diff --git a/.ci/ansible/Containerfile.j2 b/.ci/ansible/Containerfile.j2
index c6c21fdb..338ff697 100644
--- a/.ci/ansible/Containerfile.j2
+++ b/.ci/ansible/Containerfile.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM {{ ci_base | default("ghcr.io/pulp/pulp-ci-centos:" + pulp_container_tag) }}
+FROM {{ ci_base | default(pulp_default_container) }}
 
 # Add source directories to container
 {% for item in plugins %}
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ ADD ./{{ item.name }} ./{{ item.name }}
 
 RUN pip3 install
 {%- if s3_test | default(false) -%}
-{{ " " }}git+https://github.com/fabricio-aguiar/botocore.git@fix-100-continue
+{{ " " }}git+https://github.com/gerrod3/botocore.git@fix-100-continue
 {%- endif -%}
 {%- for item in plugins -%}
 {{ " " }}{{ item.source }}
diff --git a/.ci/scripts/check_release.py b/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
index 1ae7713d..0ff2e147 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/check_release.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def main():
         "--branches",
         default="supported",
         help="A comma separated list of branches to check for releases. Can also use keyword: "
-        "'supported'. Defaults to 'supported', see `ci_update_branches` in "
+        "'supported'. Defaults to 'supported', see `supported_release_branches` in "
         "`plugin_template.yml`.",
     )
     opts = parser.parse_args()
@@ -46,12 +46,15 @@ def main():
         if branches == "supported":
             with open(f"{d}/template_config.yml", mode="r") as f:
                 tc = yaml.safe_load(f)
-                branches = tc["ci_update_branches"]
-            branches.append(DEFAULT_BRANCH)
+                branches = set(tc["supported_release_branches"])
+            latest_release_branch = tc["latest_release_branch"]
+            if latest_release_branch is not None:
+                branches.add(latest_release_branch)
+            branches.add(DEFAULT_BRANCH)
         else:
-            branches = branches.split(",")
+            branches = set(branches.split(","))
 
-        if diff := set(branches) - set(available_branches):
+        if diff := branches - set(available_branches):
             print(f"Supplied branches contains non-existent branches! {diff}")
             exit(1)
 
diff --git a/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py b/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py
index 3c8c3f22..4a7aae7b 100755
--- a/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/collect_changes.py
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@
 CHANGELOG_FILE = tc_settings.get("filename", "NEWS.rst")
 START_STRING = tc_settings.get(
     "start_string",
-    "<!-- towncrier release notes start -->\n"
-    if CHANGELOG_FILE.endswith(".md")
-    else ".. towncrier release notes start\n",
+    (
+        "<!-- towncrier release notes start -->\n"
+        if CHANGELOG_FILE.endswith(".md")
+        else ".. towncrier release notes start\n"
+    ),
 )
 TITLE_FORMAT = tc_settings.get("title_format", "{name} {version} ({project_date})")
 
diff --git a/.github/template_gitref b/.github/template_gitref
index fa55350f..2b533f2f 100644
--- a/.github/template_gitref
+++ b/.github/template_gitref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2021.08.26-304-gc53c1e3
+2021.08.26-315-g8ecb63d
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-branch.yml b/.github/workflows/create-branch.yml
index 2472f0aa..52460fc3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-branch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-branch.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: "Install python dependencies"
         run: |
           echo ::group::PYDEPS
-          pip install bump2version jinja2 pyyaml
+          pip install bump2version jinja2 pyyaml packaging
           echo ::endgroup::
 
       - name: "Setting secrets"
@@ -71,6 +71,19 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           find CHANGES -type f -regex ".*\.\(bugfix\|doc\|feature\|misc\|deprecation\|removal\)" -exec git rm {} +
 
