diff --git a/config/samples/ccruntime/default/kustomization.yaml b/config/samples/ccruntime/default/kustomization.yaml
index f67ec1b5..e57e41ac 100644
--- a/config/samples/ccruntime/default/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/ccruntime/default/kustomization.yaml
@@ -36,5 +36,13 @@ patches:
     - op: add
       path: /spec/config/debug
       value: false
+    - op: add
+      path: /spec/config/environmentVariables
+      value:
+        # It means that we're relying on the cluster to already have
+        # containerd v1.7+ running.  If you know for sure that's not
+        # the case, please, set this variable to `true`
+        - name: "INSTALL_OFFICIAL_CONTAINERD"
+          value: "false"
   target:
     kind: CcRuntime
diff --git a/config/samples/ccruntime/peer-pods/kustomization.yaml b/config/samples/ccruntime/peer-pods/kustomization.yaml
index 42a12490..8b62ca7d 100644
--- a/config/samples/ccruntime/peer-pods/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/ccruntime/peer-pods/kustomization.yaml
@@ -23,5 +23,13 @@ patches:
     - op: add
       path: /spec/config/debug
       value: false
+    - op: add
+      path: /spec/config/environmentVariables
+      value:
+        # It means that we're relying on the cluster to already have
+        # containerd v1.7+ running.  If you know for sure that's not
+        # the case, please, set this variable to `true`
+        - name: "INSTALL_OFFICIAL_CONTAINERD"
+          value: "false"
   target:
     kind: CcRuntime
diff --git a/config/samples/ccruntime/s390x/kustomization.yaml b/config/samples/ccruntime/s390x/kustomization.yaml
index e1016d78..d8936479 100644
--- a/config/samples/ccruntime/s390x/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/ccruntime/s390x/kustomization.yaml
@@ -26,5 +26,13 @@ patches:
     - op: add
       path: /spec/config/debug
       value: false
+    - op: add
+      path: /spec/config/environmentVariables
+      value:
+        # It means that we're relying on the cluster to already have
+        # containerd v1.7+ running.  If you know for sure that's not
+        # the case, please, set this variable to `true`
+        - name: "INSTALL_OFFICIAL_CONTAINERD"
+          value: "false"
   target:
     kind: CcRuntime
diff --git a/config/samples/ccruntime/ssh-demo/kustomization.yaml b/config/samples/ccruntime/ssh-demo/kustomization.yaml
index cd87dce0..bba2c73a 100644
--- a/config/samples/ccruntime/ssh-demo/kustomization.yaml
+++ b/config/samples/ccruntime/ssh-demo/kustomization.yaml
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ patches:
         snapshotter: "nydus"
       - name: "kata-qemu"
         snapshotter: "nydus"
+    - op: add
+      path: /spec/config/environmentVariables
+      value:
+        # It means that we're relying on the cluster to already have
+        # containerd v1.7+ running.  If you know for sure that's not
+        # the case, please, set this variable to `true`
+        - name: "INSTALL_OFFICIAL_CONTAINERD"
+          value: "false"
   target:
     kind: CcRuntime