diff --git a/internal/dao/dp.go b/internal/dao/dp.go
index a5fb19c5..13f58bbb 100644
--- a/internal/dao/dp.go
+++ b/internal/dao/dp.go
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"strings"
-
 	"github.com/derailed/k9s/internal/client"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 	appsv1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
@@ -231,16 +229,11 @@ func (d *Deployment) SetImages(ctx context.Context, path string, images map[stri
 	if !auth {
 		return fmt.Errorf("user is not authorized to patch a deployment")
 	}
-	var nameStrB strings.Builder
-	var imageStrB strings.Builder
 
-	for name, image := range images {
-		nameStrB.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(`{"name":"%s"},`, name))
-		imageStrB.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(`{"image":"%s","name":"%s"},`, image, name))
+	jsonPatch, err := SetImageJsonPatch(images)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	namesJson := strings.TrimSuffix(nameStrB.String(), ",")
-	imagesJson := strings.TrimSuffix(imageStrB.String(), ",")
-	patchJson := `{"spec":{"template":{"spec":{"$setElementOrder/containers":[` + namesJson + `],"containers":[` + imagesJson + `]}}}}`
 	dial, err := d.Client().Dial()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -249,7 +242,7 @@ func (d *Deployment) SetImages(ctx context.Context, path string, images map[stri
 		ctx,
 		n,
 		types.StrategicMergePatchType,
-		[]byte(patchJson),
+		[]byte(jsonPatch),
 		metav1.PatchOptions{},
 	)
 	return err
diff --git a/internal/dao/patch.go b/internal/dao/patch.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..63e39474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/dao/patch.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package dao
+
+import "encoding/json"
+
+type JsonPatch struct {
+	Spec Spec `json:"spec"`
+}
+
+type Spec struct {
+	Template Template `json:"template"`
+}
+
+type Template struct {
+	Spec ImagesSpec `json:"spec"`
+}
+
+type ImagesSpec struct {
+	SetElementOrders []Element `json:"$setElementOrder/containers"`
+	Containers       []Element `json:"containers"`
+}
+
+type Element struct {
+	Image string `json:"image,omitempty"`
+	Name  string `json:"name"`
+}
+
+// Build a json patch string to update PodSpec images
+func SetImageJsonPatch(images map[string]string) (string, error) {
+	elementOrders := make([]Element, 0)
+	containers := make([]Element, 0)
+	for key, value := range images {
+		elementOrders = append(elementOrders, Element{Name: key})
+		containers = append(containers, Element{Name: key, Image: value})
+	}
+	jsonPatch := JsonPatch{
+		Spec: Spec{
+			Template: Template{
+				Spec: ImagesSpec{
+					SetElementOrders: elementOrders,
+					Containers:       containers,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	bytes, err := json.Marshal(jsonPatch)
+	return string(bytes), err
+}
diff --git a/internal/dao/patch_test.go b/internal/dao/patch_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f083d2db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/dao/patch_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package dao
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestSetImageJsonPatch(t *testing.T) {
+	type args struct {
+		images map[string]string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		args    args
+		want    string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "simple",
+			args: args{
+				images: map[string]string{"nginx": "nginx:latest"},
+			},
+			want:    "",
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := SetImageJsonPatch(tt.args.images)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("SetImageJsonPatch() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Errorf("SetImageJsonPatch() got = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}