diff --git a/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml b/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
index 1deafb1ffd2b..fe422d019e7e 100644
--- a/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
@@ -353,12 +353,12 @@ variables:
   # allowing the same e2e config file to be re-used in different Prow jobs e.g. each one with a K8s version permutation.
   # The following Kubernetes versions should be the latest versions with already published kindest/node images.
   # This avoids building node images in the default case which improves the test duration significantly.
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT: "v1.30.0"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION: "v1.30.0"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_FROM: "v1.29.4"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.30.0"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT: "v1.31.0-beta.0"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION: "v1.31.0-beta.0"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_FROM: "v1.30.2"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.31.0-beta.0"
   KUBERNETES_VERSION_LATEST_CI: "ci/latest-1.31"
-  ETCD_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "3.5.12-0"
+  ETCD_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "3.5.14-0"
   COREDNS_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.11.1"
   DOCKER_SERVICE_DOMAIN: "cluster.local"
   IP_FAMILY: "dual"
diff --git a/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go b/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go
index ceed622e9670..01b1d3841c1d 100644
--- a/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go
+++ b/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"github.com/blang/semver/v4"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	kindv1 "sigs.k8s.io/kind/pkg/apis/config/v1alpha4"
@@ -32,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/test/framework/internal/log"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/test/infrastructure/container"
 	kindmapper "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/test/infrastructure/kind"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api/util/version"
 )
 
 // CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImagesInput is the input for CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImages.
@@ -68,10 +68,11 @@ func CreateKindBootstrapClusterAndLoadImages(ctx context.Context, input CreateKi
 
 	options := []KindClusterOption{}
 	if input.KubernetesVersion != "" {
-		semVer, err := version.ParseMajorMinorPatchTolerant(input.KubernetesVersion)
+		semVer, err := semver.ParseTolerant(input.KubernetesVersion)
 		if err != nil {
 			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred(), "could not parse KubernetesVersion version")
 		}
+
 		kindMapping := kindmapper.GetMapping(semVer, "")
 
 		options = append(options, WithNodeImage(kindMapping.Image))
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml
index ace08fe62123..82f2f57f820a 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
 spec:
   replicas: 1
-  version: v1.30.0
+  version: v1.31.0-beta.0
   machineTemplate:
     infrastructureRef:
       apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ spec:
   replicas: 2
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.30.0
+      version: v1.31.0-beta.0
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef:
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml
index 2388d91e794b..254a8a2cd6fe 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
 spec:
   replicas: 1
-  version: v1.30.0
+  version: v1.31.0-beta.0
   machineTemplate:
     infrastructureRef:
       apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ spec:
       cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: my-cluster
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.30.0
+      version: v1.31.0-beta.0
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef:
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml
index f7598b101046..253665d2a83b 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ metadata:
   name: controlplane-0
   namespace: default
 spec:
-  version: v1.30.0
+  version: v1.31.0-beta.0
   clusterName: my-cluster
   bootstrap:
     configRef:
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ spec:
       cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: my-cluster
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.30.0
+      version: v1.31.0-beta.0
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef:
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml
index 8f7753b8eb49..9f9624678f1f 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
 spec:
   replicas: 1
-  version: v1.30.0
+  version: v1.31.0-beta.0
   machineTemplate:
     infrastructureRef:
       apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ spec:
       cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: my-cluster
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.30.0
+      version: v1.31.0-beta.0
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef: