diff --git a/.github/workflows/base-image.yaml b/.github/workflows/base-image.yaml
index 986fa751..c0a6174c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/base-image.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/base-image.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ jobs:
     name: build mini-lab-sonic base image
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        versions:
+          - name: 202311
+          - name: 202411
+
     steps:
     - name: Log in to the container registry
       uses: docker/login-action@v3
@@ -21,18 +27,13 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-    - name: Make tag
-      run: |
-        git fetch --tags
-        echo "tag=$(git describe --tags --exact-match 2> /dev/null || git symbolic-ref -q --short HEAD || git rev-parse --short HEAD)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
     - name: Set up Docker Buildx
       uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
-    - name: Build and push mini-lab-sonic container
+    - name: Build and push mini-lab-sonic-base container
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
       with:
         push: true
         sbom: true
-        file: images/sonic/base/Dockerfile
-        tags: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:${{ env.tag }}
+        file: images/sonic/base-${{ matrix.versions.name }}/Dockerfile
+        tags: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:${{ matrix.versions.name }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration.yaml b/.github/workflows/integration.yaml
index 754b0007..e9b941f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration.yaml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
       with:
         context: ./images/machine
+        pull: true
         push: true
         sbom: true
         tags: ${{ env.MINI_LAB_VM_IMAGE }}
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
       with:
         context: ./images/sonic
+        pull: true
         push: true
         sbom: true
         tags: ${{ env.MINI_LAB_SONIC_IMAGE }}
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 520cd053..5c2af20f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ up: env gen-certs control-plane-bake partition-bake
 	sleep 10
 	ssh -F files/ssh/config leaf01 'systemctl restart metal-core'
 	ssh -F files/ssh/config leaf02 'systemctl restart metal-core'
+# TODO: for community SONiC versions > 202311 a bgp restart is needed in the virtual environment
+	sleep 10
+	ssh -F files/ssh/config leaf01 'systemctl restart bgp'
+	ssh -F files/ssh/config leaf02 'systemctl restart bgp'
 
 .PHONY: restart
 restart: down up
@@ -353,6 +357,11 @@ test-connectivity-to-external-service-via-ipv6:
 		fi; \
 	done
 
+.PHONY: build-sonic-base
+build-sonic-base:
+	docker build -t ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:202311 images/sonic/base-202311
+	docker build -t ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:202411 images/sonic/base-202411
+	docker build -t ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:202505 images/sonic/base-202505
 
 ## DEV TARGETS ##
 
diff --git a/images/sonic/Dockerfile b/images/sonic/Dockerfile
index c3d8a30a..fe262415 100644
--- a/images/sonic/Dockerfile
+++ b/images/sonic/Dockerfile
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
         qemu-system-x86 \
         telnet
 
-COPY --from=ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic:base /sonic-vs.img /sonic-vs.img
-COPY --from=ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic:base /frr-pythontools.deb /frr-pythontools.deb
+COPY --from=ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:202505 /sonic-vs.img /sonic-vs.img
+COPY --from=ghcr.io/metal-stack/mini-lab-sonic-base:202505 /frr-pythontools.deb /frr-pythontools.deb
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["/launch.py"]
 
diff --git a/images/sonic/base/Dockerfile b/images/sonic/base-202311/Dockerfile
similarity index 100%
rename from images/sonic/base/Dockerfile
rename to images/sonic/base-202311/Dockerfile
diff --git a/images/sonic/base-202411/Dockerfile b/images/sonic/base-202411/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f863475b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/sonic/base-202411/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Check: https://sonic-build.azurewebsites.net/ui/sonic/pipelines
+ARG SONIC_BASE_URL=https://sonic-build.azurewebsites.net/api/sonic/artifacts?branchName=202411&platform=vs
+ARG SONIC_IMG_URL=${SONIC_BASE_URL}&target=target%2Fsonic-vs.img.gz
+ARG FRR_RELOAD_URL=${SONIC_BASE_URL}&target=target%2Fdebs%2Fbookworm%2Ffrr-pythontools_10.0.1-sonic-0_all.deb
+
+FROM docker.io/library/busybox:stable AS download
+
+ARG SONIC_IMG_URL
+ARG FRR_RELOAD_URL
+
+ADD "${SONIC_IMG_URL}" /sonic-vs.img.gz
+ADD "${FRR_RELOAD_URL}" /frr-pythontools.deb
+
+RUN gunzip /sonic-vs.img.gz
+
+FROM scratch
+
+ARG SONIC_IMG_URL
+ARG FRR_RELOAD_URL
+
+LABEL sonic-img-url=${SONIC_IMG_URL} \
+      frr-reload-url=${FRR_RELOAD_URL}
+
+COPY --from=download /frr-pythontools.deb /frr-pythontools.deb
+COPY --from=download /sonic-vs.img /sonic-vs.img
diff --git a/images/sonic/base-202505/Dockerfile b/images/sonic/base-202505/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..632cdc0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/images/sonic/base-202505/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Check: https://sonic-build.azurewebsites.net/ui/sonic/pipelines
+ARG SONIC_BASE_URL=https://sonic-build.azurewebsites.net/api/sonic/artifacts?branchName=202505&platform=vs
+ARG SONIC_IMG_URL=${SONIC_BASE_URL}&target=target%2Fsonic-vs.img.gz
+ARG FRR_RELOAD_URL=${SONIC_BASE_URL}&target=target%2Fdebs%2Fbookworm%2Ffrr-pythontools_10.3-sonic-0_all.deb
+
+FROM docker.io/library/busybox:stable AS download
+
+ARG SONIC_IMG_URL
+ARG FRR_RELOAD_URL
+
+ADD "${SONIC_IMG_URL}" /sonic-vs.img.gz
+ADD "${FRR_RELOAD_URL}" /frr-pythontools.deb
+
+RUN gunzip /sonic-vs.img.gz
+
+FROM scratch
+
+ARG SONIC_IMG_URL
+ARG FRR_RELOAD_URL
+
+LABEL sonic-img-url=${SONIC_IMG_URL} \
+      frr-reload-url=${FRR_RELOAD_URL}
+
+COPY --from=download /frr-pythontools.deb /frr-pythontools.deb
+COPY --from=download /sonic-vs.img /sonic-vs.img
diff --git a/mini-lab.sonic.yaml b/mini-lab.sonic.yaml
index 9ce9ba71..eb33236f 100644
--- a/mini-lab.sonic.yaml
+++ b/mini-lab.sonic.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ topology:
     kind: linux
   nodes:
     exit:
-      image: quay.io/frrouting/frr:10.0.1
+      image: quay.io/frrouting/frr:10.3.0
       network-mode: none
       binds:
         - files/exit/daemons:/etc/frr/daemons
diff --git a/roles/sonic/tasks/frr-reload.yaml b/roles/sonic/tasks/frr-reload.yaml
index 8164a1a5..76723923 100644
--- a/roles/sonic/tasks/frr-reload.yaml
+++ b/roles/sonic/tasks/frr-reload.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 ---
 - name: Wait until the bgpd is up
   ansible.builtin.wait_for:
-    port: 2605
+    # this it the zebra port - it changed in version 202505 from 2605 to 2601
+    port: 2601
     state: started
 
 - name: Copy frr-pythontools into container