diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-node/action.yaml b/.github/actions/setup-node/action.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..98059c70676
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-node/action.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: Setup Node
+description: Setup node, including yarn
+
+runs:
+  using: 'composite'
+  steps:
+    - name: Setup yarn
+      shell: bash
+      # if we have yarn, no op
+      # if no yarn, install (probably running in non-containerized runners)
+      run: |
+        yarn || curl -fsSL -o ~/bin/yarn https://github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/releases/download/v1.22.17/yarn-1.22.17.js && chmod +x ~/bin/yarn && echo "~/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
+
+    - name: Setup Node.js
+      uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+      with:
+        node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
+        cache: 'yarn'
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup/action.yaml b/.github/actions/setup/action.yaml
index df7dcdfcfb6..308f532bf73 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup/action.yaml
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 name: Setup UI Env
-description: Setup node, python and call bootstrap script
+description: Setup node, yarn install
 
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
-    - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-      with:
-        node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
-        cache: 'yarn'
+    - name: Setup Node
+      uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
 
     - name: Install packages
       shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-plugins.yaml b/.github/workflows/check-plugins.yaml
index a8fbb48be66..dfa73bac488 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-plugins.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-plugins.yaml
@@ -7,19 +7,14 @@ env:
   TEST_PERSIST_BUILD: true
 jobs:
   validate:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Resource starved when running in container, so run in non-container runner
+    runs-on: runs-on,runner=8cpu-linux-x64,run-id=${{ github.run_id }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Enable Corepack
-        run: corepack enable
-
-      - name: Setup Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
-          cache: 'yarn'
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
 
       - name: Validate Plugin build system
         run: ./shell/scripts/test-plugins-build.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docusaurus.yaml b/.github/workflows/docusaurus.yaml
index 38056fe0316..78f768712e8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docusaurus.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docusaurus.yaml
@@ -10,14 +10,12 @@ on:
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Build
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
-          cache: yarn
-
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: cd docusaurus/ && yarn install:ci
       - name: Build website
@@ -38,7 +36,8 @@ jobs:
   deploy:
     name: Publish
     if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.repository_owner == 'rancher' }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     needs: build
 
     # This is required to avoid https://github.com/actions/deploy-pages/issues/271
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-gh-project.yaml b/.github/workflows/pr-gh-project.yaml
index dcb875c3dac..72774afc4d7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-gh-project.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-gh-project.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ jobs:
       pull-requests: write
       repository-projects: write
       id-token: write
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
     - name: Use Node.js
diff --git a/.github/workflows/storybook.yaml b/.github/workflows/storybook.yaml
index b71bc7a58c8..8a5b3fd0388 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/storybook.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/storybook.yaml
@@ -10,13 +10,12 @@ on:
       - master
 jobs:
   storybook:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Use Node.js
-      uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-      with:
-        node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
+    - name: Setup Node
+      uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
     - name: Install packages
       run: yarn install
     - name: Build Storybook
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index e0f265c5c25..e2cff54a3e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -35,13 +35,19 @@ env:
 jobs:
   e2e-ui-build:
     if: "!contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci/skip-e2e')"
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 1
       - name: Setup env
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup
+      - name: Ensure repo dir is accepted as safe by git
+        # in bci user who runs git commands and repo folder owner is different
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          git config --global --add safe.directory $PWD
       - name: Build e2e
         run: yarn e2e:build
       - name: Upload e2e build
@@ -61,15 +67,16 @@ jobs:
           retention-days: 10
           compression-level: 9
 
-
   e2e-test:
     if: "!contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci/skip-e2e')"
     needs: e2e-ui-build
+    # Cannot run container (rancher) in container (runner), so run in non-container runner
+    runs-on: runs-on,runner=8cpu-linux-x64,run-id=${{ github.run_id }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         role: [
-          { username: 'admin', tag: '@adminUser' }, 
+          { username: 'admin', tag: '@adminUser' },
           { username: 'standard_user', tag: '@standardUser' }
         ]
         features:  [
@@ -84,23 +91,23 @@ jobs:
           ['@components'],
           ['@vai']
         ]
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 1
+
       - name: Setup env
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup
 
-      # Installing fixed version of Chrome since latest version does not work (128 didn't work)
-      # Leaving this here again in case we need to pin to a specific Chrome version in the future
-      - name: Install Chrome 127
-        run: |
-          sudo apt-get install -y wget
-          cd /tmp
-          wget -q http://mirror.cs.uchicago.edu/google-chrome/pool/main/g/google-chrome-stable/google-chrome-stable_127.0.6533.72-1_amd64.deb
-          sudo apt-get install -y --allow-downgrades ./google-chrome-stable_127.0.6533.72-1_amd64.deb
-          google-chrome --version
+      # # Installing fixed version of Chrome since latest version does not work (128 didn't work)
+      # # Leaving this here again in case we need to pin to a specific Chrome version in the future
+      # - name: Install Chrome 127
+      #   run: |
+      #     sudo apt-get install -y wget
+      #     cd /tmp
+      #     wget -q http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/pool/main/g/google-chrome-stable/google-chrome-stable_127.0.6533.72-1_amd64.deb
+      #     sudo apt-get install -y --allow-downgrades ./google-chrome-stable_127.0.6533.72-1_amd64.deb
+      #     google-chrome --version
 
