diff --git a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults_test.go b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults_test.go
index 5aa29a681..a35d3ce93 100644
--- a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults_test.go
+++ b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/defaults_test.go
@@ -8,7 +8,21 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+const TestFileLocation = "testdata/defaults.json"
+
 func TestCAInjectorConfigurationDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Getenv("UPDATE_DEFAULTS") == "true" {
+		config := &v1alpha1.CAInjectorConfiguration{}
+		SetObjectDefaults_CAInjectorConfiguration(config)
+		defaultData, err := json.Marshal(config)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		if err := os.WriteFile(TestFileLocation, defaultData, 0644); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		t.Log("cainjector api defaults updated")
+	}
 	tests := []struct {
 		name   string
 		config *v1alpha1.CAInjectorConfiguration
@@ -23,11 +37,11 @@ func TestCAInjectorConfigurationDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 			SetObjectDefaults_CAInjectorConfiguration(tt.config)
 
 			var expected *v1alpha1.CAInjectorConfiguration
-			expectedData, err := os.ReadFile("./test/defaults.json")
+			expectedData, err := os.ReadFile(TestFileLocation)
 			err = json.Unmarshal(expectedData, &expected)
 
 			if err != nil {
-				t.Errorf("testfile not found")
+				t.Fatal("testfile not found")
 			}
 
 			if !reflect.DeepEqual(tt.config, expected) {
diff --git a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/test/apidefaults.go b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/test/apidefaults.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d157545a0..000000000
--- a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/test/apidefaults.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
-	v1alpha1_pkg "github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1"
-	"github.com/cert-manager/cert-manager/pkg/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1"
-	"os"
-)
-
-func main() {
-	config := &v1alpha1.CAInjectorConfiguration{}
-	v1alpha1_pkg.SetObjectDefaults_CAInjectorConfiguration(config)
-	data, err := json.Marshal(config)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	err = os.WriteFile("./defaults.json", data, 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-	fmt.Println("cainjector api defaults updated")
-}
diff --git a/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/test/defaults.json b/internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/testdata/defaults.json
similarity index 100%
rename from internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/test/defaults.json
rename to internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/testdata/defaults.json
diff --git a/make/test.mk b/make/test.mk
index e02d0768e..4f4ade006 100644
--- a/make/test.mk
+++ b/make/test.mk
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ unit-test-webhook: | $(NEEDS_GOTESTSUM)
 	cd cmd/webhook && $(GOTESTSUM) ./...
 
 .PHONY: update-apidefaults-cainjector
-update-apidefaults-cainjector:
-	cd internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/test && bash -c "$(GO) run apidefaults.go"
+update-apidefaults-cainjector: | $(NEEDS_GOTESTSUM)
+	cd internal/apis/config/cainjector/v1alpha1/ && UPDATE_DEFAULTS=true $(GOTESTSUM) . && echo "cainjector api defaults updated"
 
 .PHONY: setup-integration-tests
 setup-integration-tests: templated-crds