diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
index b3fd9e8d7..b8acbea02 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-images.yaml
@@ -86,18 +86,6 @@ jobs:
       arch: ${{ inputs.arch }}
     secrets: inherit
   
-  # vm-kernel-results:
-  #   runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-  #   needs: [vm-kernel]
-  #   steps:
-  #     - uses: cloudposse/github-action-matrix-outputs-read@v1
-  #       id: read
-  #       with:
-  #         matrix-step-name: vm-kernel
-
-  #   outputs:
-  #     result: "${{ steps.read.outputs.result }}"    
-
   build:
     # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.skip = true AND inputs.skip = 'true'.
     if: ${{ format('{0}', inputs.skip) != 'true' }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml
index 522e0ffc0..623b37ebe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-test.yaml
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - run: echo ${{ needs.build-images-results.outputs.result }}
-      - run: exit 0
+      - run: echo ${{ needs.build-test-vm-results.outputs.result }}
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0 # fetch all, so that we also include tags
@@ -148,11 +148,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - run: make render-release
         env:
-          IMG_CONTROLLER:       ${{ needs.build-images.outputs[format('controller-{0}', matrix.arch)] }}
-          IMG_VXLAN_CONTROLLER: ${{ needs.build-images.outputs[format('vxlan-controller-{0}', matrix.arch)] }}
-          IMG_RUNNER:           ${{ needs.build-images.outputs[format('runner-{0}', matrix.arch)] }}
-          IMG_SCHEDULER:        ${{ needs.build-images.outputs[format('scheduler-{0}', matrix.arch)] }}
-          IMG_AUTOSCALER_AGENT: ${{ needs.build-images.outputs[format('autoscaler-agent-{0}', matrix.arch)] }}
+          # ${{ fromJson(needs.vm-kernel-results.outputs.result).image[ inputs.arch ] }}
+          IMG_CONTROLLER:       ${{ fromJson(needs.build-images-results.outputs.result).controller[matrix.arch] }}
+          IMG_VXLAN_CONTROLLER: ${{ fromJson(needs.build-images-results.outputs.result).vxlan-controller[matrix.arch] }}
+          IMG_RUNNER:           ${{ fromJson(needs.build-images-results.outputs.result).runner[matrix.arch]}}
+          IMG_SCHEDULER:        ${{ fromJson(needs.build-images-results.outputs.result).scheduler[matrix.arch]}}
+          IMG_AUTOSCALER_AGENT: ${{ fromJson(needs.build-images-results.outputs.result).autoscaler-agent[matrix.arch]}}
 
       - name: upload manifests
         # nb: use format(..) to catch both inputs.push-yamls = true AND inputs.push-yamls = 'true'.
@@ -225,7 +226,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: load e2e test vm image
         env:
-          TEST_IMAGE: ${{ needs.build-test-vm-results.outputs.vm-postgres-16-bullseye }}
+          TEST_IMAGE: ${{ fromJson(needs.build-test-vm-results.outputs.result).vm-postgres-16-bullseye[matrix.arch]}} 
         timeout-minutes: 2
         run: |
           # Pull the docker image so we can re-tag it, because using a consistent tag inside the
diff --git a/.github/workflows/vm-kernel.yaml b/.github/workflows/vm-kernel.yaml
index 890d7d824..8767a10c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/vm-kernel.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/vm-kernel.yaml
@@ -32,12 +32,6 @@ on:
         description: 'Architecture to build the kernel image for'
         type: string
         required: true
-      matrix-step-name:
-        required: false
-        type: string
-      matrix-key:
-        required: false
-        type: string        
     outputs:
       image:
           description: "Image"
@@ -213,19 +207,3 @@ jobs:
 
 
       - run: git diff neonvm-kernel
-
-  # write_matrix:
-  #   runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-  #   needs: [build-vm-kernel-image]
-  #   steps:        
-  #     ## Write for matrix outputs workaround 
-  #     - uses: cloudposse/github-action-matrix-outputs-write@v1
-  #       id: out
-  #       with:
-  #         matrix-step-name: ${{ inputs.matrix-step-name }}
-  #         matrix-key: ${{ inputs.matrix-key }}
-  #         outputs: |-
-  #           image: ${{ needs.build-vm-kernel-image.outputs.image }}
-
-  #   outputs:
-  #     image: ${{ fromJson(steps.out.outputs.result).image }}