diff --git a/pkg/kagent/install/helm.go b/pkg/kagent/install/helm.go
index ee1e501cd1..d5a4a1e5d5 100644
--- a/pkg/kagent/install/helm.go
+++ b/pkg/kagent/install/helm.go
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@ import (
 	releasev1 "helm.sh/helm/v4/pkg/release/v1"
 	"helm.sh/helm/v4/pkg/storage/driver"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
-
-	"go.ate.dev/substrate/internal/version"
 )
 
 // release names a Helm release and the chart it installs.
@@ -219,7 +217,7 @@ func asV1(rel any, err error) (*releasev1.Release, error) {
 }
 
 // loadChart reads the chart in directory name of charts.
-func loadChart(charts fs.FS, name string) (*chart.Chart, error) {
+func loadChart(charts fs.FS, name, tag string) (*chart.Chart, error) {
 	var files []*archive.BufferedFile
 	err := fs.WalkDir(charts, name, func(p string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
 		if err != nil || d.IsDir() {
@@ -239,7 +237,7 @@ func loadChart(charts fs.FS, name string) (*chart.Chart, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("while loading chart %s: %w", path.Base(name), err)
 	}
-	stampVersion(ch, version.Version)
+	stampVersion(ch, tag)
 	return ch, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kagent/install/install_test.go b/pkg/kagent/install/install_test.go
index 245cca59f8..9cf3842494 100644
--- a/pkg/kagent/install/install_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kagent/install/install_test.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ func TestStampVersion(t *testing.T) {
 		{"v1.2.3-rc.1", "1.2.3-rc.1", "v1.2.3-rc.1"},
 		{"dev", "0.1.0", "0.1.0"},
 		{"v1.2.3-4-gabcdef-dirty+meta", "0.1.0", "0.1.0"},
+		{"", "0.1.0", "0.1.0"},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		t.Run(tc.tag, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -105,10 +106,13 @@ func TestStampVersion(t *testing.T) {
 func TestLoadEmbeddedCharts(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, r := range allReleases {
 		t.Run(r.chart, func(t *testing.T) {
-			ch, err := loadChart(chartsfs.FS, r.chart)
+			ch, err := loadChart(chartsfs.FS, r.chart, "v1.2.3")
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
+			if ch.Metadata.Version != "1.2.3" || ch.Metadata.AppVersion != "v1.2.3" {
+				t.Errorf("got version %q app %q, want 1.2.3 v1.2.3", ch.Metadata.Version, ch.Metadata.AppVersion)
+			}
 			if ch.Name() != r.chart {
 				t.Errorf("chart name = %q, want %q", ch.Name(), r.chart)
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/kagent/install/installer.go b/pkg/kagent/install/installer.go
index 45ec7df55c..2694346e69 100644
--- a/pkg/kagent/install/installer.go
+++ b/pkg/kagent/install/installer.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	chartsfs "go.ate.dev/substrate/charts"
 	"go.ate.dev/substrate/internal/ateclient"
 	"go.ate.dev/substrate/internal/installdefaults"
+	"go.ate.dev/substrate/internal/version"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ type Options struct {
 	Charts fs.FS
 	// HelmLog receives Helm's debug log. Nil discards it.
 	HelmLog io.Writer
+	// Version is the release tag, like v1.0.1, stamped on the charts. Their
+	// images default to it. Empty uses version.Version, which kubectl-ate sets
+	// at build time.
+	Version string
 }
 
 // Installer runs install steps against one cluster.
@@ -107,6 +112,9 @@ func New(opts Options, r Reporter) (*Installer, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("while creating Kubernetes client: %w", err)
 	}
+	if opts.Version == "" {
+		opts.Version = version.Version
+	}
 	charts := opts.Charts
 	if charts == nil {
 		charts = chartsfs.FS
diff --git a/pkg/kagent/install/steps.go b/pkg/kagent/install/steps.go
index 481255ef75..6041430d39 100644
--- a/pkg/kagent/install/steps.go
+++ b/pkg/kagent/install/steps.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func noValues(context.Context) (map[string]any, map[string]any, error) { return
 // real upgrade.
 func (in *Installer) helmStep(r release, vf valuesFunc) func(context.Context, func(string)) (string, error) {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, progress func(string)) (string, error) {
-		ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, r.chart)
+		ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, r.chart, in.opts.Version)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/kagent/install/upgrade.go b/pkg/kagent/install/upgrade.go
index e57eaf01d8..f19a9010c8 100644
--- a/pkg/kagent/install/upgrade.go
+++ b/pkg/kagent/install/upgrade.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (in *Installer) checkVersions(_ context.Context, progress func(string)) (st
 		if st := cur.Info.Status; st.IsPending() {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("release %s is %s; run helm rollback or helm uninstall on it, then retry", r.name, st)
 		}
-		ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, r.chart)
+		ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, r.chart, in.opts.Version)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func checkSkew(from, to string) error {
 // checkCRDStorage refuses to drop a CRD version that objects are still
 // stored in, which would make them unreadable.
 func (in *Installer) checkCRDStorage(ctx context.Context, _ func(string)) (string, error) {
-	ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, crdsRelease.chart)
+	ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, crdsRelease.chart, in.opts.Version)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ func checkStoredVersions(ctx context.Context, c apiextclient.Interface, crds []a
 // out.
 func (in *Installer) diffStep(r release, vf valuesFunc, out io.Writer) func(context.Context, func(string)) (string, error) {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, _ func(string)) (string, error) {
-		ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, r.chart)
+		ch, err := loadChart(in.charts, r.chart, in.opts.Version)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}