diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 75fec4cf..c97b6be8 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ include_package_data = True
 package_dir =
     =src
 packages = find_namespace:
-python_requires = >= 3.10
+python_requires = >= 3.9
 setup_requires =
     wheel
     setuptools<69.0,>=65.6.3
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/grains/esxi.py b/src/saltext/vmware/grains/esxi.py
index ebd567aa..f84bcce1 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/grains/esxi.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/grains/esxi.py
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@
 
 
 def __virtual__():
-
     # import salt.utils.proxy again
     # so it is available for tests.
     import salt.utils.proxy
 
     try:
         if salt.utils.proxy.is_proxytype(__opts__, "esxi"):
+            import salt.modules.vsphere
+
             return __virtualname__
     except KeyError:
         pass
@@ -37,6 +38,12 @@ def esxi():
     return _grains()
 
 
+def osfinger():
+    if not GRAINS_CACHE:
+        GRAINS_CACHE.update(_grains())
+    return {"osfinger": f'{GRAINS_CACHE["name"]}-{GRAINS_CACHE["version"]}'}
+
+
 def kernel():
     return {"kernel": "proxy"}
 
@@ -72,7 +79,7 @@ def _find_credentials(host):
         for password in passwords:
             try:
                 # Try to authenticate with the given user/password combination
-                ret = __salt__["vmware_info.system_info"](
+                ret = salt.modules.vsphere.system_info(
                     host=host, username=user, password=password, verify_ssl=verify_ssl
                 )
             except SaltSystemExit:
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ def _grains():
             protocol = __pillar__["proxy"].get("protocol")
             port = __pillar__["proxy"].get("port")
             verify_ssl = __pillar__["proxy"].get("verify_ssl")
-            ret = __salt__["vmware_info.system_info"](
+            ret = salt.modules.vsphere.system_info(
                 host=host,
                 username=username,
                 password=password,
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/compliance_control.py b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/compliance_control.py
index a14afcdb..2ad030fa 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/compliance_control.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/compliance_control.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 import salt.exceptions
 import saltext.vmware.utils.compliance_control as compliance_control_util
-from config_modules_vmware.interfaces.controller_interface import ControllerInterface
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -11,7 +10,11 @@
 
 
 def __virtual__():
-    return __virtualname__
+    try:
+        from config_modules_vmware.interfaces.controller_interface import ControllerInterface
+        return __virtualname__
+    except ImportError:
+        return False
 
 
 def control_config_compliance_check(control_config, product, auth_context=None):
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/controller_metadata.py b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/controller_metadata.py
index 6c6a378a..5d9b92b2 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/controller_metadata.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/controller_metadata.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 import logging
 
 import salt.exceptions
-from config_modules_vmware.interfaces.metadata_interface import ControllerMetadataInterface
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -10,7 +9,11 @@
 
 
 def __virtual__():
-    return __virtualname__
+    try:
+        from config_modules_vmware.interfaces.metadata_interface import ControllerMetadataInterface
+        return __virtualname__
+    except ImportError:
+        return False
 
 
 def validate(controller_metadata):
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/esxi.py b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/esxi.py
index aa518b4a..64a31e25 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/esxi.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/esxi.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     HAS_PYVMOMI = False
 
 
+__proxyenabled__ = ["vmware_esxi", "esxi"]
 __virtualname__ = "vmware_esxi"
 
 DEFAULT_EXCEPTIONS = (
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/vsphere.py b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/vsphere.py
index 736e76e1..94886b5e 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/modules/vsphere.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/modules/vsphere.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import os
 
 import salt.exceptions
+import salt.utils.dictupdate as dictupdate
 import saltext.vmware.utils.common as utils_common
 import saltext.vmware.utils.connect as utils_connect
 import saltext.vmware.utils.esxi as utils_esxi
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
     HAS_PYVMOMI = False
 
 
+__proxyenabled__ = ["vmware_esxi", "esxi"]
 __virtualname__ = "vmware_vsphere"
 
 DEFAULT_EXCEPTIONS = (
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/proxy/esxi.py b/src/saltext/vmware/proxy/esxi.py
index 80f24ae5..40e1ca25 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/proxy/esxi.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/proxy/esxi.py
@@ -264,11 +264,15 @@
 """
 import logging
 import os
+import ssl
 
 from salt.exceptions import InvalidConfigError
 from salt.exceptions import SaltSystemExit
 from salt.utils.dictupdate import merge
 from saltext.vmware.config.schemas.esxi import EsxiProxySchema
+import saltext.vmware.modules.vsphere
+
+from pyVim import connect
 
