diff --git a/internal/controller/bucket_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/bucket_controller_test.go
index 6ec912dfe..4cf9cbc96 100644
--- a/internal/controller/bucket_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/bucket_controller_test.go
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ func TestBucketReconciler_reconcileStorage(t *testing.T) {
 			g.Expect(obj.Status.Conditions).To(conditions.MatchConditions(tt.assertConditions))
 
 			for _, p := range tt.assertPaths {
-				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, p)
+				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, strings.TrimPrefix(p, "!"))
 				if !strings.HasPrefix(p, "!") {
 					g.Expect(absoluteP).To(BeAnExistingFile())
 					continue
diff --git a/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller_test.go
index 38aadca4d..da868b67d 100644
--- a/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/gitrepository_controller_test.go
@@ -1947,7 +1947,7 @@ func TestGitRepositoryReconciler_reconcileStorage(t *testing.T) {
 			g.Expect(obj.Status.Conditions).To(conditions.MatchConditions(tt.assertConditions))
 
 			for _, p := range tt.assertPaths {
-				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, p)
+				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, strings.TrimPrefix(p, "!"))
 				if !strings.HasPrefix(p, "!") {
 					g.Expect(absoluteP).To(BeAnExistingFile())
 					continue
diff --git a/internal/controller/helmchart_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/helmchart_controller_test.go
index 94c6f7de4..e4f32971f 100644
--- a/internal/controller/helmchart_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/helmchart_controller_test.go
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ func TestHelmChartReconciler_reconcileStorage(t *testing.T) {
 			g.Expect(obj.Status.Conditions).To(conditions.MatchConditions(tt.assertConditions))
 
 			for _, p := range tt.assertPaths {
-				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, p)
+				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, strings.TrimPrefix(p, "!"))
 				if !strings.HasPrefix(p, "!") {
 					g.Expect(absoluteP).To(BeAnExistingFile())
 					continue
diff --git a/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller_test.go
index 68f1e77f9..e5266d3af 100644
--- a/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/helmrepository_controller_test.go
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ func TestHelmRepositoryReconciler_reconcileStorage(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			for _, p := range tt.assertPaths {
-				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, p)
+				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, strings.TrimPrefix(p, "!"))
 				if !strings.HasPrefix(p, "!") {
 					g.Expect(absoluteP).To(BeAnExistingFile())
 					continue
diff --git a/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller_test.go b/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller_test.go
index 8907d84d0..a3370f5dc 100644
--- a/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/ocirepository_controller_test.go
@@ -3472,7 +3472,7 @@ func TestOCIRepository_reconcileStorage(t *testing.T) {
 			g.Expect(obj.Status.Conditions).To(conditions.MatchConditions(tt.assertConditions))
 
 			for _, p := range tt.assertPaths {
-				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, p)
+				absoluteP := filepath.Join(testStorage.BasePath, strings.TrimPrefix(p, "!"))
 				if !strings.HasPrefix(p, "!") {
 					g.Expect(absoluteP).To(BeAnExistingFile())
 					continue