       - name: Download e2e build
         uses:  actions/download-artifact@v4
@@ -119,7 +126,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Rancher and user
         run: |
           yarn e2e:prod
-        env: 
+        env:
           GREP_TAGS: ${{ matrix.role.tag }}Setup+${{ matrix.features[0] }} --@jenkins ${{ matrix.role.tag }}Setup+${{ matrix.features[1] || matrix.features[0] }} --@jenkins
           TEST_USERNAME: admin
           TEST_ONLY: setup
@@ -127,7 +134,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           yarn e2e:prod
           [ "$BUILD_DASHBOARD" != "false" ] || exit 0
-        env: 
+        env:
           TEST_SKIP: setup
           GREP_TAGS: ${{ matrix.role.tag }}+${{ matrix.features[0] }} --@jenkins ${{ matrix.role.tag }}+${{ matrix.features[1] || matrix.features[0] }} --@jenkins
           TEST_USERNAME: ${{ matrix.role.username }}
@@ -139,9 +146,9 @@ jobs:
           name: ${{github.run_number}}-${{github.run_attempt}}-screenshots-${{ matrix.role.tag }}+${{ matrix.features[0] }}
           path: cypress/screenshots
 
-
   unit-test:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -162,9 +169,9 @@ jobs:
           name: ${{github.run_number}}-${{github.run_attempt}}-coverage
           path: coverage-artifacts/**/*
 
-
   i18n:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -173,9 +180,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run i18n lint
         uses: ./.github/actions/i18n-lint
 
-
   lint:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -184,16 +191,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run tests
         uses: ./.github/actions/lint
       
-
   check-i18n:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 1
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
       
       - name: Install packages
         run: yarn install:ci
@@ -204,14 +210,14 @@ jobs:
           ./scripts/check-i18n -s -x
 
   check-i18n-links:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 1
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
+      - name: Setup Node
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-node
       
       - name: Install packages
         run: yarn install:ci
@@ -245,7 +251,8 @@ jobs:
   #       run: ./codecov --verbose upload-process -t ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }} -n ${{github.run_number}}-${{github.run_attempt}}-coverage -F unit -f ./coverage/coverage-unit.json
 
   check-e2e-tags:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: registry.suse.com/bci/nodejs:20
+    runs-on: org-${{ github.repository_owner_id }}-amd64-k8s
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/po/components/sortable-table.po.ts b/cypress/e2e/po/components/sortable-table.po.ts
index 5f59b1849b4..0e3f77ad2bf 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/po/components/sortable-table.po.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/po/components/sortable-table.po.ts
@@ -80,11 +80,17 @@ export default class SortableTablePo extends ComponentPo {
    * @param searchText
    * @returns
    */
-  filter(searchText: string) {
-    return this.filterComponent()
+  filter(searchText: string, checkQuery = false) {
+    const res = this.filterComponent()
       .focus()
       .clear()
       .type(searchText);
+
+    if (checkQuery) {
+      cy.url().should('include', `q=${ searchText }`);
+    }
+
+    return res;
   }
 
   resetFilter() {
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/config-map.po.ts b/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/config-map.po.ts
index 60459d0536d..6204f51e63f 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/config-map.po.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/config-map.po.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export class ConfigMapPagePo extends PagePo {
   }
 
   searchForConfigMap(name: string) {
-    return this.list().resourceTable().sortableTable().filter(name);
+    return this.list().resourceTable().sortableTable().filter(name, true);
   }
 
   title() {
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/network-policy.po.ts b/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/network-policy.po.ts
index ad229c9d6ab..77999c094af 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/network-policy.po.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/po/pages/explorer/network-policy.po.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@ export class NetworkPolicyPagePo extends PagePo {
   }
 
   searchForNetworkPolicy(name: string) {
-    return this.list().resourceTable().sortableTable().filter(name);
+    return this.list().resourceTable().sortableTable().filter(name, true);
   }
 }
diff --git a/shell/scripts/test-plugins-build.sh b/shell/scripts/test-plugins-build.sh
index bbac4cc4f74..1be2e98f98b 100755
--- a/shell/scripts/test-plugins-build.sh
+++ b/shell/scripts/test-plugins-build.sh
@@ -128,7 +128,10 @@ if [ "${SKIP_STANDALONE}" == "false" ]; then
   pushd test-app > /dev/null
 
   yarn install
-  FORCE_COLOR=true yarn build | cat
+
+  echo "Building skeleton app"
+
+  NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=4096 FORCE_COLOR=true yarn build | cat
 
   # Add test list component to the test package
   # Validates rancher-components imports
@@ -228,3 +231,5 @@ function clone_repo_test_extension_build() {
 # clone_repo_test_extension_build "capi-ui-extension" "capi"
 
 echo "All done"
+# Force an exit
+exit 0