diff --git a/.github/workflows/RunTests.yml b/.github/workflows/RunTests.yml
index bccb8afb1..d7765aa1d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/RunTests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/RunTests.yml
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ jobs:
     with:
       device_type: gpu
       device_name: a100-40gb-4
-      build_mode: pinned
-      base_image: gcr.io/tpu-prod-env-multipod/maxtext_gpu_jax_pinned:latest
+      build_mode: stable_stack
+      base_image: us-docker.pkg.dev/tpu-prod-env-multipod/jax-stable-stack/candidate/gpu:latest
 
   tpu_unit_tests:
     needs: tpu_image
diff --git a/.github/workflows/UploadDockerImages.yml b/.github/workflows/UploadDockerImages.yml
index e9f8da34c..904ae221b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/UploadDockerImages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/UploadDockerImages.yml
@@ -73,3 +73,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: build image with stable stack nightly jax
       run: |
         bash .github/workflows/build_and_upload_images.sh CLOUD_IMAGE_NAME=maxtext_gpu_stable_stack_nightly_jax MODE=stable_stack DEVICE=gpu PROJECT=tpu-prod-env-multipod LOCAL_IMAGE_NAME=maxtext_gpu_jax_stable_stack_nightly BASEIMAGE=us-docker.pkg.dev/tpu-prod-env-multipod/jax-stable-stack/gpu/jax_nightly:latest MAXTEXT_REQUIREMENTS_FILE=requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt
+    - name: build image with jax stable stack release candidate image
+      run: |
+        bash .github/workflows/build_and_upload_images.sh CLOUD_IMAGE_NAME=maxtext_stable_stack_candidate_gpu MODE=stable_stack DEVICE=gpu PROJECT=tpu-prod-env-multipod LOCAL_IMAGE_NAME=maxtext_stable_stack_candidate_gpu BASEIMAGE=us-docker.pkg.dev/tpu-prod-env-multipod/jax-stable-stack/candidate/gpu:latest MAXTEXT_REQUIREMENTS_FILE=requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/run_tests_internal.yml b/.github/workflows/run_tests_internal.yml
index 3fbd3dbeb..3db10dc85 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/run_tests_internal.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/run_tests_internal.yml
@@ -66,6 +66,6 @@ jobs:
             ${{ inputs.container_resource_option }} \
             gcr.io/tpu-prod-env-multipod/maxtext_${{ github.run_id }}:${{ inputs.device_type }} \
             bash -c "
-              python3 -m pip install -e . &&
+              python3 -m pip install -e . --no-dependencies &&
               python3 -m pytest --pyargs MaxText.tests -m '${{ inputs.pytest_marker }}' --durations=0
             "
diff --git a/maxtext_jax_stable_stack.Dockerfile b/maxtext_jax_stable_stack.Dockerfile
index b73522d91..cda446a84 100644
--- a/maxtext_jax_stable_stack.Dockerfile
+++ b/maxtext_jax_stable_stack.Dockerfile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ RUN if [ "$DEVICE" = "tpu" ] && ([ "$JAX_STABLE_STACK_BASEIMAGE" = "us-docker.pk
         python3 -m pip install --no-cache-dir --upgrade jax[tpu]; fi
 
 # Install Maxtext requirements with Jax Stable Stack
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --yes google-cloud-cli && apt-get install --yes dnsutils
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install --yes && apt-get install --yes dnsutils
 
 # Install requirements file generated with pipreqs for JSS 0.5.2. 
 # Othewise use general requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index b7adad00f..3a2684741 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@ mlperf-logging@git+https://github.com/mlperf/logging.git
 google-jetstream@git+https://github.com/AI-Hypercomputer/JetStream.git
 jsonlines
 pathwaysutils@git+https://github.com/AI-Hypercomputer/pathways-utils.git
-omegaconf
+omegaconf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt b/requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt
index 53286563b..cb9f0aa4d 100644
--- a/requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt
+++ b/requirements_with_jax_stable_stack.txt
@@ -1,29 +1,24 @@
 # Requirements for Building the MaxText Docker Image
 # These requirements are additional to the dependencies present in the JAX SS base image.
-absl-py
-aqtp==0.8.2
 datasets
 grain[parquet]>=0.2.6
-ml-goodput-measurement==0.0.10
 orbax-checkpoint>=0.10.3
 pylint
 pytest
 pyink
 pre-commit
+protobuf==3.20.3
 pytype
 pillow>=11.1.0
 sentencepiece==0.1.97
 tensorflow-text>=2.13.0
 tensorflow-datasets
-tensorboardx>=2.6.2.2
 tiktoken
 transformers
 mlperf-logging@git+https://github.com/mlperf/logging.git
 google-jetstream@git+https://github.com/AI-Hypercomputer/JetStream.git
 jsonlines
 pathwaysutils@git+https://github.com/AI-Hypercomputer/pathways-utils.git
-google-cloud-monitoring
-google-api-core
 google-api-python-client
 omegaconf
-jaxtyping
+jaxtyping
\ No newline at end of file