diff --git a/.ci/Dockerfile b/.ci/Dockerfile
index c655a2d64..6aef70ac2 100644
--- a/.ci/Dockerfile
+++ b/.ci/Dockerfile
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ FROM golang:1.19-alpine@sha256:276692412aea6f9dd6cdc5725b2f1c05bef8df7223811afbc
 RUN apk add --no-cache git bash curl zip
 
 # Install yq
-RUN curl -sL -O https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/releases/download/v4.9.5/yq_linux_amd64 -o /usr/local/bin/yq && mv ./yq_linux_amd64 /usr/local/bin/yq && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/yq
+ENV YQ_VERSION=v4.44.1
+RUN curl -sL -O https://github.com/mikefarah/yq/releases/download/${YQ_VERSION}/yq_linux_amd64 -o /usr/local/bin/yq && mv ./yq_linux_amd64 /usr/local/bin/yq && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/yq
 RUN yq
 
 # Copy the registry build tools
diff --git a/build-tools/cache_samples.sh b/build-tools/cache_samples.sh
index f3d0fb384..1d532572b 100755
--- a/build-tools/cache_samples.sh
+++ b/build-tools/cache_samples.sh
@@ -47,14 +47,16 @@ function cache_sample() {
     sampleDir=$tempDir/$sampleName
 
     # Git clone the sample project
-    gitRepository="$(yq e '(.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.git.remotes.origin)' -)"
-    revision="$(yq e '(.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.git.revision)' -)"
+    gitRepository="$(yq e '.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.git.remotes.origin)' -)"
+    revision="$(yq e '.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.git.revision)' -)"
     if [[ $gitRepository == "null" ]]; then
-        for version in $(yq e '(.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.versions[].version)' -); do
-          gitRepository="$(yq e '(.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.versions[] | select(.version == "'${version}'")' -| yq e '.git.remotes.origin' -)"
-          revision="$(yq e '(.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.versions[] | select(.version == "'${version}'")' -| yq e '.git.revision' -)"
+        for version in $(yq e '.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.versions[].version)' -); do
+          gitRepository="$(yq e '.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '.versions[] | select(.version == "'${version}'")' -| yq e '.git.remotes.origin' -)"
+          revision="$(yq e '.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '.versions[] | select(.version == "'${version}'")' -| yq e '.git.revision' -)"
           clone_sample_repo $gitRepository $sampleDir/$version $revision
-          mkdir $outputDir/$version
+          if [ ! -d $outputDir/$version ]; then
+            mkdir $outputDir/$version
+          fi
           cache_devfile $sampleDir/$version $outputDir/$version $sampleName
         done
     else
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ function cache_sample() {
     fi
 
     # Cache the icon for the sample
-    local iconPath="$(yq e '(.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.icon)' -)"
+    local iconPath="$(yq e '.samples[] | select(.name == "'${sampleName}'")' $devfileEntriesFile | yq e '(.icon)' -)"
     if [[ $iconPath != "null" ]]; then
       urlRegex='(https?)://[-A-Za-z0-9\+&@#/%?=~_|!:,.;]*[-A-Za-z0-9\+&@#/%=~_|]'
       if [[ $iconPath =~ $urlRegex ]]; then
diff --git a/build-tools/dl_starter_projects.sh b/build-tools/dl_starter_projects.sh
index 83b0553b0..f23b1e0ec 100755
--- a/build-tools/dl_starter_projects.sh
+++ b/build-tools/dl_starter_projects.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 # Path of stacks directory in the registry
-STACKS_DIR=/registry/stacks
+STACKS_DIR=${STACKS_DIR:-/registry/stacks}
 # List of starter projects to use offline
 offline_starter_projects=( "$@" )
 # When no starter projects are specifed,