diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/build-skqp.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/build-skqp.sh
index e17f66bea8d..c0c7107a722 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/build-skqp.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/build-skqp.sh
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ cat "${SKQP_PATCH_DIR}"/build-skqp_*.patch |
 
 # hack for skqp see the clang
 pushd /usr/bin/
-ln -s "../lib/llvm-${LLVM_VERSION:-15}/bin/clang" clang
-ln -s "../lib/llvm-${LLVM_VERSION:-15}/bin/clang++" clang++
+ln -s "../lib/llvm-${LLVM_VERSION}/bin/clang" clang
+ln -s "../lib/llvm-${LLVM_VERSION}/bin/clang++" clang++
 popd
 
 # Fetch some needed build tools needed to build skia/skqp.
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/cross_build.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/cross_build.sh
index db28cf7d77a..986807c3265 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/cross_build.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/cross_build.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ set -e
 set -o xtrace
 
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set!}"
 
 # Ephemeral packages (installed for this script and removed again at the end)
 EPHEMERAL=(
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/arm64_build.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/arm64_build.sh
index de42440aa8e..e9d4e078477 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/arm64_build.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/arm64_build.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ set -e
 
 set -o xtrace
 
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set}"
 
 apt-get -y install ca-certificates
 sed -i -e 's/http:\/\/deb/https:\/\/deb/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh
index cb93e539dc2..e4ea33d906a 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-base.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ sed -i -e 's/http:\/\/deb/https:\/\/deb/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*
 
 echo "deb [trusted=yes] https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gfx-ci/ci-deb-repo/-/raw/${PKG_REPO_REV}/ ${FDO_DISTRIBUTION_VERSION%-*} main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/gfx-ci_.list
 
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set!}"
 
 # Ephemeral packages (installed for this script and removed again at the end)
 EPHEMERAL=(
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-gl.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-gl.sh
index 61df74eb76a..b672ae86f86 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-gl.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/test-gl.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ set -o xtrace
 uncollapsed_section_start debian_setup "Base Debian system setup"
 
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set!}"
 
 apt-get install -y libelogind0  # this interfere with systemd deps, install separately
 
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build-base.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build-base.sh
index db136344345..91f2a42ae0d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build-base.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build-base.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ set -e
 set -o xtrace
 
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set!}"
 
 apt-get install -y ca-certificates
 sed -i -e 's/http:\/\/deb/https:\/\/deb/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build.sh
index 5b102294ed9..ffb5f1f320c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/debian/x86_64_build.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ set -e
 set -o xtrace
 
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set!}"
 
 # Ephemeral packages (installed for this script and removed again at the end)
 EPHEMERAL=(
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/lava_build.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/lava_build.sh
index 95fe6d1ac15..56fc400ea41 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/lava_build.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/lava_build.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ set -e
 set -o xtrace
 
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-export LLVM_VERSION="${LLVM_VERSION:=15}"
+: "${LLVM_VERSION:?llvm version not set!}"
 export FIRMWARE_FILES="${FIRMWARE_FILES}"
 export SKIP_UPDATE_FLUSTER_VECTORS=0
 
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml b/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml
index ffa203b0d8a..e4ec3ec93de 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@
 
 variables:
    DEBIAN_X86_64_BUILD_BASE_IMAGE: "debian/x86_64_build-base"
-   DEBIAN_BASE_TAG: "20250109-libubsan1"
+   DEBIAN_BASE_TAG: "20250128-llversionm1"
 
    DEBIAN_X86_64_BUILD_IMAGE_PATH: "debian/x86_64_build"
-   DEBIAN_BUILD_TAG: "20250124-android"
+   DEBIAN_BUILD_TAG: "20250128-llversionm1"
 
    DEBIAN_X86_64_TEST_BASE_IMAGE: "debian/x86_64_test-base"
    DEBIAN_ARM64_TEST_BASE_IMAGE: "debian/arm64_test-base"
@@ -27,17 +27,17 @@ variables:
    DEBIAN_ARM64_TEST_IMAGE_VK_PATH: "debian/arm64_test-vk"
    DEBIAN_X86_64_TEST_ANDROID_IMAGE_PATH: "debian/x86_64_test-android"
 
-   DEBIAN_TEST_ANDROID_TAG: "20250128-vkcts"
-   DEBIAN_TEST_GL_TAG: "20250127-vkcts-main"
-   DEBIAN_TEST_VK_TAG: "20250128-vkcts"
-   KERNEL_ROOTFS_TAG: "20250128-vkcts"
+   DEBIAN_TEST_ANDROID_TAG: "20250128-llversionm1"
+   DEBIAN_TEST_GL_TAG: "20250128-llversionm1"
+   DEBIAN_TEST_VK_TAG: "20250128-llversionm1"
+   KERNEL_ROOTFS_TAG: "20250128-llversionm1"
 
    DEBIAN_PYUTILS_IMAGE: "debian/x86_64_pyutils"
    DEBIAN_PYUTILS_TAG: "20241223-pyutils"
 
-   ALPINE_X86_64_BUILD_TAG: "20250124-spirv-tools"
+   ALPINE_X86_64_BUILD_TAG: "20250128-llversionm"
    ALPINE_X86_64_LAVA_SSH_TAG: "20250124-spirv-tools"
-   FEDORA_X86_64_BUILD_TAG: "20250125-which"
+   FEDORA_X86_64_BUILD_TAG: "20250128-llversionm"
 
    KERNEL_TAG: "v6.13-rc4-mesa-5e77"
    KERNEL_REPO: "gfx-ci/linux"