diff --git a/.woodpecker/docker-release-version.yml b/.woodpecker/docker-release-version.yml
index 60ca56a81d..e4a61c345c 100644
--- a/.woodpecker/docker-release-version.yml
+++ b/.woodpecker/docker-release-version.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ variables:
  - &dind_image 'docker:20.10-dind'
  - &buildx_image 'woodpeckerci/plugin-docker-buildx:2.0.0'
  - &integration_image 'codeberg.org/forgejo-integration/forgejo'
+ - &dockerfile_root 'Dockerfile'
+# - &dockerfile_root 'releases/Dockerfile'
+ - &dockerfile_rootless 'Dockerfile.rootless'
+# - &dockerfile_rootless 'releases/Dockerfile-rootless'
+ - &verify 'true'
+# - &verify 'false'
+ - &archs 'amd64 arm64'
 
 pipeline:
   fetch-tags:
@@ -20,17 +27,37 @@ pipeline:
      - git config --add safe.directory '*'
      - git fetch --tags --force
 
-  publish-integration:
+  publish-root:
     image: *buildx_image
+    group: integration
     pull: true
     settings:
       platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+      dockerfile: *dockerfile_root
       registry:
         from_secret: domain
       tag: ${CI_COMMIT_TAG##v}
       repo: *integration_image
       build_args:
-        - GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org,direct
+        - GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org
+      password:
+        from_secret: releaseteamtoken
+      username:
+        from_secret: releaseteamuser
+
+  publish-rootless:
+    image: *buildx_image
+    group: integration
+    pull: true
+    settings:
+      platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
+      dockerfile: *dockerfile_rootless
+      registry:
+        from_secret: domain
+      tag: ${CI_COMMIT_TAG##v}-rootless
+      repo: *integration_image
+      build_args:
+        - GOPROXY=https://proxy.golang.org
       password:
         from_secret: releaseteamtoken
       username:
@@ -40,32 +67,10 @@ pipeline:
     image: *dind_image
     environment:
       INTEGRATION_IMAGE: *integration_image
+      VERIFY: *verify
+      ARCHS: *archs
     commands:
-      - apk --update --no-cache add coredns
-      - ( echo ".:53 {" ; echo "  forward . /etc/resolv.conf"; echo "}" ) > /etc/coredns/Corefile
-      - coredns -conf /etc/coredns/Corefile &
-      - /usr/local/bin/dockerd --data-root /var/lib/docker --host=unix:///var/run/docker.sock --dns 172.17.0.3 &
-      - for i in $$(seq 60) ; do DOCKER_HOST=unix:///var/run/docker.sock docker version && break ; sleep 1 ; done
-      - tag=${CI_COMMIT_TAG##v}
-      - docker login -p "$RELEASETEAMTOKEN" -u "$RELEASETEAMUSER" $DOMAIN
-      - tagged_image=$${INTEGRATION_IMAGE}':'$$tag
-      - manifests=""
-      - for arch in arm64 amd64 ; do
-      -   arch_image=${CI_REPO_LINK##https://}':'$$tag-$$arch
-      -   docker pull --platform linux/$$arch $$tagged_image
-      -   docker run --platform linux/$$arch --rm $$tagged_image gitea --version | grep 'built with'
-      -   docker tag $$tagged_image $$arch_image
-      -   docker push $$arch_image
-      -   manifests="$$manifests $$arch_image"
-      -   docker image prune --all --force
-      - done
-      - published=${CI_REPO_LINK##https://}':'$$tag
-      - docker manifest create $$published $$manifests
-      - docker manifest push $$published
-      - short_tag=$${tag%.*-*}
-      - short_published=${CI_REPO_LINK##https://}':'$$short_tag
-      - docker manifest create $$short_published $$manifests
-      - docker manifest push $$short_published
+      - ./releases/container-images-pull-verify-push.sh
     secrets:
       - releaseteamtoken
       - releaseteamuser
