diff --git a/ci-automation/image.sh b/ci-automation/image.sh
index cab6cafb52..8926710f94 100644
--- a/ci-automation/image.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/image.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ set -eu
 function image_build() {
     local arch="$1"
 
+    source sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
+    local channel=""
+    channel="$(get_git_channel)"
     source ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
     init_submodules
 
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ function image_build() {
             mkdir -p "${CONTAINER_IMAGE_ROOT}"
     ./run_sdk_container -n "${image_container}" -C "${packages_image}" \
             -v "${vernum}" \
-            ./build_image --board="${arch}-usr" \
+            ./build_image --board="${arch}-usr" --group="${channel}" \
                           --output_root="${CONTAINER_IMAGE_ROOT}" \
                           --torcx_root="${CONTAINER_TORCX_ROOT}" prodtar container
 
diff --git a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh
index e9ddfacf14..3ee04350d8 100755
--- a/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/vendor-testing/qemu_update.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ if [ "$@" != "" ] && [ "$@" != "*" ] && [ "$@" != "cl.update.payload" ]; then
 fi
 
 source ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
+source sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
 
 mkdir -p "${work_dir}"
 cd "${work_dir}"
@@ -35,13 +36,10 @@ else
     copy_from_buildcache "images/${arch}/${vernum}/flatcar_test_update.gz" tmp/
 fi
 
-# Get last release tag (and filter out the alpha-3046.0.0 tag which was done without updating the submodule and thus refers a commit on main)
-PREV_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 | sed 's/alpha-3046.0.0//g')
-if [ "${PREV_TAG}" = "" ]; then
-    # For main we compare to last alpha release
+ON_CHANNEL="$(get_git_channel)"
+if [ "${ON_CHANNEL}" = "developer" ]; then
+    # For main/dev builds we compare to last alpha release
     ON_CHANNEL="alpha"
-else
-    ON_CHANNEL=$(echo "${PREV_TAG}" | cut -d "-" -f 1)
 fi
 if [ "${ON_CHANNEL}" = "lts" ]; then
     echo "Updating from previous LTS is not supported yet (needs creds), fallback to Stable"
diff --git a/sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh b/sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
index e0c3906fe4..1e97ef813c 100644
--- a/sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
+++ b/sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
@@ -87,6 +87,25 @@ function build_id_from_version() {
 }
 # --
 
+# Get channel from a version string ("alpha-3244.0.1-nightly2" => "alpha")
+#
+function channel_from_version() {
+    local version="$1"
+    local channel=""
+
+    channel=$(echo "${version}" | cut -d - -f 1)
+    if [ "${channel}" != "alpha" ] && [ "${channel}" != "beta" ] && [ "${channel}" != "stable" ] && [ "${channel}" != "lts" ]; then
+        channel="developer"
+    fi
+    echo "${channel}"
+}
+# --
+
+function get_git_channel() {
+	channel_from_version "$(get_git_version)"
+}
+# --
+
 # extract the version number (w/o build ID) from a version string ("alpha-3244.0.1-nightly2" => "3244.0.1")
 #
 function vernum_from_version() {