diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fd9fd70f2..d07b9171f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -179,15 +179,15 @@ undeploy: ## Undeploy controller from the K8s cluster specified in ~/.kube/confi
 .PHONY: deploy-kind
 deploy-kind:
 	cd config/overlays/kind-tests \
-		&& kustomize edit set image controller=${IMG} \
-		&& kustomize edit set namespace ${OPERATOR_NS}
-	kustomize build config/overlays/kind-tests | kubectl apply -f -
+		&& $(KUSTOMIZE) edit set image controller=${IMG} \
+		&& $(KUSTOMIZE) edit set namespace ${OPERATOR_NS}
+	$(KUSTOMIZE) build config/overlays/kind-tests | kubectl apply -f -
 
 .PHONY: undeploy-kind
 undeploy-kind: ## Undeploy controller from the K8s cluster specified in ~/.kube/config. Call with ignore-not-found=true to ignore resource not found errors during deletion.
 	cd config/overlays/kind-tests \
-		&& kustomize edit set namespace ${OPERATOR_NS}
-	kustomize build config/overlays/kind-tests | kubectl delete --ignore-not-found=$(ignore-not-found) -f -
+		&& $(KUSTOMIZE) edit set namespace ${OPERATOR_NS}
+	$(KUSTOMIZE) build config/overlays/kind-tests | kubectl delete --ignore-not-found=$(ignore-not-found) -f -
 
 ##@ Build Dependencies