diff --git a/.buildkite/e2e/nightly-main-matrix.yaml b/.buildkite/e2e/nightly-main-matrix.yaml
index 76b9d26bec..3cb3fd5a6b 100644
--- a/.buildkite/e2e/nightly-main-matrix.yaml
+++ b/.buildkite/e2e/nightly-main-matrix.yaml
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
   fixed:
     E2E_PROVIDER: eks-arm
     E2E_TEST_ENV_TAGS: arch:arm
-    E2E_TAGS: "es,kb,apm,ent,beat,agent"
     TEST_LICENSE: "" # disabled b/c https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/68083
     MONITORING_SECRETS: "" # disabled b/c beats cannot run on ARM
 
diff --git a/.buildkite/e2e/release-branch-matrix.yaml b/.buildkite/e2e/release-branch-matrix.yaml
index 759f0bb921..5ed56747b8 100644
--- a/.buildkite/e2e/release-branch-matrix.yaml
+++ b/.buildkite/e2e/release-branch-matrix.yaml
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@
   fixed:
     E2E_PROVIDER: eks-arm
     E2E_TEST_ENV_TAGS: arch:arm
-    E2E_TAGS: "es,kb,apm,ent,beat,agent"
     TEST_LICENSE: "" # disabled b/c https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/68083
     MONITORING_SECRETS: "" # disabled b/c beats cannot run on ARM
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/common/container/container.go b/pkg/controller/common/container/container.go
index c824251676..235fc5d311 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/common/container/container.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/common/container/container.go
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ const (
 	LogstashImage         Image = "logstash/logstash"
 )
 
+var MinMapsVersionOnARM = version.MinFor(8, 16, 0)
+
 // ImageRepository returns the full container image name by concatenating the current container registry and the image path with the given version.
 // A UBI suffix (-ubi8 or -ubi suffix depending on the version) is appended to the image name for the maps image,
 // or any image if the operator is configured with --ubi-only.
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ func ImageRepository(img Image, ver version.Version) string {
 	suffix := ""
 	useUBISuffix := containerSuffix == UBISuffix
 	// use an UBI suffix for maps server image or any image in UBI mode
-	if useUBISuffix || img == MapsImage {
+	if useUBISuffix || isOlderMapsServerImg(img, ver) {
 		suffix = getUBISuffix(ver)
 	}
 	// use the global container suffix in non-UBI mode
@@ -92,6 +94,13 @@ func ImageRepository(img Image, ver version.Version) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s%s:%s", containerRegistry, image, suffix, ver)
 }
 
+// isOderMapsServerImg returns true if the given image is a Maps server image and
+// older than 8.16.0 as of which release the Maps server images are multi-arch similar to
+// other stack images and come in non-UBI variants as well.
+func isOlderMapsServerImg(img Image, ver version.Version) bool {
+	return img == MapsImage && ver.LT(MinMapsVersionOnARM)
+}
+
 // getUBISuffix returns the UBI suffix to use depending on the given version.
 func getUBISuffix(ver version.Version) string {
 	if ver.Major == 7 && ver.LT(major7UbiSuffixMinVersion) {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/common/container/container_test.go b/pkg/controller/common/container/container_test.go
index 2934ba882d..e2c0883262 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/common/container/container_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/common/container/container_test.go
@@ -141,6 +141,19 @@ func TestImageRepository(t *testing.T) {
 			suffix:  "-obi1",
 			want:    testRegistry + "/elastic-maps-service/elastic-maps-server-ubi8-obi1:8.11.0",
 		},
+		{
+			name:    "Maps 8 image post 8.16 wolfi-based",
+			image:   MapsImage,
+			version: "8.16.0",
+			want:    testRegistry + "/elastic-maps-service/elastic-maps-server:8.16.0",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "Maps 8 image post 8.16 ubi requested",
+			image:   MapsImage,
+			version: "8.16.0",
+			suffix:  "-ubi",
+			want:    testRegistry + "/elastic-maps-service/elastic-maps-server-ubi:8.16.0",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
diff --git a/test/e2e/test/maps/builder.go b/test/e2e/test/maps/builder.go
index 378c8fe88b..6d839b8383 100644
--- a/test/e2e/test/maps/builder.go
+++ b/test/e2e/test/maps/builder.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	commonv1 "github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v2/pkg/apis/common/v1"
 	"github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v2/pkg/apis/maps/v1alpha1"
+	"github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v2/pkg/controller/common/container"
 	"github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v2/pkg/controller/common/version"
 	"github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v2/pkg/utils/k8s"
 	"github.com/elastic/cloud-on-k8s/v2/test/e2e/cmd/run"
@@ -152,6 +153,10 @@ func (b Builder) SkipTest() bool {
 		return true
 	}
 	ver := version.MustParse(b.EMS.Spec.Version)
+	// ARM is only supported as of 8.16.0
+	if test.Ctx().HasTag(test.ArchARMTag) && ver.LT(container.MinMapsVersionOnARM) {
+		return true
+	}
 	return version.SupportedMapsVersions.WithinRange(ver) != nil
 }