diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull_requests.yml b/.github/workflows/pull_requests.yml
index a542edc0..c4d375b2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull_requests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull_requests.yml
@@ -97,14 +97,26 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: '1.20'
+          go-version: '1.21'
+          cache-dependency-path: |
+            .otelcol-builder.yaml
+            .goreleaser.yaml
+      - name: Set up QEMU
+        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3.0.0
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3.0.0
+      - name: Install opentelemetry-collector-builder
+        working-directory: ./sidecar/otelcol
+        run: make install-builder
       - uses: imranismail/setup-kustomize@v2
       - name: Install kuttl
         run: |
           curl -Lo /usr/local/bin/kubectl-kuttl https://github.com/kudobuilder/kuttl/releases/download/v${{ env.KUTTL_VERSION }}/kubectl-kuttl_${{ env.KUTTL_VERSION }}_linux_x86_64
           chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kubectl-kuttl
-      - name: Run Helm e2e tests
-        run: make e2e-helm
+      - name: Run Helm e2e tests for Fluent Bit in tailing sidecar
+        run: make e2e-helm TAILING_SIDECAR=fluentbit
+      - name: Run Helm e2e tests for otelcol in tailing sidecar
+        run: make e2e-helm TAILING_SIDECAR=otelcol
 
   test-helm-chart-with-cert-manager:
     name: Test Helm chart with cert-manager
@@ -115,14 +127,26 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: '1.20'
+          go-version: '1.21'
+          cache-dependency-path: |
+            .otelcol-builder.yaml
+            .goreleaser.yaml
+      - name: Set up QEMU
+        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3.0.0
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3.0.0
+      - name: Install opentelemetry-collector-builder
+        working-directory: ./sidecar/otelcol
+        run: make install-builder
       - uses: imranismail/setup-kustomize@v2
       - name: Install kuttl
         run: |
           curl -Lo /usr/local/bin/kubectl-kuttl https://github.com/kudobuilder/kuttl/releases/download/v${{ env.KUTTL_VERSION }}/kubectl-kuttl_${{ env.KUTTL_VERSION }}_linux_x86_64
           chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kubectl-kuttl
-      - name: Run e2e tests
-        run: make e2e-helm-certmanager
+      - name: Run Helm e2e tests for Fluent Bit in tailing sidecar
+        run: make e2e-helm-certmanager TAILING_SIDECAR=fluentbit
+      - name: Run Helm e2e tests for otelcol in tailing sidecar
+        run: make e2e-helm-certmanager TAILING_SIDECAR=otelcol
 
   test-helm-chart-with-custom-configuration:
     name: Test Helm chart with custom configuration
@@ -133,11 +157,23 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: '1.20'
+          go-version: '1.21'
+          cache-dependency-path: |
+            .otelcol-builder.yaml
+            .goreleaser.yaml
+      - name: Set up QEMU
+        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3.0.0
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3.0.0
+      - name: Install opentelemetry-collector-builder
+        working-directory: ./sidecar/otelcol
+        run: make install-builder
       - uses: imranismail/setup-kustomize@v2
       - name: Install kuttl
         run: |
           curl -Lo /usr/local/bin/kubectl-kuttl https://github.com/kudobuilder/kuttl/releases/download/v${{ env.KUTTL_VERSION }}/kubectl-kuttl_${{ env.KUTTL_VERSION }}_linux_x86_64
           chmod +x /usr/local/bin/kubectl-kuttl
-      - name: Run e2e tests
-        run: make e2e-helm-custom-configuration
+      - name: Run Helm e2e tests for Fluent Bit in tailing sidecar
+        run: make e2e-helm-custom-configuration TAILING_SIDECAR=fluentbit
+      - name: Run Helm e2e tests for otelcol in tailing sidecar
+        run: make e2e-helm-custom-configuration TAILING_SIDECAR=otelcol
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 25c18612..8abb50ea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ e2e-helm-certmanager: KUTTL_CONFIG = kuttl-test-helm-certmanager.yaml
 e2e-helm-certmanager: e2e
 
 .PHONY: e2e-helm-custom-configuration
-e2e-helm-custom-configuration: KUTTL_CONFIG = kuttl-test-helm-custom-configuration.yaml
+e2e-helm-custom-configuration: KUTTL_CONFIG = kuttl-test-helm-$(TAILING_SIDECAR)-custom-configuration.yaml
 e2e-helm-custom-configuration: e2e
 
 # We sleep for 10 seconds here because webhooks can mysteriously be unavailable even though the readiness check passes
diff --git a/helm/tests/values.withCustomConfiguration.yaml b/helm/tests/values.withFluentBitCustomConfiguration.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from helm/tests/values.withCustomConfiguration.yaml
rename to helm/tests/values.withFluentBitCustomConfiguration.yaml
diff --git a/helm/tests/values.withOtelcolCustomConfiguration.yaml b/helm/tests/values.withOtelcolCustomConfiguration.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8158f3e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helm/tests/values.withOtelcolCustomConfiguration.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+operator:
+  image:
+    repository: registry.localhost:5000/sumologic/tailing-sidecar-operator
+    tag: test
+
+sidecar:
+  image:
+    repository: registry.localhost:5000/sumologic/tailing-sidecar
+    tag: test
+
+  resources:
+    limits:
+      cpu: "0"
+      memory: "0"
+    requests:
+      cpu: "0"
+      memory: "0"
+
+  config:
+    content:
+      mountPath: /etc/otel/
+      config.yaml: |
+        receivers:
+          filelog:
+            include:
+            - ${PATH_TO_TAIL}
+            start_at: beginning
+            storage: file_storage
+
+        exporters:
+          file:
+            path: /dev/stdout
+            encoding: text_encoding
+
+        extensions:
+          text_encoding:
+          file_storage:
+            directory: /var/lib/otc
+
+        service:
+          extensions:
+            - text_encoding
+            - file_storage
+          telemetry:
+            metrics:
+              level: none
+            logs:
+              output_paths:
+                - /var/log/otelcol.log
+          pipelines:
+            logs:
+              exporters: [file]
+              receivers: [filelog]
diff --git a/kuttl-test-helm-custom-configuration.yaml b/kuttl-test-helm-otelcol-custom-configuration.yaml
similarity index 80%
rename from kuttl-test-helm-custom-configuration.yaml
rename to kuttl-test-helm-otelcol-custom-configuration.yaml
index b50a76c7..d26654f2 100644
--- a/kuttl-test-helm-custom-configuration.yaml
+++ b/kuttl-test-helm-otelcol-custom-configuration.yaml
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@ kindContainers:
   - registry.localhost:5000/sumologic/tailing-sidecar-operator:test
   - registry.localhost:5000/sumologic/tailing-sidecar:test
 commands: 
-  - command: helm upgrade --install test-release ./helm/tailing-sidecar-operator -f ./helm/tests/values.withCustomConfiguration.yaml -n tailing-sidecar-system --create-namespace
+  - command: helm upgrade --install test-release ./helm/tailing-sidecar-operator -f ./helm/tests/values.withOtelcolCustomConfiguration.yaml -n tailing-sidecar-system --create-namespace
   - command: make e2e-wait-until-operator-ready