+      - name: Checkout plugin template
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          repository: pulp/plugin_template
+          path: plugin_template
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Update CI branches in template_config
+        working-directory: plugin_template
+        run: |
+          python3 ./plugin-template pulp_file --github --latest-release-branch "${NEW_BRANCH}"
+          git add -A
+
       - name: Make a PR with version bump and without CHANGES/*
         uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v4
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 8c7b5f31..f74995ff 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ name: "File Publish Release"
 on:
   push:
     tags:
-      - "[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]"
+      - "[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+"
 
 defaults:
   run:
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
 
   build-bindings-docs:
     needs:
-      - "build-artifacts"
+      - "build"
     runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
     # Install scripts expect TEST to be set, 'docs' is most appropriate even though we don't run tests
     env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index d357bc6e..74548017 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
           path: "pulp_file"
+          token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}
 
       - uses: "actions/setup-python@v4"
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/install.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/install.sh
index 462ac012..5faf7f97 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/install.sh
@@ -80,9 +80,7 @@ cat >> vars/main.yaml << VARSYAML
 pulp_env: {}
 pulp_settings: {"allowed_content_checksums": ["sha1", "sha224", "sha256", "sha384", "sha512"], "allowed_export_paths": ["/tmp"], "allowed_import_paths": ["/tmp"]}
 pulp_scheme: https
-
-pulp_container_tag: "latest"
-
+pulp_default_container: ghcr.io/pulp/pulp-ci-centos:latest
 VARSYAML
 
 SCENARIOS=("pulp" "performance" "azure" "gcp" "s3" "generate-bindings" "lowerbounds")
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/release.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/release.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/script.sh b/.github/workflows/scripts/script.sh
index 2f4b08fe..4ea9c680 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/script.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/script.sh
@@ -129,14 +129,14 @@ echo "Checking for uncommitted migrations..."
 cmd_user_prefix bash -c "django-admin makemigrations file --check --dry-run"
 
 # Run unit tests.
-cmd_user_prefix bash -c "PULP_DATABASES__default__USER=postgres pytest -v -r sx --color=yes -p no:pulpcore --pyargs pulp_file.tests.unit"
+cmd_user_prefix bash -c "PULP_DATABASES__default__USER=postgres pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code -p no:pulpcore --pyargs pulp_file.tests.unit"
 
 # Run functional tests
 if [[ "$TEST" == "performance" ]]; then
   if [[ -z ${PERFORMANCE_TEST+x} ]]; then
-    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -vv -r sx --color=yes --pyargs --capture=no --durations=0 pulp_file.tests.performance"
+    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -vv -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --capture=no --durations=0 --pyargs pulp_file.tests.performance"
   else
-    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -vv -r sx --color=yes --pyargs --capture=no --durations=0 pulp_file.tests.performance.test_${PERFORMANCE_TEST}"
+    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -vv -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --capture=no --durations=0 --pyargs pulp_file.tests.performance.test_${PERFORMANCE_TEST}"
   fi
   exit
 fi
@@ -144,15 +144,14 @@ fi
 if [ -f "$FUNC_TEST_SCRIPT" ]; then
   source "$FUNC_TEST_SCRIPT"
 else
-    if [[ "$GITHUB_WORKFLOW" == "File Nightly CI/CD" ]]
-    then
-        cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m parallel -n 8 --nightly"
-        cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m 'not parallel' --nightly"
-
-    else
-        cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m parallel -n 8"
-        cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m 'not parallel'"
-    fi
+  if [[ "$GITHUB_WORKFLOW" =~ "Nightly" ]]
+  then
+    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m parallel -n 8 --nightly"
+    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m 'not parallel' --nightly"
+  else
+    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m parallel -n 8"
+    cmd_user_prefix bash -c "pytest -v -r sx --color=yes --suppress-no-test-exit-code --pyargs pulp_file.tests.functional -m 'not parallel'"
+  fi 
 fi
 export PULP_FIXTURES_URL="http://pulp-fixtures:8080"
 pushd ../pulp-cli
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scripts/update_backport_labels.py b/.github/workflows/scripts/update_backport_labels.py
index 854ff077..8cccd498 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/scripts/update_backport_labels.py
+++ b/.github/workflows/scripts/update_backport_labels.py
@@ -32,10 +32,14 @@ def random_color():
 assert response.status_code == 200
 old_labels = set([x["name"] for x in response.json() if x["name"].startswith("backport-")])
 
