diff --git a/src/pkg/utils/yaml.go b/src/pkg/utils/yaml.go
index 653ce55e07..f3fdaa53b7 100644
--- a/src/pkg/utils/yaml.go
+++ b/src/pkg/utils/yaml.go
@@ -91,10 +91,7 @@ func ColorPrintYAML(data any, hints map[string]string, spaceRootLists bool) {
 
 	// Inject the hints into the colorized YAML
 	for key, value := range hints {
-		// add hints to root keys
-		pattern := fmt.Sprintf(`(?m)^\x1b\[(.*?)m\x1b\[(.*?)m%s`, regexp.QuoteMeta(key))
-		re := regexp.MustCompile(pattern)
-		outputYAML = re.ReplaceAllString(outputYAML, value)
+		outputYAML = strings.Replace(outputYAML, key, value, 1)
 	}
 
 	if !message.ColorEnabled() {
diff --git a/src/test/e2e/09_component_compose_test.go b/src/test/e2e/09_component_compose_test.go
index 845f1f4c8d..8c369feab9 100644
--- a/src/test/e2e/09_component_compose_test.go
+++ b/src/test/e2e/09_component_compose_test.go
@@ -105,10 +105,6 @@ func (suite *CompositionSuite) Test_1_FullComposability() {
     valuesFiles:
     - files/test-values.yaml
     - files/test-values.yaml
-    variables:
-    - name: MY_COLOR
-      description: The color of the podinfo pod
-      path: color
   - name: podinfo-compose-two
     version: 6.4.0
     url: oci://ghcr.io/stefanprodan/charts/podinfo
diff --git a/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/files/test-values.yaml b/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/files/test-values.yaml
index eeec8bbe8c..b574e0dec9 100644
--- a/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/files/test-values.yaml
+++ b/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/files/test-values.yaml
@@ -8,5 +8,3 @@ resources:
     memory: 16Mi
     # Add some ephemeral storage for data injections
     ephemeral-storage: 16Mi
-
-color: pink
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/zarf.yaml b/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/zarf.yaml
index 29c5cbbe21..6ec2dd49b8 100644
--- a/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/zarf.yaml
+++ b/src/test/packages/09-composable-packages/zarf.yaml
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ components:
         namespace: podinfo-override
         valuesFiles:
           - files/test-values.yaml
-        variables:
-          - name: MY_COLOR
-            description: The color of the podinfo pod
-            path: color
       - name: podinfo-compose-two
         releaseName: podinfo-compose-two
         version: 6.4.0