diff --git a/pkg/steps/utils/image.go b/pkg/steps/utils/image.go
index 4b10c3b987..2533a48fef 100644
--- a/pkg/steps/utils/image.go
+++ b/pkg/steps/utils/image.go
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ func FindSpecTag(is *imagev1.ImageStream, tag string) *coreapi.ObjectReference {
 // OfficialImageTagFrom returns an import source from spec, then status, then quay-proxy.
 func OfficialImageTagFrom(source *imagev1.ImageStream, base api.ImageStreamTagReference) *coreapi.ObjectReference {
 	if source != nil {
-		if ref := FindSpecTag(source, base.Tag); ref != nil && ref.Name != "" {
+		if ref := FindSpecTag(source, base.Tag); ref != nil && ref.Name != "" && (ref.Kind != "DockerImage" || !strings.HasPrefix(ref.Name, api.ServiceDomainAPPCIRegistry+"/ocp/")) {
 			return ref
 		}
-		if ref, _ := FindStatusTag(source, base.Tag); ref != nil && ref.Name != "" {
+		if ref, _ := FindStatusTag(source, base.Tag); ref != nil && ref.Name != "" && (ref.Kind != "DockerImage" || !strings.HasPrefix(ref.Name, api.ServiceDomainAPPCIRegistry+"/ocp/")) {
 			return ref
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/steps/utils/image_test.go b/pkg/steps/utils/image_test.go
index 4777b2ed4d..030b49b1b4 100644
--- a/pkg/steps/utils/image_test.go
+++ b/pkg/steps/utils/image_test.go
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@ func TestResolveOfficialInputFrom(t *testing.T) {
 			wantOK:   true,
 			wantFrom: &coreapi.ObjectReference{Kind: "DockerImage", Name: api.QuayImageReference(base)},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "skip stale registry.ci ocp spec",
+			base: api.ImageStreamTagReference{Namespace: "ocp", Name: "4.16", Tag: "base-rhel9"},
+			objects: []runtime.Object{&imagev1.ImageStream{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Namespace: "ocp", Name: "4.16"},
+				Spec: imagev1.ImageStreamSpec{Tags: []imagev1.TagReference{{
+					Name: "base-rhel9",
+					From: &coreapi.ObjectReference{Kind: "DockerImage", Name: "registry.ci.openshift.org/ocp/4.16@sha256:dead"},
+				}}},
+			}},
+			wantOK:   true,
+			wantFrom: &coreapi.ObjectReference{Kind: "DockerImage", Name: api.QuayImageReference(api.ImageStreamTagReference{Namespace: "ocp", Name: "4.16", Tag: "base-rhel9"})},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "stable first",
 			base: api.ImageStreamTagReference{Namespace: "ocp", Name: "4.22", Tag: "cli"},