diff --git a/VARIABLES.md b/VARIABLES.md
index 2018c548..948e5df4 100644
--- a/VARIABLES.md
+++ b/VARIABLES.md
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ These variables should be set when tests are scheduled (when running `isos post`
 | `KOJITASK` | A Koji task ID. If set, the modified 'update testing' flow for testing scratch builds will be used: post-install tests will be run with the packages from the update, starting from the stable release base disk images |
 | `DISTRI` | contains distribution name (should be same as in WebUI, probably `rocky`) |
 | `VERSION` | contains version of distribution |
-| `FLAVOR` | indicates what type of distribution is used. Three Pungi properties, joined with `-`: `variant`, `type`, and `format`. e.g.: `Server-dvd-iso`. Special value `universal` is used to schedule the group of tests that should be run once each per arch per compose, against the 'best' available ISO |
+| `FLAVOR` | indicates what type of distribution is used. Three Pungi properties, joined with `-`: `variant`, `type`, and `format`. e.g.: `dvd-iso`. Special value `universal` is used to schedule the group of tests that should be run once each per arch per compose, against the 'best' available ISO |
 | `ARCH` | is set to architecture that will be used (`x86_64`, `i686`) |
 | `BUILD` | contains Pungi compose_id (something like `Rocky-8.4-20210801.n.0`) |
 | `LABEL` | contains Pungi compose label, if it has one (otherwise should be unset) - e.g `RC-1.5` |
@@ -108,3 +108,5 @@ These variables should be set when tests are scheduled (when running `isos post`
 | `UP1REL` | the source release for "1-release" upgrade tests (usually but not always same as `CURRREL`) |
 | `UP2REL` | the source release for "2-release" upgrade tests (currently always same as `PREVREL`) |
 | `LOCATION` | contains Pungi base compose location (something like `https://kojipkgs.rockylinux.org/compose/branched/Rocky-8.4-20210801.n.0/compose/`) |
+| `DNF_CONTENTDIR` | the value to change `/etc/dnf/vars/contentdir` to (eg. `stg/rocky`) allowing repository reconfiguration to point at staging (usually but not always used with `DNF_RELEASEVER`) |
+| `DNF_RELEASEVER` | the value to change `/etc/dnf/vars/releasever` to (eg. `8.8-Beta`) allowing repository reconfiguration to point at a specific release (usually but not always used with `DNF_CONTENTDIR`) |
diff --git a/lib/packagetest.pm b/lib/packagetest.pm
index ae4cc525..ad17bacc 100644
--- a/lib/packagetest.pm
+++ b/lib/packagetest.pm
@@ -9,15 +9,15 @@ use testapi;
 our @EXPORT = qw/prepare_test_packages verify_installed_packages verify_updated_packages/;
 
 # enable the openqa test package repositories and install the main
-# test packages, remove python3-kickstart and install the fake one
+# test packages, remove pandoc-common and install the fake one
 sub prepare_test_packages {
-    # remove python3-kickstart if installed (we don't use assert
+    # remove pandoc-common if installed (we don't use assert
     # here in case it's not)
-    script_run 'dnf -y remove python3-kickstart', 180;
+    script_run 'dnf -y remove pandoc-common', 180;
     # grab the test repo definitions
-    assert_script_run 'curl -o /etc/yum.repos.d/openqa-testrepo-1.repo https://fedorapeople.org/groups/qa/openqa-repos/openqa-testrepo-1.repo';
+    assert_script_run 'curl -o /etc/yum.repos.d/openqa-testrepo-1.repo https://git.resf.org/testing/openqa-testrepos/raw/branch/main/openqa-testrepo-1.repo';
     # install the test packages from repo1
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=* --enablerepo=openqa-testrepo-1 install python3-kickstart';
+    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=* --enablerepo=openqa-testrepo-1 install pandoc-common';
     if (get_var("DESKTOP") eq 'kde' && get_var("TEST") eq 'desktop_update_graphical') {
         # kick pkcon so our special update will definitely get installed
         assert_script_run 'pkcon refresh force';
@@ -27,15 +27,15 @@ sub prepare_test_packages {
 # check our test packages installed correctly (this is a test that dnf
 # actually does what it claims)
 sub verify_installed_packages {
-    validate_script_output 'rpm -q python3-kickstart', sub { $_ =~ m/^python3-kickstart-1.1.noarch$/ };
-    assert_script_run 'rpm -V python3-kickstart';
+    validate_script_output 'rpm -q pandoc-common', sub { $_ =~ m/^pandoc-common-1.1.noarch$/ };
+    assert_script_run 'rpm -V pandoc-common';
 }
 
