diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
index 52daa1115..f5a70cd7f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
@@ -80,39 +80,23 @@ defaults:
     shell: bash -euo pipefail {0}
 
 jobs:
-  # tags:
-  #   strategy:
-  #     matrix:
-  #       arch: [ 'amd64', 'arm64' ]
-  #   outputs:
-  #     controller:         ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.controller }}
-  #     vxlan-controller:   ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.vxlan-controller }}
-  #     runner:             ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.runner }}
-  #     scheduler:          ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.scheduler }}
-  #     autoscaler-agent:   ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.autoscaler-agent }}
-  #     cluster-autoscaler: ${{ steps.show-tags.outputs.cluster-autoscaler }}
-  #   runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-  #   steps:
-  
-  # TODO: uncomment when the final PR version is ready
-  # vm-kernel:
-  #   # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.skip = true AND inputs.skip = 'true'.
-  #   if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.skip) != 'true' }}
-  #   uses: ./.github/workflows/vm-kernel.yaml
-  #   with:
-  #     tag: ${{ inputs.kernel-image || inputs.tag }}
-  #     return-image-for-tag: ${{ inputs.kernel-image }}
-  #     arch: ${{ matrix.arch }}
-  #   strategy:
-  #     matrix:
-  #       arch: [ 'amd64', 'arm64' ]  
-  #   secrets: inherit
+  vm-kernel:
+    # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.skip = true AND inputs.skip = 'true'.
+    if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.skip) != 'true' }}
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/vm-kernel.yaml
+    with:
+      tag: ${{ inputs.kernel-image || inputs.tag }}
+      return-image-for-tag: ${{ inputs.kernel-image }}
+      arch: ${{ matrix.arch }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        arch: [ 'amd64', 'arm64' ]  
+    secrets: inherit
 
   build:
     # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.skip = true AND inputs.skip = 'true'.
     if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.skip) != 'true' }}
-    # TODO: uncomment when the final PR version is ready
-    # needs: [ vm-kernel  ]
+    needs: [ vm-kernel  ]
     outputs:
       controller-amd64:         ${{ steps.tags.outputs.controller-amd64 }}
       vxlan-controller-amd64:   ${{ steps.tags.outputs.vxlan-controller-amd64 }}
@@ -207,34 +191,33 @@ jobs:
           registry: cache.neon.build
           username: ${{ secrets.NEON_CI_DOCKERCACHE_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.NEON_CI_DOCKERCACHE_PASSWORD }}
-      # TODO: uncomment when the final PR version is ready
-      # - name: Configure dev AWS credentials
-      #   if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
-      #   uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
-      #   with:
-      #     aws-region: eu-central-1
-      #     mask-aws-account-id: true
-      #     role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.DEV_GHA_OIDC_ECR_ROLE }}
+      - name: Configure dev AWS credentials
+        if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
+        uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
+        with:
+          aws-region: eu-central-1
+          mask-aws-account-id: true
+          role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.DEV_GHA_OIDC_ECR_ROLE }}
 
-      # - name: Login to dev ECR
-      #   if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
-      #   uses: docker/login-action@v3
-      #   with:
-      #     registry: ${{ env.ECR_DEV }}
+      - name: Login to dev ECR
+        if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.ECR_DEV }}
 
-      # - name: Configure prod AWS credentials
-      #   if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
-      #   uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
-      #   with:
-      #     aws-region: eu-central-1
-      #     mask-aws-account-id: true
-      #     role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.PROD_GHA_OIDC_ECR_ROLE }}
+      - name: Configure prod AWS credentials
+        if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
+        uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
+        with:
+          aws-region: eu-central-1
+          mask-aws-account-id: true
+          role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.PROD_GHA_OIDC_ECR_ROLE }}
 
-      # - name: Login to prod ECR
-      #   if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
-      #   uses: docker/login-action@v3
-      #   with:
-      #     registry: ${{ env.ECR_PROD }}
+      - name: Login to prod ECR
+        if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.ECR_PROD }}
 
       - name: Check dependencies
         run: |
@@ -243,9 +226,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Load VM kernel
         env:
-          # IMAGE: ${{format(needs.vm-kernel.outputs.image_placeholder, matrix.arch)}}
-          # TODO: temporary always use image from one of the previous runs to speedup the build during debug
-          IMAGE:  ${{format('neondatabase/vm-kernel-{0}:3372e65.11573472293', matrix.arch)}}
+          IMAGE: ${{format(needs.vm-kernel.outputs.image_placeholder, matrix.arch)}}
+          # IMAGE:  ${{format('neondatabase/vm-kernel-{0}:3372e65.11573472293', matrix.arch)}}
         run: |
           docker pull --quiet $IMAGE
           ID=$(docker create $IMAGE true)
@@ -359,23 +341,22 @@ jobs:
           build-args: |
             CA_GIT_TAG=${{ steps.get-ca-tag.outputs.tag }}
       
-      # TODO: Uncomment when the final PR version is ready
-      # - name: Copy all images to ECR
-      #   if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
-      #   run: |
-      #     for image in \
-      #       neonvm-controller \
-      #       neonvm-vxlan-controller \
-      #       neonvm-runner \
-      #       vm-kernel \
-      #       autoscale-scheduler \
-      #       autoscaler-agent \
-      #       cluster-autoscaler-neonvm \
-      #       ; do
-      #       echo Copy ${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} to dev ECR
-      #       docker buildx imagetools create -t ${{ env.ECR_DEV }}/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} \
-      #                                          neondatabase/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }}
-      #       echo Copy ${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} to prod ECR
-      #       docker buildx imagetools create -t ${{ env.ECR_PROD }}/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} \
-      #                                          neondatabase/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }}
-      #     done
+      - name: Copy all images to ECR
+        if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.upload-to-ecr) == 'true' }}
+        run: |
+          for image in \
+            neonvm-controller \
+            neonvm-vxlan-controller \
+            neonvm-runner \
+            vm-kernel \
+            autoscale-scheduler \
+            autoscaler-agent \
+            cluster-autoscaler-neonvm \
+            ; do
+            echo Copy ${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} to dev ECR
+            docker buildx imagetools create -t ${{ env.ECR_DEV }}/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} \
+                                               neondatabase/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }}
+            echo Copy ${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} to prod ECR
+            docker buildx imagetools create -t ${{ env.ECR_PROD }}/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }} \
+                                               neondatabase/${image}:${{ inputs.tag }}
+          done
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml
index 218abfb8f..dd1d94ca8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-vm.yaml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
       daemon: ${{ steps.tags.outputs.daemon }}    
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        arch: [ 'arm64' ]  
+        arch: [ amd64, arm64 ]  
     # TODO: do we need gen3 runners? to clarify with dev exp team    
     runs-on: ${{ fromJson(format('["self-hosted", "{0}"]', matrix.arch == 'arm64' && 'large-arm64' || 'large')) }}
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml
index 3e12c0f94..7555b1b95 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         cluster: [ k3d ]
-        arch: [ arm64 ]
+        # run tests on amd64 only, since scope of the PR is to build images, there is separate issue for e2e tests
+        arch: [ amd64 ]
     
     runs-on: ${{ fromJson(format('["self-hosted", "{0}"]', matrix.arch == 'arm64' && 'large-arm64' || 'large')) }}
 
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: upload manifests
         # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.push-yamls = true AND inputs.push-yamls = 'true'.
-        # if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.push-yamls) == 'true'}}
+        if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.push-yamls) == 'true'}}
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: ${{ format('rendered_manifests-{0}', matrix.arch) }}