diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_bwc.yml b/.github/workflows/test_bwc.yml
index 3f113f177..b5f2e2d16 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_bwc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_bwc.yml
@@ -3,20 +3,12 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - "**"
-      - "!main"
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - "**"
-      - "!main"
 
 jobs:
-  Get-CI-Image-Tag:
-    uses: opensearch-project/opensearch-build/.github/workflows/get-ci-image-tag.yml@main
-    with:
-      product: opensearch
-
-  Build-ad-linux:
-    needs: Get-CI-Image-Tag
+  Build-ff-linux:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         java: [11,17,21]
@@ -24,38 +16,30 @@ jobs:
 
     name: Test Flow Framework BWC
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container:
-      # using the same image which is used by opensearch-build team to build the OpenSearch Distribution
-      # this image tag is subject to change as more dependencies and updates will arrive over time
-      image: ${{ needs.Get-CI-Image-Tag.outputs.ci-image-version-linux }}
-      # need to switch to root so that github actions can install runner binary on container without permission issues.
-      options: --user root
 
     steps:
       - name: Setup Java ${{ matrix.java }}
-        uses: actions/setup-java@v3
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
           java-version: ${{ matrix.java }}
 
       - name: Checkout Flow Framework
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Assemble flow-framework
+      - name: Assemble Flow Framework
         run: |
           plugin_version=`./gradlew properties -q | grep "opensearch_build:" | awk '{print $2}'`
-          chown -R 1000:1000 `pwd`
           echo plugin_version $plugin_version
-          su `id -un 1000` -c "./gradlew assemble"
+          ./gradlew assemble
           echo "Creating ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version ..."
-          su `id -un 1000` -c "mkdir -p ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version"
+          mkdir -p ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version
           echo "Copying ./build/distributions/*.zip to ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version ..."
           ls ./build/distributions/
-          su `id -un 1000` -c "cp ./build/distributions/*.zip ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version"
+          cp ./build/distributions/*.zip ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version
           echo "Copied ./build/distributions/*.zip to ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version ..."
           ls ./src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/flow-framework/$plugin_version
       - name: Run Flow Framework Backwards Compatibility Tests
         run: |
           echo "Running backwards compatibility tests ..."
-          chown -R 1000:1000 `pwd`
-          su `id -un 1000` -c "./gradlew bwcTestSuite -Dtests.security.manager=false"
+          ./gradlew bwcTestSuite -Dtests.security.manager=false
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index b78e4c172..b840d4f51 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import java.nio.file.Paths
 buildscript {
     ext {
         opensearch_version = System.getProperty("opensearch.version", "3.0.0-SNAPSHOT")
+        bwcVersionShort = "2.12.0"
         buildVersionQualifier = System.getProperty("build.version_qualifier", "")
         isSnapshot = "true" == System.getProperty("build.snapshot", "true")
         version_tokens = opensearch_version.tokenize('-')
@@ -32,6 +33,9 @@ buildscript {
         baseName = "ffBwcCluster"
         bwcFilePath = "src/test/resources/org/opensearch/flowframework/bwc/"
         bwcFlowFrameworkPath = bwcFilePath + "flowframework/"
+
+        opensearch_major_version = opensearch_version.split("\\.")[0]
+        bwc_major_version = bwcVersionShort.split("\\.")[0]
     }
 
     repositories {
@@ -518,13 +522,18 @@ List<Provider<RegularFile>> plugins = [
 // This results in a mixed cluster with 2 nodes on the old version and 1 upgraded node.
 // This is also used as a one third upgraded cluster for a rolling upgrade.
 task "${baseName}#mixedClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
-    useCluster testClusters."${baseName}0"
     dependsOn "${baseName}#oldVersionClusterTask0"
-    doFirst {
-      testClusters."${baseName}0".upgradeNodeAndPluginToNextVersion(plugins)
-    }
-    filter {
+    useCluster testClusters."${baseName}0"
+    // Only do mixed cluster tasks on same major version
+    if (bwc_major_version != opensearch_major_version) {
+      ignoreFailures = true
+    } else {
+      doFirst {
+        testClusters."${baseName}0".upgradeNodeAndPluginToNextVersion(plugins)
+      }
+      filter {
         includeTestsMatching "org.opensearch.flowframework.bwc.*IT"
+      }
     }
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.bwcsuite', 'mixed_cluster'
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.bwcsuite_round', 'first'
@@ -539,11 +548,16 @@ task "${baseName}#mixedClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
 task "${baseName}#twoThirdsUpgradedClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
     dependsOn "${baseName}#mixedClusterTask"
     useCluster testClusters."${baseName}0"
-    doFirst {
-      testClusters."${baseName}0".upgradeNodeAndPluginToNextVersion(plugins)
-    }
-    filter {
+    // Only do mixed cluster tasks on same major version
+    if (bwc_major_version != opensearch_major_version) {
+      ignoreFailures = true
+    } else {
+      doFirst {
+        testClusters."${baseName}0".upgradeNodeAndPluginToNextVersion(plugins)
+      }
+      filter {
         includeTestsMatching "org.opensearch.flowframework.bwc.*IT"
+      }
     }
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.bwcsuite', 'mixed_cluster'
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.bwcsuite_round', 'second'
@@ -558,11 +572,16 @@ task "${baseName}#twoThirdsUpgradedClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTas
 task "${baseName}#rollingUpgradeClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
     dependsOn "${baseName}#twoThirdsUpgradedClusterTask"
     useCluster testClusters."${baseName}0"
-    doFirst {
-      testClusters."${baseName}0".upgradeNodeAndPluginToNextVersion(plugins)
-    }
-    filter {
+    // Only do mixed cluster tasks on same major version
+    if (bwc_major_version != opensearch_major_version) {
+      ignoreFailures = true
+    } else {
+      doFirst {
+        testClusters."${baseName}0".upgradeNodeAndPluginToNextVersion(plugins)
+      }
+      filter {
         includeTestsMatching "org.opensearch.flowframework.bwc.*IT"
+      }
     }
     mustRunAfter "${baseName}#mixedClusterTask"
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.bwcsuite', 'mixed_cluster'
@@ -581,7 +600,7 @@ task "${baseName}#fullRestartClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
       testClusters."${baseName}1".upgradeAllNodesAndPluginsToNextVersion(plugins)
     }
     filter {
-        includeTestsMatching "org.opensearch.flowframework.bwc.*IT"
+      includeTestsMatching "org.opensearch.flowframework.bwc.*IT"
     }
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.bwcsuite', 'upgraded_cluster'
     systemProperty 'tests.plugin_bwc_version', bwcVersion
@@ -593,6 +612,7 @@ task "${baseName}#fullRestartClusterTask"(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
 task bwcTestSuite(type: StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
     exclude '**/*Test*'
     exclude '**/*IT*'
+
     dependsOn tasks.named("${baseName}#mixedClusterTask")
     dependsOn tasks.named("${baseName}#rollingUpgradeClusterTask")
     dependsOn tasks.named("${baseName}#fullRestartClusterTask")