diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4ea6e2e0e7..07aa30c68d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ kind-restart-%: .local/kind-kubeconfig
 # hack/helm_vars (what CI uses) as overrrides, if available. This allows debugging helm
 # templating issues without actually installing anything, and without needing
 # access to a kubernetes cluster. e.g.:
-#   make helm-template-wire-server
-helm-template-%: clean-charts charts-integration
-	./hack/bin/helm-template.sh $(*)
+#   make helm-template
+helm-template: clean-charts charts-integration
+	./hack/bin/helm-template.sh
 
diff --git a/changelog.d/5-internal/helmfile-template b/changelog.d/5-internal/helmfile-template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..36eb119a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5-internal/helmfile-template
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Make the helm-template script use helmfile
diff --git a/hack/bin/helm-template.sh b/hack/bin/helm-template.sh
index d72684ce9b..cae6ed599a 100755
--- a/hack/bin/helm-template.sh
+++ b/hack/bin/helm-template.sh
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# This script can be used to template a helm chart with values filled in from
+# This script can be used to render all helm charts with values filled in from
 # hack/helm_vars as overrrides, if available.  This allows debugging helm
 # templating issues without actually installing anything, and without needing
 # access to a kubernetes cluster
-USAGE="Usage: $0"
 
-set -e
+# Call the script directly (optionally with `--skip-deps`), or via the
+# `helm-template` make target.
 
-chart=${1:?$USAGE}
+set -e
 
 DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 TOP_LEVEL="$DIR/../.."
 CHARTS_DIR="${TOP_LEVEL}/.local/charts"
+: "${FEDERATION_DOMAIN_BASE:=example.com}"
+: "${FEDERATION_DOMAIN:=namespace1.example.com}"
+: "${NAMESPACE:=namespace1}"
 
-valuesfile="${DIR}/../helm_vars/${chart}/values.yaml"
-certificatesfile="${DIR}/../helm_vars/${chart}/certificates.yaml"
-declare -a options=()
-if [ -f "$valuesfile" ]; then
-    options+=(-f "$valuesfile")
-fi
-if [ -f "$certificatesfile" ]; then
-    options+=(-f "$certificatesfile")
+export FEDERATION_DOMAIN_BASE
+export FEDERATION_DOMAIN
+export NAMESPACE
+
+if [ ! -f "$DIR/../helm_vars/wire-server/certificates-namespace1.yaml" ]; then
+  "$DIR/selfsigned-kubernetes.sh" namespace1
 fi
 
-"$DIR/update.sh" "$CHARTS_DIR/$chart"
-helm template $"chart" "$CHARTS_DIR/$chart" ${options[*]}
+helmfile -f "$DIR/../helmfile-single.yaml" template "$@"