diff --git a/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler.go b/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler.go
index 89e1788b75..3b28f935ad 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler.go
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ const (
 	conditionWithErrors       = "WithErrors"
 
 	dependentProwJobsFinalizer = "pullrequestpayloadqualificationruns.ci.openshift.io/dependent-prowjobs"
+
+	// releaseStepRegistryPath is the path where the openshift/release repo's step registry
+	// is cloned when it is included in the PRs under test.
+	releaseStepRegistryPath = "/go/src/github.com/openshift/release/ci-operator/step-registry"
 )
 
 type injectingResolverClient interface {
@@ -641,6 +645,13 @@ func (r *reconciler) generateProwjob(ciopConfig *api.ReleaseBuildConfiguration,
 			jobBaseGen.PodSpec.Add(prowgen.ShardArgs(shardCount, shardIndex))
 		}
 
+		// If openshift/release is among the PRs being tested, configure ci-operator
+		// to use the step registry from the local checkout instead of the remote
+		// config resolver. This allows testing step registry changes via PRPQR.
+		if hasReleaseRepoPR(prs) {
+			jobBaseGen.PodSpec.Add(prowgen.Registry(releaseStepRegistryPath))
+		}
+
 		// Avoid sharing when we run the same job multiple times.
 		// PRPQR name should be safe to use as a discriminating input, because
 		// there should never be more than one execution of a specific job per
@@ -917,3 +928,14 @@ func hasDependantProwJobsFinalizer(objMeta *metav1.ObjectMeta) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+// hasReleaseRepoPR checks if openshift/release is among the PRs being tested.
+// When it is, we need to use the step registry from the local checkout.
+func hasReleaseRepoPR(prs []v1.PullRequestUnderTest) bool {
+	for _, pr := range prs {
+		if pr.Org == "openshift" && pr.Repo == "release" {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler_test.go b/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler_test.go
index 283f8db6c7..75018d2a23 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/prpqr_reconciler/prpqr_reconciler_test.go
@@ -580,3 +580,58 @@ func (f *fakeDispatcherClient) ClusterForJob(jobName string) (string, error) {
 		return "build02", nil
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHasReleaseRepoPR(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		prs  []v1.PullRequestUnderTest
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "no PRs",
+			prs:  nil,
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "single PR from different repo",
+			prs: []v1.PullRequestUnderTest{
+				{Org: "openshift", Repo: "origin"},
+			},
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "single PR from openshift/release",
+			prs: []v1.PullRequestUnderTest{
+				{Org: "openshift", Repo: "release"},
+			},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "multiple PRs including openshift/release",
+			prs: []v1.PullRequestUnderTest{
+				{Org: "openshift", Repo: "origin"},
+				{Org: "openshift", Repo: "release"},
+			},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "multiple PRs not including openshift/release",
+			prs: []v1.PullRequestUnderTest{
+				{Org: "openshift", Repo: "origin"},
+				{Org: "openshift", Repo: "installer"},
+			},
+			want: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			got := hasReleaseRepoPR(tc.prs)
+			if got != tc.want {
+				t.Errorf("hasReleaseRepoPR() = %v, want %v", got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/prowgen/podspec.go b/pkg/prowgen/podspec.go
index 63472ccb18..91580c4956 100644
--- a/pkg/prowgen/podspec.go
+++ b/pkg/prowgen/podspec.go
@@ -750,3 +750,17 @@ func newFakePodSpecBuilder() CiOperatorPodSpecGenerator {
 	f := fakePodSpecBuilder(0)
 	return &f
 }
+
+// Registry configures ci-operator to use a local step registry path instead of
+// the remote config resolver. This is useful when testing changes to the step
+// registry from a PR in openshift/release.
+func Registry(registryPath string) PodSpecMutator {
+	return func(spec *corev1.PodSpec) error {
+		if registryPath == "" {
+			return nil
+		}
+		container := &spec.Containers[0]
+		addUniqueParameter(container, fmt.Sprintf("--registry=%s", registryPath))
+		return nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/prowgen/podspec_test.go b/pkg/prowgen/podspec_test.go
index a6e4e7fb1d..f5cc59b0c2 100644
--- a/pkg/prowgen/podspec_test.go
+++ b/pkg/prowgen/podspec_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package prowgen
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
@@ -528,3 +529,55 @@ func TestGSMConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		testhelper.CompareWithFixture(t, podspec)
 	})
 }
+
+func TestRegistry(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		registryPath string
+		wantArg      string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "registry path is added",
+			registryPath: "/go/src/github.com/openshift/release/ci-operator/step-registry",
+			wantArg:      "--registry=/go/src/github.com/openshift/release/ci-operator/step-registry",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "empty registry path is a nop",
+			registryPath: "",
+			wantArg:      "",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			g := NewCiOperatorPodSpecGenerator()
+			g.Add(Registry(tc.registryPath))
+			podspec, err := g.Build()
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
+			}
+			if tc.wantArg != "" {
+				// Positive case: verify the expected arg is present
+				found := false
+				for _, arg := range podspec.Containers[0].Args {
+					if arg == tc.wantArg {
+						found = true
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				if !found {
+					t.Errorf("Expected arg %q not found in args: %v", tc.wantArg, podspec.Containers[0].Args)
+				}
+			} else {
+				// Negative case: verify no --registry arg is present
+				for _, arg := range podspec.Containers[0].Args {
+					if strings.HasPrefix(arg, "--registry") {
+						t.Errorf("Unexpected --registry arg found: %q", arg)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}