diff --git a/.ko.yaml b/.ko.yaml
index d0d81cfa..2161b44c 100644
--- a/.ko.yaml
+++ b/.ko.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 baseImageOverrides:
-  github.com/knative/build/cmd/creds-init: gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud:latest
-  github.com/knative/build/cmd/git-init: gcr.io/cloud-builders/gcloud:latest
+  github.com/knative/build/cmd/creds-init: gcr.io/knative-releases/build-base:latest
+  github.com/knative/build/cmd/git-init: gcr.io/knative-releases/build-base:latest
diff --git a/hack/release.sh b/hack/release.sh
index 0ff9a9ca..8b780623 100755
--- a/hack/release.sh
+++ b/hack/release.sh
@@ -39,8 +39,16 @@ echo "@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@"
 echo "@@@@     BUILDING THE RELEASE    @@@@"
 echo "@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@"
 
-# Set the repository to the official one:
-export KO_DOCKER_REPO=gcr.io/build-crd
+# Build and push the base image for creds-init and git images.
+docker build -t $BUILD_RELEASE_GCR/build-base -f images/Dockerfile images/
+docker push $BUILD_RELEASE_GCR/build-base
+
+# Set the repository
+export KO_DOCKER_REPO=${BUILD_RELEASE_GCR}
+# Build should not try to deploy anything, use a bogus value for cluster.
+export K8S_CLUSTER_OVERRIDE=CLUSTER_NOT_SET
+export K8S_USER_OVERRIDE=USER_NOT_SET
+export DOCKER_REPO_OVERRIDE=DOCKER_NOT_SET
 
 # If this is a prow job, authenticate against GCR.
 (( IS_PROW )) && gcr_auth