diff --git a/pkg/cmd/operator/operator.go b/pkg/cmd/operator/operator.go
index d4d67839619..93ffdaa06bf 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/operator/operator.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/operator/operator.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -273,11 +274,16 @@ func (o *OperatorOptions) Complete(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command) erro
 			return fmt.Errorf("can't wait for pod %q to have container status for container %q: %w", naming.ObjRef(pod), soContainerName, err)
 		}
 
-		if len(cs.ImageID) == 0 {
+		imageID := cs.ImageID
+
+		// containerd can't pull its own reference, so we need to strip the prefix.
+		imageID = strings.TrimPrefix(imageID, "docker-pullable://")
+
+		if len(imageID) == 0 {
 			return fmt.Errorf("can't introspect its own image: containerStatus.imageID for container %q in pod %q is empty", soContainerName, naming.ObjRef(pod))
 		}
 
-		o.OperatorImage = cs.ImageID
+		o.OperatorImage = imageID
 
 		klog.V(2).InfoS("Successfully introspected its own image", "OperatorImage", o.OperatorImage)
 	}