diff --git a/.ci/aarch64/kubernetes/init.sh b/.ci/aarch64/kubernetes/init.sh
index aa73be8e0..dced60f88 100755
--- a/.ci/aarch64/kubernetes/init.sh
+++ b/.ci/aarch64/kubernetes/init.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,6 @@ ${SCRIPT_PATH}/../../.ci/install_yq.sh
 # Default flannel config has limitation and request for memory, and it may cause OOM on AArch64.
 # Though here, we delete memory limitation for all archs, this modified-configuration
 # file will only be applied on aarch64.
-sudo -E ${GOPATH}/bin/yq d -i -d'*' $network_plugin_config_file $memory_resource  > /dev/null
+sudo -E ${SCRIPT_PATH}/../../.ci/yq-shim.sh $memory_resource $network_plugin_config_file d  > /dev/null
 
 network_plugin_config="$network_plugin_config_file"
diff --git a/.ci/ci-fast-return.sh b/.ci/ci-fast-return.sh
index e165c12f6..678ad268b 100755
--- a/.ci/ci-fast-return.sh
+++ b/.ci/ci-fast-return.sh
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ filenames=""
 read_yaml() {
 	${cidir}/install_yq.sh 1>&5 2>&1
 
-	res=$(yq read "$1" "$2")
+	yq_shim="${cidir}/yq-shim.sh"
+	res=$(${yq_shim} "$2" "$1" r)
 	[ "$res" == "null" ] && res=""
 	echo $res
 	return 0
diff --git a/.ci/ci_crio_entry_point.sh b/.ci/ci_crio_entry_point.sh
index 05cbd8e6f..decd9a4d6 100644
--- a/.ci/ci_crio_entry_point.sh
+++ b/.ci/ci_crio_entry_point.sh
@@ -121,21 +121,25 @@ cd "${katacontainers_repo_dir}"
 # Install yq
 ${GOPATH}/src/${tests_repo}/.ci/install_yq.sh
 
+# YQ_SHIM Usage:
+# ./yq-shim.sh <query> <path to yaml> <action> [value]
+YQ_SHIM=${GOPATH}/src/${tests_repo}/.ci/yq-shim.sh
+
 # CRI-O switched to using go 1.18+
 golang_version="1.18.1"
-yq w -i versions.yaml languages.golang.meta.newest-version "${golang_version}"
+${YQ_SHIM} languages.golang.meta.newest-version versions.yaml w "${golang_version}"
 
 critools_version="${branch_release_number}.0"
 [ ${critools_version} == "1.24.0" ] && critools_version="1.24.2"
 echo "Using critools ${critools_version}"
-yq w -i versions.yaml externals.critools.version "${critools_version}"
-yq r versions.yaml externals.critools.version
+${YQ_SHIM} externals.critools.version versions.yaml w "${critools_version}"
+${YQ_SHIM} externals.critools.version versions.yaml r
 
 latest_kubernetes_from_repo=`LC_ALL=C sudo dnf -y repository-packages kubernetes info --available kubelet-${branch_release_number}* | grep Version | cut -d':' -f 2 | xargs`
 kubernetes_version="${latest_kubernetes_from_repo}-00"
 echo "Using kubernetes ${kubernetes_version}"
-yq w -i versions.yaml externals.kubernetes.version "${kubernetes_version}"
-yq r versions.yaml externals.kubernetes.version
+${YQ_SHIM} externals.kubernetes.version versions.yaml w "${kubernetes_version}"
+${YQ_SHIM} externals.kubernetes.version versions.yaml r
 
 # Run kata-containers setup
 cd "${tests_repo_dir}"
diff --git a/.ci/filter/filter_k8s_test.sh b/.ci/filter/filter_k8s_test.sh
index 2b90076d9..b4188160d 100755
--- a/.ci/filter/filter_k8s_test.sh
+++ b/.ci/filter/filter_k8s_test.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ main()
 	# install yq if not exist
         ${CI_DIR}/install_yq.sh > /dev/null
 
