diff --git a/tests/integration/image-install-upgrade.sh b/tests/integration/image-install-upgrade.sh
index 410e97f5..449de563 100755
--- a/tests/integration/image-install-upgrade.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/image-install-upgrade.sh
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ RUN cat <<EOF >> /usr/lib/bootc/install/00-mitigations.toml
 [install.filesystem.root]
 type = "xfs"
 [install]
-kargs = ["mitigations=off"]
+kargs = ["mitigations=on", "nosmt"]
 EOF
 REALEOF
 
@@ -201,17 +201,49 @@ ansible-playbook -v \
     -e test_os="$TEST_OS" \
     -e bootc_image="$TEST_IMAGE_URL" \
     -e image_label_version_id="$REDHAT_VERSION_ID" \
-    -e kargs="mitigations=off" \
+    -e kargs="mitigations=on,nosmt" \
     playbooks/check-system.yaml
 
 greenprint "Create upgrade Containerfile"
 tee "$UPGRADE_CONTAINERFILE" > /dev/null << REALEOF
 FROM "$TEST_IMAGE_URL"
+RUN dnf -y install wget && \
+    dnf -y clean all
+REALEOF
+
+greenprint "Build $TEST_OS upgrade container image"
+sudo podman build --tls-verify=false --retry=5 --retry-delay=10 -t "${TEST_IMAGE_NAME}:${QUAY_REPO_TAG}" -f "$UPGRADE_CONTAINERFILE" .
+greenprint "Push $TEST_OS upgrade container image"
+sudo podman push --tls-verify=false --quiet "${TEST_IMAGE_NAME}:${QUAY_REPO_TAG}" "$TEST_IMAGE_URL"
+
+greenprint "Upgrade $TEST_OS system"
+ansible-playbook -v \
+    -i "$INVENTORY_FILE" \
+    playbooks/upgrade.yaml
+
+greenprint "Run ostree checking test after upgrade on $PLATFORM instance"
+ansible-playbook -v \
+    -i "$INVENTORY_FILE" \
+    -e test_os="$TEST_OS" \
+    -e bootc_image="$TEST_IMAGE_URL" \
+    -e image_label_version_id="$REDHAT_VERSION_ID" \
+    -e upgrade="true" \
+    -e kargs="systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0" \
+    playbooks/check-system.yaml
+
+greenprint "Rollback $TEST_OS system"
+ansible-playbook -v \
+    -i "$INVENTORY_FILE" \
+    playbooks/rollback.yaml
+
+greenprint "Create upgrade Containerfile with kargs"
+tee "$UPGRADE_CONTAINERFILE" > /dev/null << REALEOF
+FROM "$TEST_IMAGE_URL"
 RUN dnf -y install wget && \
     dnf -y clean all
 RUN mkdir -p /usr/lib/bootc/kargs.d
 RUN cat <<EOF >> /usr/lib/bootc/kargs.d/01-console.toml
-kargs = ["systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1"]
+kargs = ["systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0","console=ttyS0"]
 EOF
 REALEOF
 
@@ -232,15 +264,17 @@ ansible-playbook -v \
     -e bootc_image="$TEST_IMAGE_URL" \
     -e image_label_version_id="$REDHAT_VERSION_ID" \
     -e upgrade="true" \
-    -e kargs="systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1" \
+    -e kargs="systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0,console=ttyS0" \
     playbooks/check-system.yaml
 
 greenprint "Create second upgrade Containerfile to test kargs delta"
 tee "$UPGRADE_CONTAINERFILE" > /dev/null << REALEOF
 FROM "$TEST_IMAGE_URL"
+RUN dnf -y install wget && \
+    dnf -y clean all
 RUN mkdir -p /usr/lib/bootc/kargs.d
 RUN cat <<EOF >> /usr/lib/bootc/kargs.d/01-console.toml
-kargs = ["systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0"]
+kargs = ["systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1","console=ttyS"]
 EOF
 REALEOF
 
@@ -261,14 +295,9 @@ ansible-playbook -v \
     -e bootc_image="$TEST_IMAGE_URL" \
     -e image_label_version_id="$REDHAT_VERSION_ID" \
     -e upgrade="true" \
-    -e kargs="systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0" \
+    -e kargs="systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=1,console=ttyS" \
     playbooks/check-system.yaml
 
-greenprint "Rollback $TEST_OS system"
-ansible-playbook -v \
-    -i "$INVENTORY_FILE" \
-    playbooks/rollback.yaml
-
 greenprint "Terminate $PLATFORM instance and deregister AMI"
 ansible-playbook -v \
     -i "$INVENTORY_FILE" \