diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 6a8dc5df1e9ee1da2c3c7ba8b682449b070d47da..814fc7248c8de375a0e55098f67c1d922261cc67 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -19,15 +19,16 @@ variables:
   TERM: ansi
 
 .parallel_definition:
-  image: registry.c4science.ch/scitas-stack/rhel:9.3
   parallel:
     matrix:
       - environment: [jed]
         slurm_options: ["-c 72 -p jed -q jed"]
         stack: ["pinot-noir"]
+        app_image: ["registry.c4science.ch/scitas-stack/rhel9-kuma:9.0"]
       - environment: [helvetios]
         slurm_options: ["-c 36"]
         stack: ["pinot-noir"]
+        app_image: ["registry.c4science.ch/scitas-stack/rhel9-kuma:9.0"]
       # - environment: [izar]
       #   slurm_options: ['-c 40 --gres gpu:2']
       #   apptainer_options: ['-nv']
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ variables:
     - stack
   variables:
     environment: ${environment}
-
+  image: ${app_image}
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 .parallel_job:
diff --git a/dockerfiles/rhel9-kuma/Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/rhel9-kuma/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e99d03e795f53b85ac990ba190be1d8b5e1d40df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dockerfiles/rhel9-kuma/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+FROM registry.c4science.ch/scitas-stack/rhel9-base:9.0
+
+#dnf install epel-release
+#dnf group install "Development Tools"
+#dnf install curl findutils gcc-gfortran gnupg2 hostname iproute redhat-lsb-core python3 python3-pip python3-setuptools unzip python3-boto3
+
+# spack dependencies
+RUN yum install -y \
+    gcc-g++ gcc-gfortran \
+    patchelf findutils patch \
+    file gnupg2 hostname iproute unzip\
+    python3 python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-boto3 \
+    git subversion mercurial \
+    jq \
+    && yum -y clean all && rm -fr /var/cache 
+
+# repos for kuma
+ARG SLURM_REPO=SCITAS_product-slurm_repo-slurm-2311
+ARG MLNX_REPO=SCITAS_product-mlnx_repo-mlnx-ofed-24_01-0_3_3_1-5_14_0-70_30_1-rhel90
+ARG CUDA_REPO=SCITAS_product-cuda_repo-cuda-535_154_05-x86_64-rhel9
+ARG GPFS_REPO=SCITAS_product-gpfs_repo-gpfs-519
+
+# stack dependencies
+RUN yum install -y --enablerepo=$SLURM_REPO \
+    slurm-devel pmix-devel \
+    && yum -y clean all && rm -fr /var/cache 
+
+RUN yum install -y --enablerepo=$MLNX_REPO \
+    libibverbs libibverbs-utils \
+    rdma-core rdma-core-devel \
+    hcoll xpmem kmod-knem \
+    && yum -y clean all && rm -fr /var/cache 
+
+RUN yum install -y --enablerepo=$CUDA_REPO \
+    nvidia-driver-devel \
+    && yum -y clean all && rm -fr /var/cache 
+
+RUN yum install -y --enablerepo=$GPFS_REPO \
+    gpfs.base \
+    && yum -y clean all && rm -fr /var/cache 
diff --git a/dockerfiles/rhel9/Dockerfile b/dockerfiles/rhel9/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index e8e8254a10889cde3d33be8e5b3f4704a4ff7d2e..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/dockerfiles/rhel9/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-FROM rhel/ubi9
-
-ARG SPACK_VERSION=v0.21.1
-
-ENV SPACK_DISABLE_LOCAL_CONFIG=true   \
-    SPACK_USER_CACHE_PATH=/tmp/spack-cache
-
-RUN echo "10.95.33.172  foreman1.hpc.epfl.ch" >> /etc/hosts
-RUN curl -sS --insecure \
-    'https://foreman1.hpc.epfl.ch/register?activation_keys=ak-helvetios&organization_id=1&update_packages=false' \
-    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${RHEL_TOKEN}" \
-    | bash
-
-
-#dnf install epel-release
-#dnf group install "Development Tools"
-#dnf install curl findutils gcc-gfortran gnupg2 hostname iproute redhat-lsb-core python3 python3-pip python3-setuptools unzip python3-boto3
-
-RUN yum install gcc-g++ gcc-gfortran \
-    patchelf findutils patch \
-    xz bzip2 file gnupg2 hostname iproute unzip\
-    python3 python3-pip python3-setuptools python3-boto3
-    slurm slurm-libpmi pmix \
-    libibverbs libibverbs-utils \
-    rdma-core rdma-core-devel \
-    git subversion mercurial \
-    jq \
-
-#RUN cd /opt && git clone https://github.com/spack/spack.git -b $SPACK_VERSION