diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index cd1bf270c935a5bf5b6b5c8dc000b4f71d9f021f..6183be5caf2b15356c1357d3a9e2cadfd7661d5e 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 image: eicweb.phy.anl.gov:4567/containers/image_recipes/ubuntu_dind:latest
 
 variables:
+  ## External images
+  DOCKER_IMAGE: docker.io/docker:24.0.5
+  SINGULARITY_IMAGE: quay.io/singularity/singularity:v3.11.4
+
   ## Application versions used for the main release 
   ## note: nightly builds will always use the master/main branch
   JUGGLER_VERSION: "v10.0.1"
@@ -407,6 +411,7 @@ jug_xl:nightly:
                    containers/jug
 
 .singularity:
+  image: ${SINGULARITY_IMAGE}
   stage: deploy
   interruptible: true
   rules: