diff --git a/pkg/payload/render.go b/pkg/payload/render.go
index 03c6257ef..57aba98cb 100644
--- a/pkg/payload/render.go
+++ b/pkg/payload/render.go
@@ -126,14 +126,7 @@ func renderDir(renderConfig manifestRenderConfig, idir, odir string, requiredFea
 		if skipFiles.Has(file.Name()) {
 			continue
 		}
-		if strings.Contains(file.Name(), "CustomNoUpgrade") ||
-			strings.Contains(file.Name(), "TechPreviewNoUpgrade") ||
-			strings.Contains(file.Name(), "DevPreviewNoUpgrade") ||
-			strings.Contains(file.Name(), "OKD") {
-			// CustomNoUpgrade, TechPreviewNoUpgrade, DevPreviewNoUpgrade, and OKD may add features to manifests like the ClusterVersion CRD,
-			// but we do not need those features during bootstrap-render time.  In those clusters, the production
-			// CVO will be along shortly to update the manifests and deliver the gated features.
-			// fixme: now that we have requiredFeatureSet, use it to do Manifest.Include() filtering here instead of making filename assumptions
+		if skipFeatureSets(file.Name()) {
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -199,6 +192,21 @@ func renderDir(renderConfig manifestRenderConfig, idir, odir string, requiredFea
 	return nil
 }
 
+// CustomNoUpgrade, TechPreviewNoUpgrade, DevPreviewNoUpgrade, and OKD may add features to manifests like the ClusterVersion CRD,
+// but we do not need those features during bootstrap-render time.  In those clusters, the production
+// CVO will be along shortly to update the manifests and deliver the gated features.
+// fixme: now that we have requiredFeatureSet, use it to do Manifest.Include() filtering here instead of making filename assumptions
+var cvoSkipFeatureSets = sets.New[string]("CustomNoUpgrade", "TechPreviewNoUpgrade", "DevPreviewNoUpgrade", "OKD")
+
+func skipFeatureSets(filename string) bool {
+	for featureSet := range cvoSkipFeatureSets {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(filename, featureSet) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 type manifestRenderConfig struct {
 	ReleaseImage   string
 	ClusterProfile string
diff --git a/pkg/payload/render_test.go b/pkg/payload/render_test.go
index efaafc427..9b1257ff5 100644
--- a/pkg/payload/render_test.go
+++ b/pkg/payload/render_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+	configv1 "github.com/openshift/api/config/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 )
 
 func TestRenderManifest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -58,3 +60,22 @@ func TestRenderManifest(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_cvoKnownFeatureSets(t *testing.T) {
+	unknown := sets.New[string]()
+	known := cvoSkipFeatureSets.Clone().Insert(string(configv1.Default))
+	for _, fs := range append(configv1.AllFixedFeatureSets, configv1.CustomNoUpgrade) {
+		candidate := string(fs)
+		if !known.Has(candidate) {
+			unknown.Insert(candidate)
+		}
+	}
+	if unknown.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("found unknown feature sets [%s] not recognized by CVO. If it is a result of bump o/api e.g., "+
+			"https://github.com/openshift/cluster-version-operator/pull/1302/commits/dd3b8335f7f443b5ab6ffcfd78236832cb922753 "+
+			"and it led to failing CVO/Hypershift e2e tests, please try to fix them by pulls like "+
+			"https://github.com/openshift/hypershift/pull/7557 and "+
+			"https://github.com/openshift/cluster-version-operator/pull/1302/commits/981361e85b58ec77dada253e63f79f8ef78a8bd1. "+
+			"Otherwise, adding them to cvoSkipFeatureSets fixes this unit test", strings.Join(unknown.UnsortedList(), ", "))
+	}
+}