diff --git a/.vsts-ci/ltsReleaseStage.yml b/.vsts-ci/ltsReleaseStage.yml
index 41c10e618..eaea6c56e 100644
--- a/.vsts-ci/ltsReleaseStage.yml
+++ b/.vsts-ci/ltsReleaseStage.yml
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ stages:
       imageName: nanoserver1809
       artifactSuffix: nanoserver1809
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -116,7 +115,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: nanoserver2022
       artifactSuffix: nanoserver2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: windowsserver2022
       artifactSuffix: windowsserver2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -136,7 +137,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: windowsservercore2022
       artifactSuffix: windowsservercore2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -170,16 +172,6 @@ stages:
       buildKitValue: 1
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
-  - template: /.vsts-ci/releasePhase.yml@self
-    parameters:
-      archName: 'Build_linux_amd64'
-      imageName: mariner2\test-deps
-      artifactSuffix: mariner2_test_deps
-      poolOS: 'linux'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
-      buildKitValue: 1
-      channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
-      channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
   - template: /.vsts-ci/releasePhase.yml@self
     parameters:
       archName: 'Build_linux_amd64'
diff --git a/.vsts-ci/previewReleaseStage.yml b/.vsts-ci/previewReleaseStage.yml
index 39c96e06b..e3669c09e 100644
--- a/.vsts-ci/previewReleaseStage.yml
+++ b/.vsts-ci/previewReleaseStage.yml
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: windowsserver2022
       artifactSuffix: windowsserver2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -146,7 +147,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: windowsservercore2022
       artifactSuffix: windowsservercore2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -190,16 +192,6 @@ stages:
       buildKitValue: 1
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
-  - template: /.vsts-ci/releasePhase.yml@self
-    parameters:
-      archName: 'Build_linux_amd64'
-      imageName: mariner2\test-deps
-      artifactSuffix: mariner2_test_deps
-      poolOS: 'linux'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
-      buildKitValue: 1
-      channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
-      channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
   - template: /.vsts-ci/releasePhase.yml@self
     parameters:
       archName: 'Build_linux_amd64'
diff --git a/.vsts-ci/stableReleaseStage.yml b/.vsts-ci/stableReleaseStage.yml
index 7bc0619a6..c3e2e8791 100644
--- a/.vsts-ci/stableReleaseStage.yml
+++ b/.vsts-ci/stableReleaseStage.yml
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: windowsserver2022
       artifactSuffix: windowsserver2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -146,7 +147,8 @@ stages:
       imageName: windowsservercore2022
       artifactSuffix: windowsservercore2022
       poolOS: 'windows'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
+      poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'
+      windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'
       maxParallel: 3
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
@@ -190,16 +192,6 @@ stages:
       buildKitValue: 1
       channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
       channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
-  - template: /.vsts-ci/releasePhase.yml@self
-    parameters:
-      archName: 'Build_linux_amd64'
-      imageName: mariner2\test-deps
-      artifactSuffix: mariner2_test_deps
-      poolOS: 'linux'
-      poolHostArchitecture: 'amd64'
-      buildKitValue: 1
-      channel: ${{ parameters.channel }}
-      channelPath: ${{ parameters.channelPath }}
   - template: /.vsts-ci/releasePhase.yml@self
     parameters:
       archName: 'Build_linux_amd64'
diff --git a/release/7-2/mariner2/meta.json b/release/7-2/mariner2/meta.json
index 58d299216..e88ee86f4 100644
--- a/release/7-2/mariner2/meta.json
+++ b/release/7-2/mariner2/meta.json
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         {"Tag": "2.0"}
     ],
     "ShortDistroName": "mariner",
-    "SubImage": "test-deps",
     "TestProperties": {
         "size": 387
     },
diff --git a/release/7-2/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile b/release/7-2/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index b099b7844..000000000
--- a/release/7-2/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-# Docker image file that describes an Mariner image with PowerShell and test dependencies
-ARG BaseImage=mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:mariner
