diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5566a331..972072b7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -203,8 +203,8 @@ gen: deps gen/grpc gen/openapi gen/openapi-server gen/converter
 
 .PHONY: lint
 lint:
-	${GOLANGCI_LINT} run main.go
-	${GOLANGCI_LINT} run cmd/... internal/... ./pkg/...
+	${GOLANGCI_LINT} run main.go  --timeout 3m
+	${GOLANGCI_LINT} run cmd/... internal/... ./pkg/...  --timeout 3m
 
 .PHONY: test
 test: gen bin/envtest
@@ -256,12 +256,12 @@ ifeq ($(DOCKER),docker)
 	# docker uses builder containers
 	- $(DOCKER) buildx rm model-registry-builder
 	$(DOCKER) buildx create --use --name model-registry-builder --platform=$(PLATFORMS)
-	$(DOCKER) buildx build --push --platform=$(PLATFORMS) --tag ${IMG} -f ${DOCKERFILE} .
+	$(DOCKER) buildx build --push --platform=$(PLATFORMS) --tag ${IMG}:$(IMG_VERSION) -f ${DOCKERFILE} .
 	$(DOCKER) buildx rm model-registry-builder
 else ifeq ($(DOCKER),podman)
 	# podman uses image manifests
 	$(DOCKER) manifest create -a ${IMG}
-	$(DOCKER) buildx build --platform=$(PLATFORMS) --manifest ${IMG} -f ${DOCKERFILE} .
+	$(DOCKER) buildx build --platform=$(PLATFORMS) --manifest ${IMG}:$(IMG_VERSION) -f ${DOCKERFILE} .
 	$(DOCKER) manifest push ${IMG}
 	$(DOCKER) manifest rm ${IMG}
 else
diff --git a/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/controller.go b/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/controller.go
index a66a8a9d..fc4ac445 100644
--- a/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/controller.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package inferenceservicecontroller
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/tls"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ import (
 
 type InferenceServiceController struct {
 	client                        client.Client
-	customHTTPClient              *http.Client
+	httpClient                    *http.Client
 	log                           logr.Logger
 	bearerToken                   string
 	inferenceServiceIDLabel       string
@@ -26,14 +27,36 @@ type InferenceServiceController struct {
 	modelVersionIDLabel           string
 	modelRegistryNamespaceLabel   string
 	modelRegistryNameLabel        string
-	modelRegistryURLLabel         string
+	modelRegistryURLAnnotation    string
 	modelRegistryFinalizer        string
 	defaultModelRegistryNamespace string
 }
 
-func NewInferenceServiceController(client client.Client, log logr.Logger, bearerToken, isIDLabel, regModelIDLabel, modelVerIDLabel, mrNamespaceLabel, mrNameLabel, mrURLLabel, mrFinalizer, defaultMRNamespace string) *InferenceServiceController {
+func NewInferenceServiceController(
+	client client.Client,
+	log logr.Logger,
+	skipTLSVerify bool,
+	bearerToken,
+	isIDLabel,
+	regModelIDLabel,
+	modelVerIDLabel,
+	mrNamespaceLabel,
+	mrNameLabel,
+	mrURLAnnotation,
+	mrFinalizer,
+	defaultMRNamespace string,
+) *InferenceServiceController {
+	httpClient := http.DefaultClient
+
+	if skipTLSVerify {
+		httpClient.Transport = &http.Transport{
+			TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true},
+		}
+	}
+
 	return &InferenceServiceController{
 		client:                        client,
+		httpClient:                    httpClient,
 		log:                           log,
 		bearerToken:                   bearerToken,
 		inferenceServiceIDLabel:       isIDLabel,
@@ -41,14 +64,14 @@ func NewInferenceServiceController(client client.Client, log logr.Logger, bearer
 		modelVersionIDLabel:           modelVerIDLabel,
 		modelRegistryNamespaceLabel:   mrNamespaceLabel,
 		modelRegistryNameLabel:        mrNameLabel,
-		modelRegistryURLLabel:         mrURLLabel,
+		modelRegistryURLAnnotation:    mrURLAnnotation,
 		modelRegistryFinalizer:        mrFinalizer,
 		defaultModelRegistryNamespace: defaultMRNamespace,
 	}
 }
 
 func (r *InferenceServiceController) OverrideHTTPClient(client *http.Client) {
-	r.customHTTPClient = client
+	r.httpClient = client
 }
 
 // Reconcile performs the reconciliation of the model registry based on Kubeflow InferenceService CRs
@@ -80,14 +103,20 @@ func (r *InferenceServiceController) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Req
 	registeredModelId, okRegisteredModelId := isvc.Labels[r.registeredModelIDLabel]
 	modelVersionId := isvc.Labels[r.modelVersionIDLabel]
 	mrName, okMrName := isvc.Labels[r.modelRegistryNameLabel]
-	mrUrl := isvc.Labels[r.modelRegistryURLLabel]
+	mrUrl, okMrUrl := isvc.Annotations[r.modelRegistryURLAnnotation]
 
-	if !okMrIsvcId && !okRegisteredModelId && !okMrName {
+	if !okMrIsvcId && !okRegisteredModelId {
 		// Early check: no model registry specific labels set in the ISVC, ignore the CR
 		log.Error(fmt.Errorf("missing model registry specific label, unable to link ISVC to Model Registry, skipping InferenceService"), "Stop ModelRegistry InferenceService reconciliation")
 		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 	}
 
+	if !okMrName && !okMrUrl {
+		// Early check: it's required to have the model registry name or url set in the ISVC
+		log.Error(fmt.Errorf("missing model registry name or url, unable to link ISVC to Model Registry, skipping InferenceService"), "Stop ModelRegistry InferenceService reconciliation")
+		return ctrl.Result{}, nil
+	}
+
 	if mrNSFromISVC, ok := isvc.Labels[r.modelRegistryNamespaceLabel]; ok {
 		mrNamespace = mrNSFromISVC
 	}
@@ -210,7 +239,7 @@ func (r *InferenceServiceController) initModelRegistryService(ctx context.Contex
 	}
 
 	cfg := &openapi.Configuration{
-		HTTPClient: r.customHTTPClient,
+		HTTPClient: r.httpClient,
 		Servers: openapi.ServerConfigurations{
 			{
 				URL: url,
diff --git a/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/suite_test.go b/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/suite_test.go
index cbfd31bb..ab951b06 100644
--- a/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/suite_test.go
+++ b/pkg/inferenceservice-controller/suite_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ const (
 	modelVersionIDLabel     = "modelregistry.kubeflow.org/model-version-id"
 	namespaceLabel          = "modelregistry.kubeflow.org/namespace"
 	nameLabel               = "modelregistry.kubeflow.org/name"
-	urlLabel                = "modelregistry.kubeflow.org/url"
+	skipTLSVerify           = true
+	urlAnnotation           = "modelregistry.kubeflow.org/url"
 	finalizerLabel          = "modelregistry.kubeflow.org/finalizer"
 	defaultNamespace        = "default"
 	accessToken             = ""
@@ -135,13 +136,14 @@ var _ = BeforeSuite(func() {
 	inferenceServiceController := inferenceservicecontroller.NewInferenceServiceController(
 		cli,
 		ctrl.Log.WithName("controllers").WithName("ModelRegistry-InferenceService-Controller"),
+		skipTLSVerify,
 		accessToken,
 		inferenceServiceIDLabel,
 		registeredModelIDLabel,
 		modelVersionIDLabel,
 		namespaceLabel,
 		nameLabel,
-		urlLabel,
+		urlAnnotation,
 		finalizerLabel,
 		defaultNamespace,
 	)
diff --git a/scripts/install_protoc.sh b/scripts/install_protoc.sh
index 6f8fc3b5..fd66de66 100755
--- a/scripts/install_protoc.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_protoc.sh
@@ -7,9 +7,13 @@ if [[ ${OSTYPE,,} =~ darwin ]]; then
     OS="osx"
 fi
 
-ARCH="x86_64"
-if [[ $(uname -m) =~ arm ]]; then
-    ARCH="aarch_64"
+ARCH=$(uname -m)
+if [[ "$ARCH" == "arm"* ]]; then
+  ARCH="aarch_64"
+elif [[ "$ARCH" == "s390x" ]]; then
+  ARCH="s390_64"
+elif [[ "$ARCH" == "ppc64le" ]] ; then
+  ARCH="ppcle_64"
 fi
 
 PROJECT_ROOT=$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")"/..)