diff --git a/.woodpecker/releases-helper.yml b/.woodpecker/releases-helper.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d74d23ba5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.woodpecker/releases-helper.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+platform: linux/amd64
+
+branches:
+  includes: [ wip-ci-* ]
+
+when:
+  event: push
+
+variables:
+ - &dind_image 'docker:20.10-dind'
+
+pipeline:
+  container-images-pull-verify-push:
+    image: *dind_image
+    commands:
+# arm64 would require qemu-user-static which is not available on alpline
+# the test coverage does not change much and running the tests test locally
+# is possible if there is a doubt
+      - ARCHS=amd64 ./releases/container-images-pull-verify-push.sh test
+      - ./releases/container-images-pull-verify-push.sh test_teardown
+    secrets:
+      - releaseteamuser
+      - releaseteamtoken
+      - domain
diff --git a/releases/Dockerfile b/releases/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bef4e4f6de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releases/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+FROM alpine:3.17
+
+RUN echo root > state
diff --git a/releases/Dockerfile-rootless b/releases/Dockerfile-rootless
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..561b67e9a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releases/Dockerfile-rootless
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+FROM alpine:3.17
+
+RUN echo rootless > state
diff --git a/releases/container-images-pull-verify-push.sh b/releases/container-images-pull-verify-push.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..33c333dc32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releases/container-images-pull-verify-push.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+#
+# Tests are run when on a wip-ci-* branch, see .woodpecker/releases-helper.yml
+# It should be changed to run it every time this file is changed when 1.18 is used because 1.17 does not have
+# webhooks with the information for that filtering.
+#
+
+set -ex
+
+: ${DOCKER_HOST:=unix:///var/run/docker.sock}
+: ${ARCHS:=amd64 arm64}
+: ${INTEGRATION_USER:=forgejo-integration}
+: ${INTEGRATION_IMAGE:=codeberg.org/$INTEGRATION_USER/forgejo}
+: ${CI_REPO_OWNER:=dachary}
+: ${CI_COMMIT_TAG:=v17.1.42-2}
+: ${TAG:=${CI_COMMIT_TAG##v}}
+: ${SHORT_TAG=${TAG%.*-*}}
+: ${CI_REPO_LINK:=https://codeberg.org/dachary/forgejo}
+: ${DOMAIN:=codeberg.org}
+
+: ${VERIFY:=true}
+VERIFY_COMMAND='gitea --version'
+VERIFY_STRING='built with'
+
+publish() {
+    for suffix in '' '-rootless' ; do
+	images=""
+	for arch in $ARCHS ; do
+	    #
+	    # Get the image from the integration user
+	    #
+	    image=$(image_name $INTEGRATION_USER $suffix)
+	    docker pull --platform linux/$arch $image
+	    #
+	    # Verify it is usable
+	    #
+	    if $VERIFY ; then
+		docker run --platform linux/$arch --rm $image $VERIFY_COMMAND | grep "$VERIFY_STRING"
+	    fi
+	    #
+	    # Push the image with a tag reflecting the architecture to the repo owner
+	    #
+	    arch_image=$(arch_image_name $CI_REPO_OWNER $arch $suffix)
+	    docker tag $image $arch_image
+	    docker push $arch_image
+	    images="$images $arch_image"
+	done
+
+	#
+	# Push a manifest with all the architectures to the repo owner
+	#
+	manifest=$(image_name $CI_REPO_OWNER $suffix)
+	docker manifest rm $manifest || true
+	docker manifest create $manifest $images
+	image_put $CI_REPO_OWNER $(image_tag $suffix) $manifest
+	image_put $CI_REPO_OWNER $(short_image_tag $suffix) $manifest
+	#
+	# Sanity check to ensure the manifest that are published can actualy
+	# be used.
