diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 1711f70..e9f741c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ build_with_idf_v3:
 
 build_with_idf_v4:
   stage: build
-  image: ${CI_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/esp32-ci-env
+  image: ${CI_DOCKER_REGISTRY}/esp-env:v4.4-1
   tags:
     - build
   dependencies: []
@@ -56,9 +56,12 @@ build_with_idf_v4:
     paths:
       - tidybuild/*
     expire_in: 1 day
+  variables:
+    PYTHON_VER: 3.6.13
   script:
     - cit_add_ssh_key "${GITLAB_KEY}"
     - git clone "${IDF_REPO}"
+    - source /opt/pyenv/activate && pyenv global $PYTHON_VER
     - $MQTT_PATH/ci/set_idf.sh master
     - cd $IDF_PATH && tools/idf_tools.py --non-interactive install && eval "$(tools/idf_tools.py --non-interactive export)"
     - $MQTT_PATH/ci/set_mqtt.sh $CI_COMMIT_SHA
@@ -100,22 +103,23 @@ build_and_test_qemu:
     - build
     - shiny
   dependencies: []
+  variables:
+    PYTHON_VER: 3.6.13
   script:
     - cit_add_ssh_key "${GITLAB_KEY}"
     - git clone "${IDF_REPO}"
+    # switch to IDF and setup the right tools
     - $MQTT_PATH/ci/set_idf.sh master
+    - source /opt/pyenv/activate && pyenv global $PYTHON_VER
     - cd $IDF_PATH && tools/idf_tools.py --non-interactive install && eval "$(tools/idf_tools.py --non-interactive export)"
     - $MQTT_PATH/ci/set_mqtt.sh $CI_COMMIT_SHA
     # build publish-connect stress test, setup test parameters
     - cd tools/test_apps/protocols/mqtt/publish_connect_test && cat sdkconfig.qemu | $IDF_PATH/tools/ci/envsubst.py > sdkconfig.defaults && idf.py build
     - export TEST_PATH=`pwd` && export MQTT_PUBLISH_TEST=1
-    # setup python (TODO: cleanup, to be fixed when python2 support dropped)
-    - source /opt/pyenv/activate && pyenv global system && python3 --version
-    - python3 -m pip install -r $IDF_PATH/tools/ci/python_packages/ttfw_idf/requirements.txt
     - export PYTHONPATH="$IDF_PATH/tools:$IDF_PATH/tools/ci/python_packages"
     # run test (with environment->qemu)
     - cd $IDF_PATH/tools/ci/python_packages/tiny_test_fw/bin
-    - python3 Runner.py $TEST_PATH -c $TEST_PATH/publish_connect_mqtt_qemu.yml -e $TEST_PATH/env.yml
+    - python Runner.py $TEST_PATH -c $TEST_PATH/publish_connect_mqtt_qemu.yml -e $TEST_PATH/env.yml
 
 clang_tidy_check:
   stage: static_analysis