diff --git a/Jenkinsfile b/Jenkinsfile
index cf92efd1610..1c5be872cf5 100644
--- a/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/Jenkinsfile
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 // To use a test branch (i.e. PR) until it lands to master
 // I.e. for testing library changes
 //@Library(value='pipeline-lib@your_branch') _
+@Library(value='pipeline-lib@osalyk/SRE-3459') _
 
 /* groovylint-disable-next-line CompileStatic */
 job_status_internal = [:]
@@ -310,7 +311,7 @@ pipeline {
                      description: 'Continue testing if a previous stage is Unstable')
         booleanParam(name: 'CI_UNIT_TEST',
                      defaultValue: true,
-                     description: 'Run the Unit Test on EL 8 test stage')
+                     description: 'Run the Unit Test on EL 9.5 test stage')
         booleanParam(name: 'CI_NLT_TEST',
                      defaultValue: true,
                      description: 'Run the NLT test stage')
@@ -720,7 +721,7 @@ pipeline {
                 expression { !skipStage() }
             }
             parallel {
-                stage('Unit Test on EL 8.8') {
+                stage('Unit Test') {
                     when {
                         beforeAgent true
                         expression { !skipStage() }
@@ -729,11 +730,14 @@ pipeline {
                         label cachedCommitPragma(pragma: 'VM1-label', def_val: params.CI_UNIT_VM1_LABEL)
                     }
                     steps {
-                        job_step_update(
-                            unitTest(timeout_time: 60,
-                                     unstash_opt: true,
-                                     inst_repos: daosRepos(),
-                                     inst_rpms: unitPackages()))
+                            job_step_update(
+                                unitTest(timeout_time: 60,
+                                        unstash_opt: true,
+                                        inst_repos: daosRepos(),
+                                        inst_rpms: unitPackages([image_version: "el9"]),
+                                        image_version: 'el9.5',
+                                        )
+                            )
                     }
                     post {
                         always {
@@ -742,7 +746,7 @@ pipeline {
                         }
                     }
                 }
-                stage('Unit Test bdev on EL 8.8') {
+                stage('Unit Test bdev') {
                     when {
                         beforeAgent true
                         expression { !skipStage() }
@@ -755,7 +759,8 @@ pipeline {
                             unitTest(timeout_time: 60,
                                      unstash_opt: true,
                                      inst_repos: daosRepos(),
-                                     inst_rpms: unitPackages()))
+                                     inst_rpms: unitPackages(),
+                                     image_version: 'el9.5'))
                     }
                     post {
                         always {
diff --git a/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_common_functions.sh b/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_common_functions.sh
index c3b11439d47..a01c495effe 100755
--- a/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_common_functions.sh
+++ b/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_common_functions.sh
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ retry_dnf() {
                 if command -v dnf4; then
                     dnfx="dnf4"
                 fi
-                "$dnfx" config-manager --disable 'epel*' || true
+                if "$dnfx" repolist | grep -q '^epel'; then
+                    "$dnfx" config-manager --disable 'epel*' || true
+                fi
             fi
             return 0
         fi
diff --git a/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_nodes_EL.sh b/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_nodes_EL.sh
index 75e1d7934e3..7b95bf4e27b 100644
--- a/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_nodes_EL.sh
+++ b/ci/provisioning/post_provision_config_nodes_EL.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ distro_custom() {
 
     # Use a more recent python version for unit testing, this allows us to also test installing
     # pydaos into virtual environments.
-    dnf -y install python39 python39-devel
+    dnf -y install python3.9 python3.9-devel
     dnf -y install python3.11 python3.11-devel
 }
 
diff --git a/ci/unit/required_packages.sh b/ci/unit/required_packages.sh
index bbd3313155a..0f9b34da249 100755
--- a/ci/unit/required_packages.sh
+++ b/ci/unit/required_packages.sh
@@ -3,15 +3,15 @@
 set -eu
 
 # No longer used but provided by pipeline-lib
-# distro="$1"
 # quick_build="${2:-false}"
+# distro="$1"
 
 OPENMPI_VER=""
 PY_MINOR_VER=""
 
-export DISTRO="el8" # should also work for el9
-pkgs="$(utils/rpms/package_version.sh argobots lib)                  \
-      boost-python3$PY_MINOR_VER-devel                               \
+export DISTRO="${1:-el8}"
+
+pkgs="boost-python3$PY_MINOR_VER-devel                               \
       capstone                                                       \
       $(utils/rpms/package_version.sh argobots lib)                  \
       $(utils/rpms/package_version.sh argobots debug)                \