+	#
+	for arch in $ARCHS ; do
+	    docker pull --platform linux/$arch $(image_name $CI_REPO_OWNER $suffix)
+	    docker pull --platform linux/$arch $(short_image_name $CI_REPO_OWNER $suffix)
+	done
+    done
+}
+
+boot() {
+    if docker version ; then
+	return
+    fi
+    apk --update --no-cache add coredns jq curl
+    ( echo ".:53 {" ; echo "  forward . /etc/resolv.conf"; echo "}" ) > /etc/coredns/Corefile
+    coredns -conf /etc/coredns/Corefile &
+    /usr/local/bin/dockerd --data-root /var/lib/docker --host=$DOCKER_HOST --dns 172.17.0.3 &
+    for i in $(seq 60) ; do
+	docker version && break
+	sleep 1
+    done
+    docker version || exit 1
+}
+
+authenticate() {
+    echo "$RELEASETEAMTOKEN" | docker login --password-stdin --username "$RELEASETEAMUSER" $DOMAIN
+    token=$(curl -u$RELEASETEAMUSER:$RELEASETEAMTOKEN -sS https://$DOMAIN/v2/token | jq --raw-output .token)
+}
+
+image_delete() {
+    curl -sS  -H "Authorization: token $token" -X DELETE https://$DOMAIN/v2/$1/forgejo/manifests/$2
+}
+
+image_put() {
+    docker manifest inspect $3 > /tmp/manifest.json
+    curl -sS  -H "Authorization: token $token" -X PUT --data-binary @/tmp/manifest.json https://$DOMAIN/v2/$1/forgejo/manifests/$2
+}
+
+main() {
+    boot
+    authenticate
+    publish
+}
+
+image_name() {
+    echo $DOMAIN/$1/forgejo:$(image_tag $2)
+}
+
+image_tag() {
+    echo $TAG$1
+}
+
+short_image_name() {
+    echo $DOMAIN/$1/forgejo:$(short_image_tag $2)
+}
+
+short_image_tag() {
+    echo $SHORT_TAG$1
+}
+
+arch_image_name() {
+    echo $DOMAIN/$1/forgejo:$(arch_image_tag $2 $3)
+}
+
+arch_image_tag() {
+    echo $TAG-$1$2
+}
+
+#
+# Create the same set of images that buildx would
+#
+test_setup() {
+    dir=$(dirname $0)
+
+    for suffix in '' '-rootless' ; do
+	(
+	    cd $dir
+	    manifests=""
+	    for arch in $ARCHS ; do
+		image=$(arch_image_name $INTEGRATION_USER $arch $suffix)
+		docker build -f Dockerfile$suffix --platform linux/$arch -t $image .
+		docker push $image
+		images="$images $image"
+	    done
+	    manifest=$(image_name $INTEGRATION_USER $suffix)
+	    docker manifest rm $manifest || true
+	    docker manifest create $manifest $images
+	    image_put $INTEGRATION_USER $(image_tag $suffix) $manifest
+	)
+    done
+}
+
+test_teardown() {
+    authenticate
+    for suffix in '' '-rootless' ; do
+	image_delete $INTEGRATION_USER $(image_tag $suffix)
+	image_delete $CI_REPO_OWNER $(image_tag $suffix)
+	image_delete $CI_REPO_OWNER $(short_image_tag $suffix)
+	for arch in $ARCHS ; do
+	    image_delete $INTEGRATION_USER $(arch_image_tag $arch $suffix)
+	    image_delete $CI_REPO_OWNER $(arch_image_tag $arch $suffix)
+	done
+    done
+}
+
+#
+# Running the test locally instead of withing Woodpecker
+#
+# 1. Setup: obtain a token at https://codeberg.org/user/settings/applications
+# 2. Run: RELEASETEAMUSER=<username> RELEASETEAMTOKEn=<apptoken> container-images-pull-verify-push.sh test
+# 3. Verify: (optional) manual verification at https://codeberg.org/<username>/-/packages/container/forgejo/versions
+# 4. Cleanup: RELEASETEAMUSER=<username> RELEASETEAMTOKEn=<apptoken> container-images-pull-verify-push.sh test_teardown
+#
+test() {
+    boot
+    test_teardown
+    test_setup
+    VERIFY_STRING=something
+    VERIFY_COMMAND="echo $VERIFY_STRING"
+    echo "================================ TEST BEGIN"
+    main
+    echo "================================ TEST END"
+}
+
+${@:-main}