-        local K8S_SKIP_UNION=$("${GOPATH_LOCAL}/bin/yq" read "${K8S_CONFIG_FILE}" "${K8S_FILTER_FLAG}")
+        local K8S_SKIP_UNION=$("${CI_DIR}/yq-shim.sh" "${K8S_FILTER_FLAG}" "${K8S_CONFIG_FILE}" r)
         [ "${K8S_SKIP_UNION}" == "null" ] && return
         mapfile -t _K8S_SKIP_UNION <<< "${K8S_SKIP_UNION}"
 
diff --git a/.ci/filter/filter_test_union.sh b/.ci/filter/filter_test_union.sh
index 8dd7de862..69ba0b704 100755
--- a/.ci/filter/filter_test_union.sh
+++ b/.ci/filter/filter_test_union.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ main()
 {
 	# install yq if not exist
 	${ci_dir}/install_yq.sh
-	local array_test=$("${GOPATH_LOCAL}/bin/yq" read "${test_config_file}" "${test_filter_flag}")
+	local array_test=$("${ci_dir}/yq-shim.sh" "${test_filter_flag}" "${test_config_file}" r)
 	[ "${array_test}" = "null" ] && return
 	mapfile -t _array_test <<< "${array_test}"
 	for entry in "${_array_test[@]}"
diff --git a/.ci/lib.sh b/.ci/lib.sh
index 7156a3a26..4aac64c5b 100755
--- a/.ci/lib.sh
+++ b/.ci/lib.sh
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ function get_dep_from_yaml_db(){
 
 	"${GOPATH}/src/${tests_repo}/.ci/install_yq.sh" >&2
 
-	result=$("${GOPATH}/bin/yq" r -X "$versions_file" "$dependency")
+	yq_shim="${GOPATH}/src/${tests_repo}/.ci/yq-shim.sh"
+	result=$("${yq_shim}" "$dependency" "$versions_file" r)
 	[ "$result" = "null" ] && result=""
 	echo "$result"
 }
diff --git a/.ci/ppc64le/kubernetes/init.sh b/.ci/ppc64le/kubernetes/init.sh
index 57c6d2740..22b3ad20e 100644
--- a/.ci/ppc64le/kubernetes/init.sh
+++ b/.ci/ppc64le/kubernetes/init.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,6 @@ ${SCRIPT_PATH}/../../.ci/install_yq.sh
 # Default flannel config has limitation and request for memory, and it may cause OOM on ppc64le.
 # Though here, we delete memory limitation for all archs, this modified-configuration
 # file will only be applied on ppc64le.
-sudo -E ${GOPATH}/bin/yq d -i -d'*' $network_plugin_config_file $memory_resource  > /dev/null
+sudo -E ${SCRIPT_PATH}/../../.ci/yq-shim.sh $memory_resource $network_plugin_config_file d  > /dev/null
 
 network_plugin_config="$network_plugin_config_file"
diff --git a/.ci/yq-shim.sh b/.ci/yq-shim.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..723d06099
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/yq-shim.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Copyright (c) 2024 Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+#
+set -euo pipefail
+
+usage() { echo "Usage: $0 <query> <path to yaml> <action> [value]"; }
+
+QUERY="${1-}"
+YAML_PATH="${2-}"
+ACTION="${3-}"
+VALUE="${4-}"
+VERSION=""
+
+handle_v3() {
+	query="${QUERY#.}"
+
+	case ${ACTION} in
+		r)
+			yq r "${YAML_PATH}" "${query}"
+			;;
+		w)
+			yq w -i "${YAML_PATH}" "${query}" "${VALUE}"
+			;;
+		d)
+			yq d -i -d'*' "${YAML_PATH}" "${query}"
+			;;
+		*)
+			usage
+			exit 1
+			;;
+	esac
+}
+
+handle_v4() {
+	query=".${QUERY#.}"
+	case ${ACTION} in
+		r)
+			yq "${query}" "${YAML_PATH}"
+			;;
+		w)
+			export VALUE
+			yq -i "${query} = strenv(VALUE)" "${YAML_PATH}"
+			;;
+		d)
+			yq -i "del(${query})" "${YAML_PATH}"
+			;;
+		*)
+			usage
+			exit 1
+			;;
+	esac
+}
+
+if [ "$QUERY" == "-h" ]; then
+	usage
+	exit 0
+elif [ $# -lt 3 ]; then
+	usage >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! command -v yq > /dev/null; then
+	echo "yq not found in path" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if yq --version | grep '^.* version v4.*$' > /dev/null; then
+	handle_v4
+elif yq --version | grep '^.* version 3.*$' > /dev/null; then
+	handle_v3
+else
+	echo "unsupported yq version" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi