diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e_custom_cl.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e_custom_cl.yml
index 489b24599..09fd2701b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e_custom_cl.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e_custom_cl.yml
@@ -47,6 +47,21 @@ jobs:
         id: psversion
         uses: ./.github/actions/projectserum_version
 
+  contract-changes:
+    name: check for contract changes from develop
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      changed: ${{ steps.changes.outputs.contracts == 'true' }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@de90cc6fb38fc0963ad72b210f1f284cd68cea36 # v3.0.2
+        id: changes
+        with:
+          base: develop
+          list-files: csv
+          filters: |
+            contracts:
+              - 'contracts/**'
+
   solana-test-image-exists:
     environment: integration
     permissions:
@@ -92,13 +107,18 @@ jobs:
       id-token: write
       contents: read
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest-32cores-128GB
-    needs: [e2e_custom_build_artifacts, get_projectserum_version]
+    needs: [contract-changes,e2e_custom_build_artifacts, get_projectserum_version]
     steps:
+      # TODO: make this if conditional control workflow execution
+      - name: Changes to develop branch detected
+        if: needs.contract-changes.outputs.changed
+        run: |
+          echo "changes detected!"
       - name: Checkout previous release
         uses: actions/checkout@44c2b7a8a4ea60a981eaca3cf939b5f4305c123b # v4.1.5
         with:
-          # ref: v1.0.2
-          ref: v1.1.0
+          ref: v1.0.2 # pinned to latest deployed release
+          # ref: v1.1.0
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: artifacts
@@ -113,9 +133,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: build contracts
         id: previous
         run: |
-          # TODO: make dynamic container
-          # docker run -d -v "$(pwd)":/repo --name build-container projectserum/build:v0.25.0 tail -f /dev/null
-          docker run -d -v "$(pwd)":/repo --name build-container backpackapp/build:${{ needs.get_projectserum_version.outputs.projectserum_version }} tail -f /dev/null
+          # for use with 1.0.2 release
+          docker run -d -v "$(pwd)":/repo --name build-container projectserum/build:v0.25.0 tail -f /dev/null
+          # for use with 1.1.0 release and onward
+          # docker run -d -v "$(pwd)":/repo --name build-container backpackapp/build:${{ needs.get_projectserum_version.outputs.projectserum_version }} tail -f /dev/null
+          
           # build with keys
           docker exec build-container bash -c "\
             export RUSTUP_HOME=\"/root/.rustup\" &&\
@@ -284,7 +306,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run Tests
         uses: smartcontractkit/chainlink-github-actions/chainlink-testing-framework/run-tests@b49a9d04744b0237908831730f8553f26d73a94b # v2.3.17
         with:
-          test_command_to_run: cd ./integration-tests && go test -timeout 24h -count=1 -run TestSolanaOCRV2Smoke -json $(args) ./smoke 2>&1 | tee /tmp/gotest.log | gotestloghelper -ci -singlepackage
+          test_command_to_run: cd ./integration-tests && go test -timeout 24h -count=1 -run TestSolanaOCRV2Smoke -json $(args) ./smoke 2>&1 | tee /tmp/gotest.log | gotestloghelper -ci= -singlepackage=true -hidepassingtests=false -hidepassinglogs=false
           test_download_vendor_packages_command: cd ./integration-tests && go mod download
           download_contract_artifacts_path: ${{ env.CONTRACT_ARTIFACTS_PATH }} 
           go_mod_path: ./integration-tests/go.mod
@@ -299,3 +321,89 @@ jobs:
           QA_KUBECONFIG: ${{ secrets.QA_KUBECONFIG }}
           cache_key_id: solana-e2e-${{ env.MOD_CACHE_VERSION }}
           cache_restore_only: "false"
+
+  e2e_program_upgrade_tests:
+    name: E2E Program Upgrade Tests
+    environment: integration
+    permissions:
+      checks: write
+      pull-requests: write
+      id-token: write
+      contents: read
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest-16cores-64GB
+
+    needs: [contract-changes,e2e_custom_build_previous_artifacts,e2e_custom_build_artifacts, e2e_custom_build_custom_chainlink_image, check_test_compilation]
+    env:
+      TEST_SUITE: smoke
+      TEST_ARGS: -test.timeout 30m
+      TEST_LOG_LEVEL: debug
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+    steps:
+      # TODO: make this if conditional control workflow execution
+      - name: Changes to develop branch detected
+        if: needs.contract-changes.outputs.changed
+        run: |
+          echo "changes detected!"
