diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull_request-helm.yaml b/.github/workflows/pull_request-helm.yaml
index 7639c2c3..0a31f4ef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull_request-helm.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull_request-helm.yaml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Get version for chart from helm repo
       id: chart_eval
       run: |
-        current_chart_version=$(helm search repo stakater/reloader | tail -n 1 | awk '{print $2}')
+        current_chart_version=$(helm search repo stakater/reloader-v2 | tail -n 1 | awk '{print $2}')
         echo "CURRENT_CHART_VERSION=$(echo ${current_chart_version})" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
     - name: Get Updated Chart version from Chart.yaml
@@ -82,7 +82,10 @@ jobs:
       with:
         cmd: yq e '.version' deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/Chart.yaml
 
+    # Skip the version-increase gate on first publish, when no reloader-v2
+    # chart exists yet in the repo (CURRENT_CHART_VERSION is empty).
     - name: Check Version
+      if: steps.chart_eval.outputs.CURRENT_CHART_VERSION != ''
       uses: aleoyakas/check-semver-increased-action@415c9c60054c2442c03478b6dd96a195deac6695 # v1
       id: check-version
       with:
@@ -90,7 +93,7 @@ jobs:
         previous-version: ${{ steps.chart_eval.outputs.CURRENT_CHART_VERSION }}
 
     - name: Fail if Helm Chart version isnt updated
-      if: steps.check-version.outputs.is-version-increased != 'true'
+      if: steps.chart_eval.outputs.CURRENT_CHART_VERSION != '' && steps.check-version.outputs.is-version-increased != 'true'
       run: |
         echo "Helm Chart Version wasnt updated"
         exit 1
diff --git a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/README.md b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/README.md
index 4a7ba5e3..05e86076 100644
--- a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/README.md
+++ b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/README.md
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ helm repo add stakater https://stakater.github.io/stakater-charts
 
 helm repo update
 
-helm install stakater/reloader # For helm3 add --generate-name flag or set the release name
+helm install stakater/reloader-v2 # For helm3 add --generate-name flag or set the release name
 
-helm install {{RELEASE_NAME}} stakater/reloader -n {{NAMESPACE}} --set reloader.watchGlobally=false # By default, Reloader watches in all namespaces. To watch in single namespace, set watchGlobally=false
+helm install {{RELEASE_NAME}} stakater/reloader-v2 -n {{NAMESPACE}} --set reloader.watchGlobally=false # By default, Reloader watches in all namespaces. To watch in single namespace, set watchGlobally=false
 
-helm install stakater/reloader --set reloader.watchGlobally=false --namespace test --generate-name # Install Reloader in `test` namespace which will only watch `Deployments`, `Daemonsets` `Statefulsets` and `Rollouts` in `test` namespace.
+helm install stakater/reloader-v2 --set reloader.watchGlobally=false --namespace test --generate-name # Install Reloader in `test` namespace which will only watch `Deployments`, `Daemonsets` `Statefulsets` and `Rollouts` in `test` namespace.
 
-helm install stakater/reloader --set reloader.ignoreJobs=true --set reloader.ignoreCronJobs=true --generate-name # Install Reloader ignoring Jobs and CronJobs from reload monitoring
+helm install stakater/reloader-v2 --set reloader.ignoreJobs=true --set reloader.ignoreCronJobs=true --generate-name # Install Reloader ignoring Jobs and CronJobs from reload monitoring
 ```
 
 ## Uninstalling
@@ -192,9 +192,16 @@ Enabling it requires **four** changes, because the operator image is swapped man
    ```yaml
    image:
      repository: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader-enterprise
-     tag: v0.1.0
+     tag: v0.0.43   # enterprise operator image tag (v-prefixed); use the latest release
    ```
 
+   > **Version note:** three different numbers are in play here, don't mix them up:
+   > - `image.tag` above is the **enterprise operator image** tag (e.g. `v0.0.43`).
+   > - the `reloader-enterprise` **subchart** version (`0.1.0`, in `Chart.yaml`
+   >   dependencies) is the Helm chart version, not an image tag.
+   > - the console and gateway images have their own tags again, set under
+   >   `enterprise.console.*` / `enterprise.gateway.*`.
+
 3. Provide an image pull secret — the enterprise operator, console, and gateway
    images are in **private GHCR**:
 
diff --git a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/templates/NOTES.txt b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/templates/NOTES.txt
index d437a4f2..be10fd61 100644
--- a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/templates/NOTES.txt
+++ b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/templates/NOTES.txt
@@ -5,3 +5,13 @@
   {{ .Values.reloader.custom_annotations.secret | default "secret.reloader.stakater.com/reload" }}: "foo-secret"
 
 - After successful installation, your pods will get rolling updates when a change in data of configmap or secret will happen.
+{{- if .Values.enterprise.enabled }}
+{{- $usingCommunityImage := ternary (eq .Values.image.name "stakater/reloader") (eq .Values.image.repository "ghcr.io/stakater/reloader") (not (empty .Values.global.imageRegistry)) }}
+{{- if $usingCommunityImage }}
+
+  WARNING: enterprise.enabled=true but the operator image still points at the
+  community image. The operator will run, but without enterprise features. To use
+  the enterprise operator, override {{ if .Values.global.imageRegistry }}image.name{{ else }}image.repository{{ end }}/image.tag — see the
+  chart README "Enterprise mode".
+{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
diff --git a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/tests/enterprise_test.yaml b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/tests/enterprise_test.yaml
index 7ea2da1c..cdfc6a5d 100644
--- a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/tests/enterprise_test.yaml
+++ b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/tests/enterprise_test.yaml
@@ -7,14 +7,22 @@ tests:
       - equal:
           path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].image
           value: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader:v2.0.0
-  - it: uses the enterprise image when the image block is overridden
+  # The operator image is swapped manually via image.*; enterprise.enabled only
+  # toggles the subchart and must NOT change the operator image on its own.
+  - it: enterprise.enabled alone does not change the operator image
     set:
       enterprise:
         enabled: true
-      image:
-        repository: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader-enterprise
-        tag: v2.0.0
     asserts:
       - equal:
           path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].image
-          value: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader-enterprise:v2.0.0
+          value: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader:v2.0.0
+  - it: uses the enterprise image when the image block is overridden
+    set:
+      image:
+        repository: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader-enterprise
+        tag: test-tag
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: spec.template.spec.containers[0].image
+          value: ghcr.io/stakater/reloader-enterprise:test-tag
diff --git a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/values.yaml b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/values.yaml
index fce643d3..3d0e47eb 100644
--- a/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/values.yaml
+++ b/deployments/kubernetes/chart/reloader/values.yaml
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ image:
   pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
 
 # Reloader Enterprise components (console + gateway + dragonfly cache).
-# When enabled, ALSO set image.repository/image.tag to the enterprise operator
-# image and provide global.imagePullSecrets — see the chart README "Enterprise mode".
+# When enabled, ALSO swap the operator image to the enterprise image and provide
+# global.imagePullSecrets — see the chart README "Enterprise mode".
+# NOTE: if global.imageRegistry is set, the operator image resolves from
+# global.imageRegistry + image.name (image.repository is ignored); in that mode
+# override image.name, not image.repository.
 enterprise:
   enabled: false
   console: