diff --git a/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_XVR_GoUsingJava_Dataflow.yml b/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_XVR_GoUsingJava_Dataflow.yml
index c22bec84760c..758ca0508902 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_XVR_GoUsingJava_Dataflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_XVR_GoUsingJava_Dataflow.yml
@@ -75,11 +75,23 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-environment-action
         with:
           python-version: default
+      - name: Authenticate to GCP
+        uses: google-github-actions/auth@v3
+        with:
+          service_account: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA_EMAIL }}
+          credentials_json: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA_KEY }}
+      - name: Set up Cloud SDK
+        uses: google-github-actions/setup-gcloud@v3
       - name: Set up Docker Buildx
         uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
-      - name: GCloud Docker credential helper
+      - name: Configure Docker auth for GCR
+        run: |
+          gcloud --quiet auth configure-docker us.gcr.io
+          gcloud --quiet auth configure-docker gcr.io
+          gcloud auth list
+      - name: Docker login to GCR (explicit)
         run: |
-          gcloud auth configure-docker us.gcr.io
+          gcloud auth print-access-token | docker login -u oauth2accesstoken --password-stdin https://us.gcr.io
       - name: run XVR GoUsingJava Dataflow script
         env:
           USER: github-actions
diff --git a/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow.yml b/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow.yml
index 2548caed038e..e2f3f21264f2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow.yml
@@ -98,7 +98,26 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-environment-action
         with:
           java-version: default
+      - name: Authenticate to GCP
+        uses: google-github-actions/auth@v3
+        with:
+          service_account: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA_EMAIL }}
+          credentials_json: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA_KEY }}
+      - name: Set up Cloud SDK
+        uses: google-github-actions/setup-gcloud@v3
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+      - name: Configure Docker auth for GCR
+        run: |
+          gcloud --quiet auth configure-docker us.gcr.io
+          gcloud --quiet auth configure-docker gcr.io
+          gcloud auth list
+      - name: Docker login to GCR (explicit)
+        run: |
+          gcloud auth print-access-token | docker login -u oauth2accesstoken --password-stdin https://us.gcr.io
       - name: run javaExamplesDataflowPrecommit script
+        env:
+          CLOUDSDK_CONFIG: ${{ env.KUBELET_GCLOUD_CONFIG_PATH}}
         uses: ./.github/actions/gradle-command-self-hosted-action
         with:
           gradle-command: :javaExamplesDataflowPrecommit
diff --git a/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow_Java21.yml b/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow_Java21.yml
index aa278822550c..ad71569b38c4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow_Java21.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/beam_PreCommit_Java_Examples_Dataflow_Java21.yml
@@ -101,7 +101,26 @@ jobs:
         java-version: |
           21
           11
+    - name: Authenticate to GCP
+      uses: google-github-actions/auth@v3
+      with:
+        service_account: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA_EMAIL }}
+        credentials_json: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA_KEY }}
+    - name: Set up Cloud SDK
+      uses: google-github-actions/setup-gcloud@v3
+    - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+      uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+    - name: Configure Docker auth for GCR
+      run: |
+        gcloud --quiet auth configure-docker us.gcr.io
+        gcloud --quiet auth configure-docker gcr.io
+        gcloud auth list
+    - name: Docker login to GCR (explicit)
+      run: |
+        gcloud auth print-access-token | docker login -u oauth2accesstoken --password-stdin https://us.gcr.io
     - name: Clean
+      env:
+        CLOUDSDK_CONFIG: ${{ env.KUBELET_GCLOUD_CONFIG_PATH}}
       uses: ./.github/actions/gradle-command-self-hosted-action
       with:
         gradle-command: :clean
@@ -110,6 +129,8 @@ jobs:
           -PdisableCheckStyle=true \
           -PskipCheckerFramework \
     - name: Build and Test
+      env:
+        CLOUDSDK_CONFIG: ${{ env.KUBELET_GCLOUD_CONFIG_PATH}}
       uses: ./.github/actions/gradle-command-self-hosted-action
       with:
         gradle-command: :runners:google-cloud-dataflow-java:examples:preCommit :runners:google-cloud-dataflow-java:examplesJavaDistrolessRunnerV2PreCommit
diff --git a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
index 8729bc2032ca..9ecc044ef56b 100644
--- a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
+++ b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ def buildAndPushDockerJavaContainer = tasks.register("buildAndPushDockerJavaCont
       commandLine "docker", "tag", "${defaultDockerImageName}", "${dockerJavaImageName}"
     }
     exec {
-      commandLine "gcloud", "docker", "--", "push", "${dockerJavaImageName}"
+      commandLine "docker", "push", "${dockerJavaImageName}"
     }
   }
 }
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ def buildAndPushDistrolessDockerJavaContainer = tasks.register("buildAndPushDist
       commandLine "docker", "tag", "${defaultDockerImageName}", "${dockerJavaDistrolessImageName}"
     }
     exec {
-      commandLine "gcloud", "docker", "--", "push", "${dockerJavaDistrolessImageName}"
+      commandLine "docker", "push", "${dockerJavaDistrolessImageName}"
     }
   }
 }
@@ -372,11 +372,61 @@ def buildAndPushDockerPythonContainer = tasks.create("buildAndPushDockerPythonCo
           root: "apache",
           tag: project.sdk_version)
   doLast {
+    // Check if image exists locally
+    def imageExists = false
+    try {
+      exec {
+        commandLine "docker", "inspect", "--type=image", "${defaultDockerImageName}"
+        ignoreExitValue = false
+      }
+      imageExists = true
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      println "Image ${defaultDockerImageName} not found locally: ${e.message}"
+      def pythonContainerProject = project.project(":sdks:python:container:py${pythonVer.replace('.', '')}")
+      def dockerBuildDir = pythonContainerProject.tasks.getByName("dockerPrepare").destinationDir
+      def dockerfile = new File(pythonContainerProject.projectDir, "../Dockerfile")
+
+      def loadResult = exec {
+        commandLine "sh", "-c", """
+          cd ${dockerBuildDir} && \
+          docker buildx build --load \
+            --tag ${defaultDockerImageName} \
+            --build-arg py_version=${pythonVer} \
+            --build-arg pull_licenses=true \
+            -f ${dockerfile.absolutePath} \
+            .
+        """
+        ignoreExitValue = true
+      }
+
+      if (loadResult.exitValue != 0) {
+        println "Failed to load from buildx cache. Attempting to pull from registry..."
+        def pullResult = exec {
+          commandLine "docker", "pull", "${defaultDockerImageName}"
+          ignoreExitValue = true
+        }
+
+        if (pullResult.exitValue != 0) {
+          throw new GradleException(
+            "Docker image ${defaultDockerImageName} not found locally, in buildx cache, or in registry. " +
+            "Check the Docker build output for errors."
+          )
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
     exec {
       commandLine "docker", "tag", "${defaultDockerImageName}", "${dockerPythonImageName}"
     }
+
+    println "Verifying Docker authentication for ${dockerPythonImageName}"
+    exec {
+      commandLine "docker", "info"
+      ignoreExitValue = false
+    }
+
     exec {
-      commandLine "gcloud", "docker", "--", "push", "${dockerPythonImageName}"
+      commandLine "docker", "push", "${dockerPythonImageName}"
     }
   }
 }