diff --git a/.github/actions/test/integration/build/action.yml b/.github/actions/test/integration/build/action.yml
index faf2200c..adcf018c 100644
--- a/.github/actions/test/integration/build/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/test/integration/build/action.yml
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ runs:
         PASSWORD=$(openssl passwd "password")
         echo "PASSWORD=$PASSWORD" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         sed -i "s|PASSWORD_GOES_HERE|$PASSWORD|g" ./.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml
+        sed -i "s|TAG_GOES_HERE|${{ inputs.image_tag }}|g" ./.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml
         butane --pretty --strict ./.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml > "/opt/${TAG}.ign"
 
     - name: Download ubuntu cloud image
diff --git a/.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml b/.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml
index 885a3165..b8486454 100644
--- a/.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/test/integration/build/dev-user-butane.yaml
@@ -50,12 +50,14 @@ storage:
     contents:
       inline: |
         NON_HUGEPAGES_PM=1000
-  # pull the image from GHCR instead of keppel
   - path: /opt/persist/gl-oci.conf
     mode: 0644
     contents:
       inline: |
+        # pull the image from GHCR instead of keppel
         OCI_REPO=ghcr.io/gardenlinux/gardenlinux-ccloud
+        # point to a custom tag to download for the persist step
+        OCI_TAG=TAG_GOES_HERE
   # Enable unlimited core dumps for all systemd services
   - path: /etc/systemd/system.conf.d/10-core.conf
     mode: 0644
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev.yml b/.github/workflows/dev.yml
index c6edf08b..0ee231fd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev.yml
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ on:
       - "**/README.md"
       - "docs/**"
   pull_request:
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, closed]
     paths-ignore:
       - "**/README.md"
       - "docs/**"
 jobs:
   set_version:
+    if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.action != 'closed' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
@@ -23,9 +25,16 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: use VERSION file to support dev build on rel-branch
         id: version
-        run: echo "VERSION=$(cat VERSION)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        run: |
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "pull_request" ]; then
+            echo "VERSION=today" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "VERSION=$(cat VERSION)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          fi
+
   build:
     needs: [set_version]
+    if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.action != 'closed' }}
     uses: gardenlinux/gardenlinux/.github/workflows/build.yml@3b5ec77e4873462d56658c4ecd56caa0ff63542b
     with:
       version: ${{ needs.set_version.outputs.VERSION }}
@@ -39,3 +48,93 @@ jobs:
       # aws_kms_role: ${{ secrets.KMS_SIGNING_IAM_ROLE }}
       # aws_oidc_session: ${{ secrets.AWS_OIDC_SESSION }}
       # secureboot_db_kms_arn: ${{ secrets.SECUREBOOT_DB_KMS_ARN }}
+
+  meta:
+    name: Compute image metadata
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository && github.event.action != 'closed' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      UPLOAD_VERSION: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.upload_version }}
+      COMMIT_SHA: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.sha }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Derive image version
+        id: meta
+        run: |
+          PR_NUMBER=${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+          UPLOAD_VERSION="pr-${PR_NUMBER}"
+          echo "upload_version=${UPLOAD_VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          SHA="${GITHUB_SHA::8}"
+          echo "sha=${SHA}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+  upload:
+    name: Upload PR image to OCI
+    needs: [build, meta, set_version]
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository && github.event.action != 'closed' }}
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/upload_oci.yml
+    with:
+      version: ${{ needs.set_version.outputs.VERSION }}
+      upload_version: ${{ needs.meta.outputs.UPLOAD_VERSION }}
+      flavor_filter: '--include-only "metal-sci_usi-amd64"'
+    secrets: inherit
+
+  test:
+    name: Test PR image
+    needs: [set_version, meta, upload]
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository && github.event.action != 'closed' }}
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/test.yml
+    with:
+      image_tag: "${{ needs.meta.outputs.UPLOAD_VERSION }}-metal-sci-usi-amd64-${{ needs.meta.outputs.COMMIT_SHA }}-amd64"
+
+  cleanup_images:
+    name: Cleanup PR images
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository && github.event.action == 'closed' }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Cleanup OCI images via GitHub API
+        run: |
+          PR_NUMBER=${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+          UPLOAD_VERSION="pr-${PR_NUMBER}"
+
+          all_version_ids=""
+          page=1
+          page_size=100
+
+          # Collect all matching version IDs across pages
+          while true; do
+            response=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
+              -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
+              -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
+              "https://api.github.com/orgs/gardenlinux/packages/container/gardenlinux-ccloud/versions?per_page=$page_size&page=$page")
+
+            page_ids=$(echo "$response" | jq -r --arg prefix "${UPLOAD_VERSION}" '
+              .[] | select(.metadata.container.tags[]? | test("^" + $prefix + "(-.*)?$")) | .id
+            ')
+            if [ -n "$page_ids" ]; then
+              all_version_ids="$all_version_ids $page_ids"
+            fi
+
+            page_count=$(echo "$response" | jq '. | length')
+            if [ "$page_count" -lt "$page_size" ]; then
+              # Stop if this was the last page
+              break
+            fi
+
+            page=$((page + 1))
+          done
+
+          if [ -z "$all_version_ids" ]; then
+            echo "No images found for PR ${PR_NUMBER}"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          for version_id in $all_version_ids; do
+            echo "Deleting version $version_id"
+            http_code=$(curl -s -w "%{http_code}" -o /dev/null -X DELETE \
+              -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
+              -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
+              -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
+              "https://api.github.com/orgs/gardenlinux/packages/container/gardenlinux-ccloud/versions/$version_id")
+            if [ "$http_code" != "204" ]; then
+              echo "Failed to delete version $version_id (HTTP $http_code)"
+            fi
+          done
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 76a1587e..83a0f461 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ on:
         description: "Image tag to test (must be usi-sci)"
         type: string
         default: ""
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      image_tag:
+        description: "Image tag to test (must be usi-sci)"
+        type: string
+        required: true
 
