diff --git a/playbooks/molecule/resources/xnat/inventory/group_vars/container_service_host.yml b/playbooks/molecule/resources/xnat/inventory/group_vars/container_service_host.yml
index cb1747d0..08d68a20 100644
--- a/playbooks/molecule/resources/xnat/inventory/group_vars/container_service_host.yml
+++ b/playbooks/molecule/resources/xnat/inventory/group_vars/container_service_host.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ docker_client_hostnames:
   - "{{ hostvars['xnat_web']['hostname'] }}"
 docker_tls_verify: false
 
-# docker<25 is required for XNAT
+# docker<25 is required for XNAT for Container Service plugin < 3.5.0
 # see: https://groups.google.com/g/xnat_discussion/c/yyPBkN4kayE/m/LUe5GQH5AAAJ
-docker_version: 24.0.9
+docker_version: latest
 
 # mirsg.infrastructure.firewalld
 firewalld_internal_zone_sources:
diff --git a/roles/provision/tasks/main.yml b/roles/provision/tasks/main.yml
index 7e84e9c3..c8a80d18 100644
--- a/roles/provision/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/provision/tasks/main.yml
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@
   ansible.builtin.yum:
     name: "*"
     state: latest
-    exclude:
-      # https://groups.google.com/g/xnat_discussion/c/yyPBkN4kayE/m/LUe5GQH5AAAJ
-      - docker-ce
-      - docker-ce-cli
 
   tags:
     - molecule-idempotence-notest
diff --git a/roles/xnat/defaults/main.yml b/roles/xnat/defaults/main.yml
index 4ea1371b..93582639 100644
--- a/roles/xnat/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/xnat/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-xnat_version: 1.8.10.1
+xnat_version: 1.9.0
 xnat_pipeline_version: 1.8.10
 xnat_archive_dir: "{{ xnat_root_dir }}/archive"
 xnat_prearchive_dir: "{{ xnat_root_dir }}/prearchive"
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ xnat_ldap_keystore_alias: ""
 xnat_plugin_urls:
   - https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/xnatdev/xsync/downloads/xsync-plugin-all-1.7.0.jar
   - https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/xnatx/ldap-auth-plugin/downloads/ldap-auth-plugin-1.1.0.jar
-  - https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/xnatdev/container-service/downloads/container-service-3.4.3-fat.jar
+  - https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/xnatdev/container-service/downloads/container-service-3.6.0-fat.jar
   - https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/xnatx/xnatx-batch-launch-plugin/downloads/batch-launch-0.6.0.jar
   - https://github.com/VUIIS/dax/raw/main/misc/xnat-plugins/dax-plugin-genProcData-1.4.2.jar
   - https://api.bitbucket.org/2.0/repositories/icrimaginginformatics/ohif-viewer-xnat-plugin/downloads/ohif-viewer-3.6.2.jar