 # This must be present or the Salt loader won't load this module.
 __proxyenabled__ = ["esxi"]
@@ -443,7 +447,6 @@ def ping():
 
         salt esxi-host test.ping
     """
-    log.debug("==== details %s ====", DETAILS)
     if DETAILS.get("esxi_host"):
         return True
     else:
@@ -451,12 +454,7 @@ def ping():
         if DETAILS["mechanism"] == "userpass":
             find_credentials(DETAILS["host"])
             try:
-                __salt__["vmware_info.system_info"](
-                    host=DETAILS["host"],
-                    username=DETAILS["username"],
-                    password=DETAILS["password"],
-                    verify_ssl=DETAILS["verify_ssl"],
-                )
+                saltext.vmware.modules.vsphere.system_info(service_instance=DETAILS["service_instance"])
             except SaltSystemExit as err:
                 log.warning(err)
                 return False
@@ -508,6 +506,19 @@ def ch_config(cmd, *args, **kwargs):
         return __salt__["vsphere." + cmd](*args, **kwargs)
 
 
+def _get_service_instance(host, user, password, verify_ssl=False):
+    ssl_ctx = None
+    if not verify_ssl:
+        ssl_ctx = ssl._create_unverified_context()
+    service_instance = connect.SmartConnect(
+        host=host,
+        user=user,
+        pwd=password,
+        sslContext=ssl_ctx,
+    )
+    return service_instance
+
+
 def find_credentials(host):
     """
     Cycle through all the possible credentials and return the first one that
@@ -520,9 +531,8 @@ def find_credentials(host):
         for password in passwords:
             try:
                 # Try to authenticate with the given user/password combination
-                ret = __salt__["vmware_info.system_info"](
-                    host=host, username=user, password=password, verify_ssl=verify_ssl
-                )
+                service_instance = _get_service_instance(host=host, user=user, password=password, verify_ssl=verify_ssl)
+                ret = saltext.vmware.modules.vsphere.system_info(service_instance=service_instance)
             except SaltSystemExit:
                 # If we can't authenticate, continue on to try the next password.
                 continue
@@ -530,6 +540,7 @@ def find_credentials(host):
             if ret:
                 DETAILS["username"] = user
                 DETAILS["password"] = password
+                DETAILS["service_instance"] = service_instance
                 return user, password
     # We've reached the end of the list without successfully authenticating.
     raise SaltSystemExit("Cannot complete login due to an incorrect user name or password.")
@@ -539,17 +550,7 @@ def _grains(host, protocol=None, port=None, verify_ssl=None):
     """
     Helper function to the grains from the proxied device.
     """
-    username, password = find_credentials(DETAILS["host"])
-    verify_ssl = DETAILS["verify_ssl"]
-
-    ret = __salt__["vmware_info.system_info"](
-        host=host,
-        username=username,
-        password=password,
-        protocol=protocol,
-        port=port,
-        verify_ssl=verify_ssl,
-    )
+    ret = saltext.vmware.modules.vsphere.system_info(service_instance=DETAILS["service_instance"])
     GRAINS_CACHE.update(ret)
     return GRAINS_CACHE
 
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/utils/connect.py b/src/saltext/vmware/utils/connect.py
index b4488c73..0267ceb9 100644
--- a/src/saltext/vmware/utils/connect.py
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/utils/connect.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ def get_config(config, profile=None, esxi_host=None):
         config.get("saltext.vmware")
         or config.get("grains", {}).get("saltext.vmware")
         or config.get("pillar", {}).get("saltext.vmware")
+        or config.get("proxy", {})
         or {}
     )
     if not conf:
@@ -54,8 +55,8 @@ def get_config(config, profile=None, esxi_host=None):
         ssl_thumbprint = credentials.get("ssl_thumbprint")
     else:
         host = os.environ.get("SALTEXT_VMWARE_HOST") or credentials.get("host")
-        password = os.environ.get("SALTEXT_VMWARE_PASSWORD") or credentials.get("password")
-        user = os.environ.get("SALTEXT_VMWARE_USER") or credentials.get("user")
+        password = os.environ.get("SALTEXT_VMWARE_PASSWORD") or credentials.get("password") or credentials.get("passwords")[0]
+        user = os.environ.get("SALTEXT_VMWARE_USER") or credentials.get("user") or credentials.get("username")
         ssl_thumbprint = credentials.get("ssl_thumbprint")
 
     if host is None or password is None or user is None:
@@ -132,9 +133,7 @@ def get_service_instance(*, config, esxi_host=None, profile=None):
     """
     ctx = ssl._create_unverified_context()
     config = config or {}
-
     config = get_config(config=config, profile=profile, esxi_host=esxi_host)
-
     service_instance = connect.SmartConnect(
         host=config.get("host"),
         user=config.get("user"),
diff --git a/src/saltext/vmware/version.py b/src/saltext/vmware/version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4999d019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/saltext/vmware/version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# pylint: skip-file
+
+__version__ = "24.10.9.0rc2.dev1+gcb32a1f.d20250327"