+      - name: Collect Metrics
+        id: collect-gha-metrics
+        uses: smartcontractkit/push-gha-metrics-action@dea9b546553cb4ca936607c2267a09c004e4ab3f # v3.0.0
+        with:
+          id: solana-e2e-program-upgrade
+          org-id: ${{ secrets.GRAFANA_INTERNAL_TENANT_ID }}
+          basic-auth: ${{ secrets.GRAFANA_INTERNAL_BASIC_AUTH }}
+          hostname: ${{ secrets.GRAFANA_INTERNAL_HOST }}
+          this-job-name: E2E Program Upgrade Tests
+          test-results-file: '{"testType":"go","filePath":"/tmp/gotest.log"}'
+        continue-on-error: true
+      - name: Get core ref from PR body
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        run: |
+          comment="$(gh pr view https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/pull/${{ github.event.pull_request.number }} --json body -q '.body')"
+          # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+          core_ref="$(echo $comment | grep -oP 'core ref: \K\S+' || true)"
+          if [ -n "$core_ref" ]; then
+            echo "CUSTOM_CORE_REF=${core_ref}" >> "${GITHUB_ENV}"
+          fi
+      - name: Checkout the repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@44c2b7a8a4ea60a981eaca3cf939b5f4305c123b # v4.1.5
+      - name: Install Solana CLI # required for ensuring the local test validator is configured correctly
+        run: ./scripts/install-solana-ci.sh
+      - name: Install gauntlet
+        uses: ./.github/actions/build-gauntlet
+      - name: Generate config overrides
+        run: | # https://github.com/smartcontractkit/chainlink-testing-framework/blob/main/config/README.md
+          cat << EOF > config.toml
+          [ChainlinkImage]
+          image="${{ env.CL_ECR }}"
+          version="solana.${{ env.CUSTOM_CORE_REF || github.event.inputs.cl_branch_ref || github.sha }}"
+          [Common]
+          user="${{ github.actor }}"
+          internal_docker_repo = "${{ secrets.QA_AWS_ACCOUNT_NUMBER }}.dkr.ecr.${{ secrets.QA_AWS_REGION }}.amazonaws.com"
+          EOF
+
+          # shellcheck disable=SC2002
+          BASE64_CONFIG_OVERRIDE=$(cat config.toml | base64 -w 0)
+          # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+          echo ::add-mask::$BASE64_CONFIG_OVERRIDE
+          # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+          echo "BASE64_CONFIG_OVERRIDE=$BASE64_CONFIG_OVERRIDE" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Run Upgrade Test
+        run: |
+          echo "TODO: implement OCR2 upgrade test!"
+      #   uses: smartcontractkit/chainlink-github-actions/chainlink-testing-framework/run-tests@b49a9d04744b0237908831730f8553f26d73a94b # v2.3.17
+      #   with:
+      #     test_command_to_run: cd ./integration-tests && go test -timeout 24h -count=1 -run TestSolanaOCRV2Smoke -json $(args) ./smoke 2>&1 | tee /tmp/gotest.log | gotestloghelper -ci= -singlepackage=true -hidepassingtests=false -hidepassinglogs=false
+      #     test_download_vendor_packages_command: cd ./integration-tests && go mod download
+      #     download_contract_artifacts_path: ${{ env.CONTRACT_ARTIFACTS_PATH }} 
+      #     go_mod_path: ./integration-tests/go.mod
+      #     cl_repo: ${{ env.CL_ECR }}
+      #     cl_image_tag: solana.${{ env.CUSTOM_CORE_REF || github.event.inputs.cl_branch_ref || github.sha }}
+      #     token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      #     aws_registries: ${{ secrets.QA_AWS_ACCOUNT_NUMBER }}
+      #     artifacts_name: smoke-test-logs
+      #     artifacts_location: ./integration-tests/smoke/logs/
+      #     QA_AWS_REGION: ${{ secrets.QA_AWS_REGION }}
+      #     QA_AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME: ${{ secrets.QA_AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME }}
+      #     QA_KUBECONFIG: ${{ secrets.QA_KUBECONFIG }}
+      #     cache_key_id: solana-e2e-${{ env.MOD_CACHE_VERSION }}
+      #     cache_restore_only: "false"