 jobs:
   test:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/upload_oci.yml b/.github/workflows/upload_oci.yml
index 78d772e6..f68456db 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/upload_oci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/upload_oci.yml
@@ -5,12 +5,18 @@ on:
       version:
         type: string
         default: today
+      upload_version:
+        type: string
+        default: ""
+      flavor_filter:
+        type: string
+        default: '--exclude "bare-*"'
 jobs:
   generate_matrix_publish:
     name: Generate flavors matrix to publish
     uses: gardenlinux/gardenlinux/.github/workflows/build_flavors_matrix.yml@3b5ec77e4873462d56658c4ecd56caa0ff63542b
     with:
-      flags: '--exclude "bare-*" --no-arch --json-by-arch --build --test'
+      flags: '${{ inputs.flavor_filter }} --no-arch --json-by-arch --build --test'
   upload_gl_artifacts:
     name: upload to OCI
     needs: [ generate_matrix_publish ]
@@ -71,8 +77,8 @@ jobs:
           echo ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} | oras login -u ${{ github.repository_owner }} --password-stdin ghcr.io
           CNAME2=${CNAME//_/-}
           CNAME2=${CNAME2//-${{ inputs.version }}/}
-          echo "Adding additional tag: ${{ inputs.version }}-${CNAME2}-${{ matrix.arch }}"
-          oras tag ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}:${{ inputs.version }}-${CNAME}-${{ matrix.arch }} ${{ inputs.version }}-${CNAME2}-${{ matrix.arch }}
+          echo "Adding additional tag: ${{ inputs.upload_version || inputs.version }}-${CNAME2}-${{ matrix.arch }}"
+          oras tag ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}:${{ inputs.version }}-${CNAME}-${{ matrix.arch }} ${{ inputs.upload_version || inputs.version }}-${CNAME2}-${{ matrix.arch }}
       - uses: actions/cache/save@5a3ec84eff668545956fd18022155c47e93e2684 # pin@v4.2.3
         with:
           path: oci_manifest_entry_${{ env.CNAME }}.json
@@ -125,5 +131,5 @@ jobs:
 
           gl-oci update-index \
             --container "ghcr.io/${{ github.repository }}" \
-            --version ${{ inputs.version }} \
+            --version ${{ inputs.upload_version || inputs.version }} \
             --manifest_folder manifests
diff --git a/features/_usi/initrd.include/usr/bin/persist b/features/_usi/initrd.include/usr/bin/persist
index 66171ee7..280ce539 100755
--- a/features/_usi/initrd.include/usr/bin/persist
+++ b/features/_usi/initrd.include/usr/bin/persist
@@ -62,20 +62,19 @@ if [ ! -f "$OS_RELEASE_FILE" ]; then
   echo "File not found '$OS_RELEASE_FILE', exiting"
   exit 1
 fi
-
-# source optional config file
-[ -f /sysroot/opt/persist/gl-oci.conf ] && . /sysroot/opt/persist/gl-oci.conf
-OCI_REPO="${OCI_REPO:-keppel.global.cloud.sap/ccloud-ghcr-io-mirror/gardenlinux/gardenlinux-ccloud}"
-OCI_ARCH="${OCI_ARCH:-amd64}"
-
 # source os-release file
 . "$OS_RELEASE_FILE"
 
 # oras needs a proper HOME variable
 export HOME=/root
 
+# source optional config file
+[ -f /sysroot/opt/persist/gl-oci.conf ] && . /sysroot/opt/persist/gl-oci.conf
+OCI_REPO="${OCI_REPO:-keppel.global.cloud.sap/ccloud-ghcr-io-mirror/gardenlinux/gardenlinux-ccloud}"
+OCI_ARCH="${OCI_ARCH:-amd64}"
+
 # setup OCI_TAG, UKI_SHA and fetch UKI
-OCI_TAG="$GARDENLINUX_VERSION-$VARIANT_ID-$GARDENLINUX_COMMIT_ID-$OCI_ARCH"
+OCI_TAG=${OCI_TAG:-"$GARDENLINUX_VERSION-$VARIANT_ID-$GARDENLINUX_COMMIT_ID-$OCI_ARCH"}
 OCI_TAG=${OCI_TAG//_/-} # replace underscores with dashes
 UKI_SHA=$(oras manifest fetch "$OCI_REPO:${OCI_TAG}" | jq -r '.layers[] | select(.mediaType=="application/io.gardenlinux.uki") | .digest')
 oras blob fetch "$OCI_REPO@$UKI_SHA" -o "$esp_dir/EFI/Linux/uki.efi"