //
-//	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 //
 // Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 // distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
@@ -19,8 +17,6 @@ package env
 import (
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
-
-	g "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 )
 
 func Get(key, defaultValue string) string {
@@ -28,9 +24,6 @@ func Get(key, defaultValue string) string {
 	if value == "" {
 		return defaultValue
 	}
-
-	g.GinkgoWriter.Printf("Env variable %s is set to %s\n", key, value)
-
 	return value
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/istioversion/version.go b/pkg/istioversion/version.go
index 3482367bd..902ba9625 100644
--- a/pkg/istioversion/version.go
+++ b/pkg/istioversion/version.go
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ package istioversion
 import (
 	"embed"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3"
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
 	"istio.io/istio/pkg/log"
@@ -29,17 +29,10 @@ var (
 	//go:embed *.yaml
 	versionsFiles embed.FS
 
-	versionsFilename = getenv("VERSIONS_YAML_FILE", "versions.yaml")
+	// versionsFilename is set via ldflags when building the binary and via an environment variable when running tests
+	versionsFilename = env.Get("VERSIONS_YAML_FILE", "versions.yaml")
 )
 
-func getenv(key string, defaultValue string) string {
-	value := os.Getenv(key)
-	if value == "" {
-		return defaultValue
-	}
-	return value
-}
-
 // Versions represents the top-level structure of versions.yaml
 type Versions struct {
 	Versions []VersionInfo `json:"versions"`
diff --git a/tests/e2e/ambient/ambient_suite_test.go b/tests/e2e/ambient/ambient_suite_test.go
index eecfccab4..9db77bed1 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/ambient/ambient_suite_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/ambient/ambient_suite_test.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ package ambient
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	k8sclient "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/client"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/common"
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/kubectl"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/controlplane/control_plane_suite_test.go b/tests/e2e/controlplane/control_plane_suite_test.go
index e73d01a11..e69ffc08e 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/controlplane/control_plane_suite_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/controlplane/control_plane_suite_test.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ package controlplane
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	k8sclient "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/client"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/common"
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/kubectl"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_suite_test.go b/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_suite_test.go
index a18166cc4..32ab24842 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_suite_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/dualstack/dualstack_suite_test.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ package dualstack
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	k8sclient "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/client"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/common"
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/kubectl"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/multicluster/multicluster_suite_test.go b/tests/e2e/multicluster/multicluster_suite_test.go
index d00b9c64e..4ca3f5fb1 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/multicluster/multicluster_suite_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/multicluster/multicluster_suite_test.go
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/certs"
 	k8sclient "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/client"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/common"
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/kubectl"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/operator/operator_suite_test.go b/tests/e2e/operator/operator_suite_test.go
index 11063b486..ad4f2a88d 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/operator/operator_suite_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/operator/operator_suite_test.go
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ package operator
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	k8sclient "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/client"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/common"
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/kubectl"
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/util/common/e2e_utils.go b/tests/e2e/util/common/e2e_utils.go
index 5b92915a3..2d64bbbe6 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/util/common/e2e_utils.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/util/common/e2e_utils.go
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/Masterminds/semver/v3"
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/istioversion"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/kube"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/test/project"
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
 	. "github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/gomega"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/helm"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/kubectl"
diff --git a/tests/e2e/util/istioctl/istioctl.go b/tests/e2e/util/istioctl/istioctl.go
index 7186ed6b1..c880c819f 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/util/istioctl/istioctl.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/util/istioctl/istioctl.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ package istioctl
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/env"
+	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/pkg/env"
 	"github.com/istio-ecosystem/sail-operator/tests/e2e/util/shell"
 )