-# get ci_update_branches from template_config.yml
+# get list of branches from template_config.yml
 with open("./template_config.yml", "r") as f:
     plugin_template = yaml.safe_load(f)
-new_labels = set(["backport-" + x for x in plugin_template["ci_update_branches"]])
+branches = set(plugin_template["supported_release_branches"])
+latest_release_branch = plugin_template["latest_release_branch"]
+if latest_release_branch is not None:
+    branches.add(latest_release_branch)
+new_labels = {"backport-" + x for x in branches}
 
 # delete old labels that are not in new labels
 for label in old_labels.difference(new_labels):
diff --git a/docs/template_gitref b/docs/template_gitref
index fa55350f..2b533f2f 100644
--- a/docs/template_gitref
+++ b/docs/template_gitref
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2021.08.26-304-gc53c1e3
+2021.08.26-315-g8ecb63d
diff --git a/functest_requirements.txt b/functest_requirements.txt
index 44e10590..55c3f987 100644
--- a/functest_requirements.txt
+++ b/functest_requirements.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 aiofiles
 aiohttp
 beautifulsoup4
-pytest
+pytest<8
 pytest-custom_exit_code
 pytest-xdist
 proxy.py~=2.4.1
diff --git a/lint_requirements.txt b/lint_requirements.txt
index c710c3c3..cb7bb6ed 100644
--- a/lint_requirements.txt
+++ b/lint_requirements.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # For more info visit https://github.com/pulp/plugin_template
 
 # python packages handy for developers, but not required by pulp
-black
+black==23.12.1
 check-manifest
 flake8
 flake8-black
diff --git a/template_config.yml b/template_config.yml
index 96e74bdb..68175a94 100644
--- a/template_config.yml
+++ b/template_config.yml
@@ -1,27 +1,18 @@
 # This config represents the latest values used when running the plugin-template. Any settings that
 # were not present before running plugin-template have been added with their default values.
 
-# generated with plugin_template@2021.08.26-301-g83f0607
+# generated with plugin_template@2021.08.26-315-g8ecb63d
 
-additional_repos:
-- branch: main
-  name: pulp-certguard
 api_root: /pulp/
 black: true
 check_commit_message: true
 check_gettext: true
 check_manifest: true
 check_stray_pulpcore_imports: true
+ci_base_image: ghcr.io/pulp/pulp-ci-centos
 ci_env: {}
 ci_trigger: '{pull_request: {branches: [''*'']}}'
-ci_update_branches:
-- '1.10'
-- '1.11'
-- '1.12'
-- '1.13'
-- '1.14'
 ci_update_docs: true
-ci_update_release_behavior: null
 cli_package: pulp-cli
 cli_repo: https://github.com/pulp/pulp-cli.git
 core_import_allowed: []
@@ -39,6 +30,7 @@ flake8_ignore: []
 github_org: pulp
 issue_tracker: github
 kanban: true
+latest_release_branch: null
 lint_requirements: true
 noissue_marker: '[noissue]'
 parallel_test_workers: 8
@@ -82,6 +74,12 @@ stalebot: true
 stalebot_days_until_close: 30
 stalebot_days_until_stale: 90
 stalebot_limit_to_pulls: true
+supported_release_branches:
+- '1.10'
+- '1.11'
+- '1.12'
+- '1.13'
+- '1.14'
 sync_ci: true
 test_azure: true
 test_cli: true
diff --git a/unittest_requirements.txt b/unittest_requirements.txt
index c4380ab7..421e7ba7 100644
--- a/unittest_requirements.txt
+++ b/unittest_requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 mock
 pytest-django
+pytest<8