-FROM ${BaseImage}
-
-# To find which package provides a particular command, run:
-# tdnf install dnf-utils
-# dnf provides <command>
-
-# Install dependencies and clean up
-RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/tdnf \
-    # install dependencies
-    tdnf install -y \
-    dnf-utils \
-    sudo \
-    curl \
-    wget \
-    # provides ping and trace path
-    iputils \
-    # provides ps
-    procps-ng \
-    unzip \
-    git \
-    mariner-repos-microsoft-preview \
-    net-tools \
-    tar \
-    util-linux \
-    # clean cached data
-    && tdnf clean all
-
-ENV POWERSHELL_DISTRIBUTION_CHANNEL=PSDocker-Mariner-2.0
-
-# Use PowerShell as the default shell
-# Use array to avoid Docker prepending /bin/sh -c
-CMD [ "pwsh" ]
diff --git a/release/7-2/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json b/release/7-2/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 222c298b0..000000000
--- a/release/7-2/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "IsLinux" : true,
-    "UseLinuxVersion": false,
-    "SkipGssNtlmSspTests": true,
-    "osVersion": "Mariner 2.0",
-    "tagTemplates": [
-        "mariner-#shorttag#"
-    ],
-    "SubRepository": "test-deps",
-    "OptionalTests": [
-        "test-deps",
-        "test-deps-redhat"
-    ],
-    "TestProperties": {
-        "size": 760
-    }
-}
diff --git a/release/7-3/mariner2/meta.json b/release/7-3/mariner2/meta.json
index 83cce1b2d..8a9cb9b32 100644
--- a/release/7-3/mariner2/meta.json
+++ b/release/7-3/mariner2/meta.json
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         {"Tag": "2.0"}
     ],
     "ShortDistroName": "mariner",
-    "SubImage": "test-deps",
     "TestProperties": {
         "size": 332
     },
diff --git a/release/7-3/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile b/release/7-3/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 8cdf20681..000000000
--- a/release/7-3/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-# Docker image file that describes an Mariner image with PowerShell and test dependencies
-ARG BaseImage=mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:mariner
-FROM ${BaseImage}
-
-# To find which package provides a particular command, run:
-# tdnf install dnf-utils
-# dnf provides <command>
-
-# Install dependencies and clean up
-RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/tdnf \
-    tdnf update -y \
-    # install dependencies
-    && tdnf install -y \
-    dnf-utils \
-    sudo \
-    curl \
-    wget \
-    # provides ping and trace path
-    iputils \
-    # provides ps
-    procps-ng \
-    unzip \
-    git \
-    mariner-repos-microsoft-preview \
-    net-tools \
-    tar \
-    util-linux \
-    # clean cached data
-    && tdnf clean all
-
-ENV POWERSHELL_DISTRIBUTION_CHANNEL=PSDocker-Mariner-2.0
-
-# Use PowerShell as the default shell
-# Use array to avoid Docker prepending /bin/sh -c
-CMD [ "pwsh" ]
diff --git a/release/7-3/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json b/release/7-3/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 222c298b0..000000000
--- a/release/7-3/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "IsLinux" : true,
-    "UseLinuxVersion": false,
-    "SkipGssNtlmSspTests": true,
-    "osVersion": "Mariner 2.0",
-    "tagTemplates": [
-        "mariner-#shorttag#"
-    ],
-    "SubRepository": "test-deps",
-    "OptionalTests": [
-        "test-deps",
-        "test-deps-redhat"
-    ],
-    "TestProperties": {
-        "size": 760
-    }
-}
diff --git a/release/7-4/mariner2/meta.json b/release/7-4/mariner2/meta.json
index a8c48a05c..de4bd4be1 100644
--- a/release/7-4/mariner2/meta.json
+++ b/release/7-4/mariner2/meta.json
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         {"Tag": "2.0"}
     ],
     "ShortDistroName": "mariner",
-    "SubImage": "test-deps",
     "TestProperties": {
         "size": 335
     },
diff --git a/release/7-4/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile b/release/7-4/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 396f62ec6..000000000
--- a/release/7-4/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-# Docker image file that describes an Mariner image with PowerShell and test dependencies
-ARG BaseImage=mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:mariner
-FROM ${BaseImage}
-
-# To find which package provides a particular command, run:
-# tdnf install dnf-utils
-# dnf provides <command>
-
-# Install dependencies and clean up
-RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/tdnf \
-    tdnf update -y --exclude=powershell-preview \
-    # install dependencies
-    && tdnf install -y \
-    dnf-utils \
-    sudo \
-    curl \
-    wget \
-    # provides ping and trace path
-    iputils \
