diff --git a/test/extended/node/node_e2e/node.go b/test/extended/node/node_e2e/node.go
index 5f43c93e20af..963618a641a5 100644
--- a/test/extended/node/node_e2e/node.go
+++ b/test/extended/node/node_e2e/node.go
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ import (
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	utilrand "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/rand"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/util/retry"
 	e2e "k8s.io/kubernetes/test/e2e/framework"
 
 	nodeutils "github.com/openshift/origin/test/extended/node"
 	exutil "github.com/openshift/origin/test/extended/util"
+	operator "github.com/openshift/origin/test/extended/util/operator"
 )
 
 var _ = g.Describe("[sig-node] [Jira:Node/Kubelet] Kubelet, CRI-O, CPU manager", func() {
@@ -310,3 +312,105 @@ var _ = g.Describe("[sig-node][Suite:openshift/disruptive-longrunning][Disruptiv
 			"registry.redhat.io/rhel8 should be blocked (NeverContactSource)")
 	})
 })
+
+var _ = g.Describe("[Suite:openshift/disruptive-longrunning][sig-node][Disruptive] Image registry config", func() {
+	var (
+		oc = exutil.NewCLIWithoutNamespace("imgcfg")
+	)
+
+	g.BeforeEach(func() {
+		isMicroShift, err := exutil.IsMicroShiftCluster(oc.AdminKubeClient())
+		if err != nil {
+			e2e.Logf("Failed to detect MicroShift cluster: %v", err)
+			g.Skip("Skipping: unable to determine cluster type")
+		}
+		if isMicroShift {
+			g.Skip("Skipping test on MicroShift cluster - MachineConfig resources are not available")
+		}
+	})
+
+	// Verifies that updating image.config.openshift.io/cluster with a new search
+	// registry triggers an MCO rollout and the change lands on nodes.
+	//author: cmaurya@redhat.com
+	g.It("[OTP] change container registry config [OCP-44820]", func() {
+		ctx := context.Background()
+		searchRegistry := "qe.quay.io"
+
+		g.By("Save the original image.config for later restore")
+		originalImageConfig, err := oc.AdminConfigClient().ConfigV1().Images().Get(ctx, "cluster", metav1.GetOptions{})
+		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred(), "failed to get image.config.openshift.io/cluster")
+
+		initialWorkerSpec := imagepolicy.GetMCPCurrentSpecConfigName(oc, "worker")
+		initialMasterSpec := imagepolicy.GetMCPCurrentSpecConfigName(oc, "master")
+
+		g.DeferCleanup(func() {
+			e2e.Logf("Cleanup: restoring original image.config")
+			restoreErr := retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() error {
+				current, getErr := oc.AdminConfigClient().ConfigV1().Images().Get(ctx, "cluster", metav1.GetOptions{})
+				if getErr != nil {
+					return getErr
+				}
+				current.Spec.RegistrySources = originalImageConfig.Spec.RegistrySources
+				_, updateErr := oc.AdminConfigClient().ConfigV1().Images().Update(ctx, current, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
+				return updateErr
+			})
+			if restoreErr != nil {
+				e2e.Logf("WARNING: failed to restore original image.config: %v; skipping MCP convergence wait", restoreErr)
+				return
+			}
+
+			cleanupWorkerSpec := imagepolicy.GetMCPCurrentSpecConfigName(oc, "worker")
+			cleanupMasterSpec := imagepolicy.GetMCPCurrentSpecConfigName(oc, "master")
+			imagepolicy.WaitForMCPConfigSpecChangeAndUpdated(oc, "worker", cleanupWorkerSpec)
+			imagepolicy.WaitForMCPConfigSpecChangeAndUpdated(oc, "master", cleanupMasterSpec)
+
+			e2e.Logf("Cleanup: waiting for all cluster operators to settle")
+			if waitErr := operator.WaitForOperatorsToSettle(ctx, oc.AdminConfigClient(), 10); waitErr != nil {
+				e2e.Logf("WARNING: cluster operators did not settle after restore: %v", waitErr)
+			}
+		})
+
+		g.By("Update image.config to add search registry and allowed registries")
+		err = retry.RetryOnConflict(retry.DefaultBackoff, func() error {
+			imageConfig, getErr := oc.AdminConfigClient().ConfigV1().Images().Get(ctx, "cluster", metav1.GetOptions{})
+			if getErr != nil {
+				return getErr
+			}
+			imageConfig.Spec.RegistrySources.AllowedRegistries = []string{
+				"registry.access.redhat.com", "docker.io", "quay.io", searchRegistry,
+				"image-registry.openshift-image-registry.svc:5000",
+			}
+			imageConfig.Spec.RegistrySources.ContainerRuntimeSearchRegistries = []string{
+				"registry.access.redhat.com", "docker.io", "quay.io", searchRegistry,
+			}
+			_, updateErr := oc.AdminConfigClient().ConfigV1().Images().Update(ctx, imageConfig, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
+			return updateErr
+		})
+		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred(), "failed to update image.config.openshift.io/cluster")
+
+		g.By("Wait for worker and master MCP rollout to complete")
+		imagepolicy.WaitForMCPConfigSpecChangeAndUpdated(oc, "worker", initialWorkerSpec)
+		imagepolicy.WaitForMCPConfigSpecChangeAndUpdated(oc, "master", initialMasterSpec)
+
+		g.By("Verify search registries config on a worker node")
+		workers, err := exutil.GetReadySchedulableWorkerNodes(ctx, oc.AdminKubeClient())
+		o.Expect(err).NotTo(o.HaveOccurred(), "failed to get ready schedulable worker nodes")
+		o.Expect(workers).NotTo(o.BeEmpty(), "no ready worker nodes found")
+
+		var registriesConf string
+		o.Eventually(func() error {
+			var execErr error
+			registriesConf, execErr = nodeutils.ExecOnNodeWithChroot(oc, workers[0].Name,
+				"cat", "/etc/containers/registries.conf.d/01-image-searchRegistries.conf")
+			if execErr != nil {
+				return execErr
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(registriesConf, searchRegistry) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("search registry %s not yet in config", searchRegistry)
+			}
+			return nil
+		}, 30*time.Second, 5*time.Second).Should(o.Succeed(),
+			"search registry %s not found in registries config on node %s", searchRegistry, workers[0].Name)
+		e2e.Logf("Registries config on %s:\n%s", workers[0].Name, registriesConf)
+	})
+})