diff --git a/scripts/tests.e2e.bootstrap_monitor.sh b/scripts/tests.e2e.bootstrap_monitor.sh
index e0742f9760ac..e23f3b4746de 100755
--- a/scripts/tests.e2e.bootstrap_monitor.sh
+++ b/scripts/tests.e2e.bootstrap_monitor.sh
@@ -66,4 +66,10 @@ PATH="${PWD}/bin:$PATH" bash -x "${PWD}/bin/kind-with-registry.sh"
 # TODO(marun) Factor out ginkgo installation to avoid duplicating it across test scripts
 go install -v github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2/ginkgo@v2.13.1
 
-KUBECONFIG="$HOME/.kube/config" PATH="${PWD}/bin:$PATH" ginkgo -v ./tests/fixture/bootstrapmonitor/e2e
+# Build the images separate from the test suite. Running image builds
+# as subprocesses of the test suite seems to provoke OOMkills in CI.
+DOCKER_IMAGE=localhost:5001/avalanchego FORCE_TAG_LATEST=1 SKIP_BUILD_RACE=1 bash -x ./scripts/build_image.sh
+DOCKER_IMAGE=localhost:5001/bootstrap-monitor FORCE_TAG_LATEST=1 bash -x ./scripts/build_bootstrap_monitor_image.sh
+
+KUBECONFIG="$HOME/.kube/config" PATH="${PWD}/bin:$PATH" \
+          ginkgo -v ./tests/fixture/bootstrapmonitor/e2e -- --skip-avalanchego-image-build --skip-monitor-image-build