diff --git a/.github/workflows/stackhpc.yml b/.github/workflows/stackhpc.yml
index 0d8846501..173b4e797 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stackhpc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stackhpc.yml
@@ -230,6 +230,16 @@ jobs:
         env:
           DEMO_USER_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.TEST_USER_PASSWORD }}
 
+      - name: Delete possible volume snapshot from slurm upgrade
+        run: |
+          . venv/bin/activate
+          . environments/.stackhpc/activate  
+          if [ -n "$SNAPSHOT" ]
+          then
+              echo Deleting $SNAPSHOT
+              openstack volume snapshot delete $SNAPSHOT
+          fi
+
       - name: Delete infrastructure
         run: |
           . venv/bin/activate
diff --git a/environments/.stackhpc/tofu/cluster_image.auto.tfvars.json b/environments/.stackhpc/tofu/cluster_image.auto.tfvars.json
index 614c0adb9..763165f62 100644
--- a/environments/.stackhpc/tofu/cluster_image.auto.tfvars.json
+++ b/environments/.stackhpc/tofu/cluster_image.auto.tfvars.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "cluster_image": {
-        "RL8": "openhpc-RL8-250513-1045-ca44f898",
-        "RL9": "openhpc-RL9-250513-1046-ca44f898"
+        "RL8": "openhpc-RL8-250514-1502-5a923b2c",
+        "RL9": "openhpc-RL9-250514-1502-5a923b2c"
     }
 }
diff --git a/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/openhpc.yml b/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/openhpc.yml
index 89f0a859c..abfece409 100644
--- a/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/openhpc.yml
+++ b/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/openhpc.yml
@@ -58,7 +58,12 @@ ohpc_default_extra_repos:
   "9": []
   "8": []
 
-# systemd.service.unit.TimeoutStartSec to wait for slurmdbd startup
-# Set long enought to avoid problems with a major version upgrade
-# Currently implemented in environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/systemd.yml
-openhpc_slurmdbd_timeout_start_sec: '45 minutes'
+# configure slurm database pre-upgrade backups:
+openhpc_slurm_accounting_storage_service: mysql
+openhpc_slurm_accounting_storage_backup_cmd: >-
+  openstack volume snapshot create
+  --volume {{ openhpc_cluster_name }}-state
+  --force
+  {{ openhpc_cluster_name }}-state-{{ ansible_date_time.iso8601_basic_short }}
+openhpc_slurm_accounting_storage_backup_host: localhost
+openhpc_slurm_accounting_storage_backup_become: false
diff --git a/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/systemd.yml b/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/systemd.yml
index 4c7538aa6..ae72a7882 100644
--- a/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/systemd.yml
+++ b/environments/common/inventory/group_vars/all/systemd.yml
@@ -14,13 +14,7 @@ systemd_dropins:
     content: "{{ _systemd_requiresmount_statedir }}"
   slurmdbd:
     group: openhpc
-    content: |
-      {{ _systemd_requiresmount_statedir }}
-      
-      [Service]
-      # Allow slurmdbd to complete major version upgrades
-      TimeoutStartSec={{ openhpc_slurmdbd_timeout_start_sec }}
-
+    content: "{{ _systemd_requiresmount_statedir }}"
   slurmctld:
     group: openhpc
     content: "{{ _systemd_requiresmount_statedir }}"
diff --git a/requirements.yml b/requirements.yml
index 87b2a6263..21c69c39a 100644
--- a/requirements.yml
+++ b/requirements.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ roles:
     version: v25.3.2
     name: stackhpc.nfs
   - src: https://github.com/stackhpc/ansible-role-openhpc.git
-    version: v0.28.0
+    version: v0.30.0
     name: stackhpc.openhpc
   - src: https://github.com/stackhpc/ansible-node-exporter.git
     version: stackhpc