-    # provides ps
-    procps-ng \
-    unzip \
-    git \
-    mariner-repos-microsoft-preview \
-    net-tools \
-    tar \
-    util-linux \
-    # clean cached data
-    && tdnf clean all
-
-ENV POWERSHELL_DISTRIBUTION_CHANNEL=PSDocker-Mariner-2.0
-
-# Use PowerShell as the default shell
-# Use array to avoid Docker prepending /bin/sh -c
-CMD [ "pwsh" ]
diff --git a/release/7-4/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json b/release/7-4/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 222c298b0..000000000
--- a/release/7-4/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "IsLinux" : true,
-    "UseLinuxVersion": false,
-    "SkipGssNtlmSspTests": true,
-    "osVersion": "Mariner 2.0",
-    "tagTemplates": [
-        "mariner-#shorttag#"
-    ],
-    "SubRepository": "test-deps",
-    "OptionalTests": [
-        "test-deps",
-        "test-deps-redhat"
-    ],
-    "TestProperties": {
-        "size": 760
-    }
-}
diff --git a/release/7-5/mariner2/meta.json b/release/7-5/mariner2/meta.json
index a8c48a05c..de4bd4be1 100644
--- a/release/7-5/mariner2/meta.json
+++ b/release/7-5/mariner2/meta.json
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         {"Tag": "2.0"}
     ],
     "ShortDistroName": "mariner",
-    "SubImage": "test-deps",
     "TestProperties": {
         "size": 335
     },
diff --git a/release/7-5/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile b/release/7-5/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
deleted file mode 100644
index 396f62ec6..000000000
--- a/release/7-5/mariner2/test-deps/docker/Dockerfile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-# Docker image file that describes an Mariner image with PowerShell and test dependencies
-ARG BaseImage=mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:mariner
-FROM ${BaseImage}
-
-# To find which package provides a particular command, run:
-# tdnf install dnf-utils
-# dnf provides <command>
-
-# Install dependencies and clean up
-RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/var/cache/tdnf \
-    tdnf update -y --exclude=powershell-preview \
-    # install dependencies
-    && tdnf install -y \
-    dnf-utils \
-    sudo \
-    curl \
-    wget \
-    # provides ping and trace path
-    iputils \
-    # provides ps
-    procps-ng \
-    unzip \
-    git \
-    mariner-repos-microsoft-preview \
-    net-tools \
-    tar \
-    util-linux \
-    # clean cached data
-    && tdnf clean all
-
-ENV POWERSHELL_DISTRIBUTION_CHANNEL=PSDocker-Mariner-2.0
-
-# Use PowerShell as the default shell
-# Use array to avoid Docker prepending /bin/sh -c
-CMD [ "pwsh" ]
diff --git a/release/7-5/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json b/release/7-5/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 222c298b0..000000000
--- a/release/7-5/mariner2/test-deps/meta.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "IsLinux" : true,
-    "UseLinuxVersion": false,
-    "SkipGssNtlmSspTests": true,
-    "osVersion": "Mariner 2.0",
-    "tagTemplates": [
-        "mariner-#shorttag#"
-    ],
-    "SubRepository": "test-deps",
-    "OptionalTests": [
-        "test-deps",
-        "test-deps-redhat"
-    ],
-    "TestProperties": {
-        "size": 760
-    }
-}
diff --git a/tools/buildHelper/buildHelper.psm1 b/tools/buildHelper/buildHelper.psm1
index 92577635b..784cdc63b 100644
--- a/tools/buildHelper/buildHelper.psm1
+++ b/tools/buildHelper/buildHelper.psm1
@@ -1096,15 +1096,16 @@ function Get-TemplatePopulatedYaml {
     Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)imageName: $imageName" # ie. imageName: alpine317\test-deps (since this differs from artifactSuffix for test-deps images only, we have a separate entry as the yaml param)
     Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)artifactSuffix: $artifactSuffix" # i.e artifactSuffix: alpine317_test_deps 
     Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)poolOS: '$poolOS'"
-    Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)poolHostArchitecture: '$architecture'"
     if ($poolOS -eq "linux")
     {
+        # only need to specify host architecture for the pool for linux
+        Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)poolHostArchitecture: '$architecture'"
         # only need to specify buildKitValue=1 for linux
         Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)buildKitValue: 1"
     }
     else
     {
-        if ($imageName -contains "2022")
+        if ($imageName.Contains("2022"))
         {
             Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)poolHostVersion: '1ESWindows2022'"
             Add-Content -Path $YamlFilePath -Value "$($sixSpace)windowsContainerImageValue: 'onebranch.azurecr.io/windows/ltsc2022/vse2022:latest'"