diff --git a/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-base b/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-base
index 77950e3a3d..3dec8c48a2 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-base
+++ b/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-base
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ COPY packages.yaml.base /etc/spack/packages.yaml
 COPY modules.yaml /etc/spack/modules.yaml
 
 RUN . /opt/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh && \
+    spack config update modules -y && \
     spack compiler find --scope system && \
     spack clean -a && \
     spack spec zlib
diff --git a/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-gcc8-base b/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-gcc8-base
index 1a0b7b8d5f..5b74cfacdc 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-gcc8-base
+++ b/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-gcc8-base
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ RUN . /opt/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh && \
     spack compiler rm --scope system gcc && \
     spack compiler add --scope system && \
     spack config --scope system add "packages:all:compiler:[gcc]" && \
-    spack external find --scope system cuda
+    spack external find --scope system --not-buildable cuda
diff --git a/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-leaf b/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-leaf
index dfbfbb5db1..db73d35a30 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-leaf
+++ b/scripts/ci/images-v2/Dockerfile.ci-spack-el8-leaf
@@ -35,15 +35,23 @@ RUN . /etc/profile.d/modules.sh && \
 # Setup modules
 RUN . /opt/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh && \
     spack env create --without-view adios2-ci && \
+    spack -e adios2-ci config add concretizer:unify:true && \
     spack -e adios2-ci add $(spack find --format "/{hash}") && \
+    spack -e adios2-ci rm cuda && \
     spack -e adios2-ci install && \
     spack env activate adios2-ci && \
     spack env deactivate && \
     rm -rf /root/.spack && \
-    spack -e adios2-ci concretize --reuse && \
     spack -e adios2-ci env loads
 
+# External CUDA is erroneously treated as a module, in no CUDA builds this is no-op
+RUN . /opt/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh && \
+    find $SPACK_ROOT/share/spack/modules -type f -exec sed -i '/module load cuda/d' {} \;
+
+
 # Setup default login environment
 RUN echo 'source /opt/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh' > /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh && \
-    echo 'module use ${SPACK_ROOT}/share/spack/modules/linux-almalinux8-haswell' >> /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh && \
-    echo 'source ${SPACK_ROOT}/var/spack/environments/adios2-ci/loads' >> /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh
+    echo 'eval $(spack env activate --sh adios2-ci)' >> /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh && \
+    echo 'module use ${SPACK_ROOT}/share/spack/modules/linux-rocky8-haswell' >> /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh && \
+    echo 'source ${SPACK_ROOT}/var/spack/environments/adios2-ci/loads' >> /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh && \
+    echo 'export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/cuda/compat/:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH' >> /etc/profile.d/zz-adios2-ci-env.sh