-# check updating the test packages and the fake python3-kickstart work
+# check updating the test packages and the fake pandoc-common work
 # as expected
 sub verify_updated_packages {
-    # we don't know what version of python3-kickstart we'll actually
+    # we don't know what version of pandoc-common we'll actually
     # get, so just check it's *not* the fake one
-    validate_script_output 'rpm -q python3-kickstart', sub { $_ !~ m/^python3-kickstart-1-1.noarch$/ };
-    assert_script_run 'rpm -V python3-kickstart';
+    validate_script_output 'rpm -q pandoc-common', sub { $_ !~ m/^pandoc-common-1-1.noarch$/ };
+    assert_script_run 'rpm -V pandoc-common';
 }
diff --git a/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm b/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm
index 297d6f96..70f19efa 100644
--- a/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm
+++ b/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm
@@ -99,8 +99,11 @@ sub run {
                 # we direct the installer to virtio-console1, and use
                 # virtio-console as a root console
                 select_console('virtio-console1');
-                unless (wait_serial "Use text mode", timeout => 120) { die "Anaconda has not started."; }
-                type_string "2\n";
+                if (get_var("DISTRI") eq "rocky" && (get_version_major() > 8)) {
+                    unless (wait_serial "Use text mode", timeout => 120) { die "Anaconda has not started."; }
+                    type_string "2\n";
+                }
+                # see comment below
                 unless (wait_serial "Installation") { die "Text version of Anaconda has not started."; }
             }
             else {
diff --git a/tests/_do_install_and_reboot.pm b/tests/_do_install_and_reboot.pm
index a4a66212..3559b9ff 100644
--- a/tests/_do_install_and_reboot.pm
+++ b/tests/_do_install_and_reboot.pm
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ sub run {
     push(@actions, 'abrt') if (get_var("ABRT", '') eq "system");
     push(@actions, 'rootpw') if (get_var("INSTALLER_NO_ROOT"));
     push(@actions, 'stagingrepos') if (get_var("DNF_CONTENTDIR"));
+    push(@actions, 'releasever') if (get_var("DNF_RELEASEVER"));
     # memcheck test doesn't need to reboot at all. Rebooting from GUI
     # for lives is unreliable. And if we're already doing something
     # else at a console, we may as well reboot from there too
@@ -202,6 +203,9 @@ sub run {
         }
         assert_script_run 'printf "stg/rocky\n" > ' . $mount . '/etc/dnf/vars/contentdir';
     }
+    if (grep { $_ eq 'releasever' } @actions) {
+        assert_script_run 'printf "%s\n" "' . get_var("DNF_RELEASEVER") . '" > ' . $mount . '/etc/dnf/vars/releasever';
+    }
     type_string "reboot\n" if (grep { $_ eq 'reboot' } @actions);
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/base_update_cli.pm b/tests/base_update_cli.pm
index 314dd419..dd832663 100644
--- a/tests/base_update_cli.pm
+++ b/tests/base_update_cli.pm
@@ -11,16 +11,20 @@ sub run {
     prepare_test_packages;
     # check rpm agrees they installed good
     verify_installed_packages;
-    # update the fake python3-kickstart (should come from the real repo)
+    if (get_var("DISTRI") eq "rocky") {
+        # pandoc-common is in PowerTools in RockyLinux
+        assert_script_run 'dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools', 60;
+    }
+    # update the fake pandoc-common (should come from the real repo)
     # this can take a long time if we get unlucky with the metadata refresh
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=openqa-testrepo* --disablerepo=updates-testing update python3-kickstart', 600;
+    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=openqa-testrepo* --disablerepo=updates-testing update pandoc-common', 600;
     # check we got the updated version
     verify_updated_packages;
-    # now remove python3-kickstart, and see if we can do a straight
+    # now remove pandoc-common, and see if we can do a straight
     # install from the default repos
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y remove python3-kickstart';
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=openqa-testrepo* --disablerepo=updates-testing install python3-kickstart', 120;
-    assert_script_run 'rpm -V python3-kickstart';
+    assert_script_run 'dnf -y remove pandoc-common';
+    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=openqa-testrepo* --disablerepo=updates-testing install pandoc-common', 120;
+    assert_script_run 'rpm -V pandoc-common';
 }
 
 sub test_flags {