diff --git a/inttest/basic/basic_test.go b/inttest/basic/basic_test.go
index e040fe125385..13314def6439 100644
--- a/inttest/basic/basic_test.go
+++ b/inttest/basic/basic_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 
 	certificatesv1 "k8s.io/api/certificates/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/fields"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
@@ -75,6 +76,8 @@ func (s *BasicSuite) TestK0sGetsUp() {
 	if err != nil {
 		s.FailNow("failed to obtain Kubernetes client", err)
 	}
+	restConfig, err := s.GetKubeConfig(s.ControllerNode(0), "")
+	s.Require().NoError(err)
 
 	err = s.WaitForNodeReady(s.WorkerNode(0), kc)
 	s.NoError(err)
@@ -113,6 +116,20 @@ func (s *BasicSuite) TestK0sGetsUp() {
 		s.Require().NoError(common.VerifyKubeletMetrics(ctx, kc, node))
 	}
 
+	s.T().Log("checking kube-router gobgp functionality")
+	kubeRouterPods, err := kc.CoreV1().Pods("kube-system").List(ctx, metav1.ListOptions{LabelSelector: "k8s-app=kube-router"})
+	s.Require().NoError(err)
+	// Just take the first running pod for execing the gobgp command
+	for _, pod := range kubeRouterPods.Items {
+		if pod.Status.Phase == corev1.PodRunning {
+			out, err := common.PodExecCmdOutput(kc, restConfig, pod.Name, "kube-system", "gobgp global")
+			s.Require().NoError(err)
+			// Check that the output contains the default AS number, that's a sign that gobgp is working
+			s.Assert().Regexp(`AS:\s+64512`, out)
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
 	s.verifyContainerdDefaultConfig(ctx)
 
 	s.Require().NoError(s.probeCoreDNSAntiAffinity(ctx, kc))
diff --git a/pkg/constant/constant_shared.go b/pkg/constant/constant_shared.go
index adfcd196b05e..08b866600753 100644
--- a/pkg/constant/constant_shared.go
+++ b/pkg/constant/constant_shared.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ const (
 	CalicoNodeImage                    = "quay.io/k0sproject/calico-node"
 	KubeControllerImage                = "quay.io/k0sproject/calico-kube-controllers"
 	KubeRouterCNIImage                 = "quay.io/k0sproject/kube-router"
-	KubeRouterCNIImageVersion          = "v1.6.0-iptables1.8.9-0"
+	KubeRouterCNIImageVersion          = "v1.6.0-iptables1.8.9-1"
 	KubeRouterCNIInstallerImage        = "quay.io/k0sproject/cni-node"
 	KubeRouterCNIInstallerImageVersion = "1.1.1-k0s.1"
 	OpenEBSRepository                  = "https://openebs.github.io/charts"