diff --git a/.github/build-ci/config/include.yaml b/.github/build-ci/config/include.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c8139c71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/build-ci/config/include.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# This file is included via the manifest
+include:
+  - git: https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/access-spack-packages
+    branch: api-v2
+    paths:
+    - .github/build-ci/config/include
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/gcc.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/gcc.spack.yaml.j2
index 8582b3fc3..259087da1 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/gcc.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/gcc.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - cable@git.{{ ref }}
-
   packages:
-    gcc:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ gcc_compiler_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
-      - '%access_gcc'  # https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/spack-config/blob/main/v1.1/toolchains.yaml
-      - target={{ target }}
-
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
+      - '%access_gcc'
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/intel.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/intel.spack.yaml.j2
index 960178bf1..4da5c8b25 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/intel.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/intel.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - cable@git.{{ ref }}
-
   packages:
-    intel-oneapi-compilers-classic:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ oneapi_compiler_classic_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
-      - '%access_intel'  # https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/spack-config/blob/main/v1.1/toolchains.yaml
-      - target={{ target }}
-
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
+      - '%access_intel'
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-gcc.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-gcc.spack.yaml.j2
index c7664f332..de6cf8b06 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-gcc.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-gcc.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - cable@git.{{ ref }} ~mpi library=access3
-
   packages:
-    gcc:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ gcc_compiler_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
       - '%access_gcc'
-      - 'target={{ target }}'
-
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-intel.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-intel.spack.yaml.j2
index c64b020e1..064ed8473 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-intel.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-access3-intel.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - cable@git.{{ ref }} ~mpi library=access3
-
   packages:
-    intel-oneapi-compilers-classic:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ oneapi_compiler_classic_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
       - '%access_intel'
-      - 'target={{ target }}'
-
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-gcc.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-gcc.spack.yaml.j2
index 3b4de6056..ae4e73be3 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-gcc.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-gcc.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - cable@git.{{ ref }} ~mpi library=access-esm1.6
-
   packages:
-    gcc:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ gcc_compiler_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
       - '%access_gcc'
-      - 'target={{ target }}'
-
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-intel.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-intel.spack.yaml.j2
index 359fc2c71..039d47c11 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-intel.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/library-esm1p6-intel.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - cable@git.{{ ref }} ~mpi library=access-esm1.6
-
   packages:
-    intel-oneapi-compilers-classic:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ oneapi_compiler_classic_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
       - '%access_intel'
-      - 'target={{ target }}'
-
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/um-access3.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/um-access3.spack.yaml.j2
index 2276448f4..ab37a2f21 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/um-access3.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/um-access3.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,27 +1,16 @@
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - um@13.0 +cable model=vn13 um_ref="AM3-dev" jules_ref="AM3-dev" ukca_ref="AM3-2026.08.000" shumlib_ref="2026.07.0" casim_ref="um13.8" socrates_ref="um13.8"
-
   packages:
     cable:
       require:
       - '@git.{{ ref }}'
       - '~mpi'
       - 'library=access3'
-
-    python:
-      require:
-        - '@3.11.14'
-
-    intel-oneapi-compilers-classic:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ oneapi_compiler_classic_ver }}'
-
     all:
       require:
       - '%access_intel'
-      - 'target={{ target }}'
-
   view: false
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
diff --git a/.github/build-ci/manifests/um7-acces-esm1p6.spack.yaml.j2 b/.github/build-ci/manifests/um7-acces-esm1p6.spack.yaml.j2
index 289733ebf..d5710f918 100644
--- a/.github/build-ci/manifests/um7-acces-esm1p6.spack.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/build-ci/manifests/um7-acces-esm1p6.spack.yaml.j2
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Building UM7 stand-alone using access-esm1.6 spack version
 spack:
+  include:
+  # Include configuration from this repository, with the environment variable defined in build-ci
+  - path: $SPACK_MANIFEST_REPOSITORY_PATH/.github/build-ci/config
   specs:
   - 'um7'
   packages:
@@ -26,13 +29,7 @@ spack:
       require:
         - '@2021.05.0'
         - 'site=nci-gadi'
-    intel-oneapi-compilers:
-      require:
-      - '@{{ oneapi_compiler_ver }}'
     all:
       require:
       - '%access_oneapi'
-      - 'target={{ target }}'
-  concretizer:
-    unify: false
   view: false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 0cbebdb88..8708ece4d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
     outputs:
       matrix: ${{ steps.set-matrix.outputs.matrix }}
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Set up matrix
         id: set-matrix
@@ -29,21 +29,16 @@ jobs:
       max-parallel: 5
       matrix:
         file: ${{ fromJson(needs.pre-ci.outputs.matrix) }}
-    uses: access-nri/build-ci/.github/workflows/ci.yml@v3
+    uses: access-nri/build-ci/.github/workflows/ci.yml@v4
     with:
       spack-manifest-path: ${{ matrix.file }}
       allow-ssh-into-spack-install: false  # If true, PR author must ssh into instance to complete job
-      spack-manifest-data-path: .github/build-ci/data/standard.json
       spack-oci-buildcache-url: oci://ghcr.io/CABLE-LSM/build-ci-buildcache
       spack-compiler-manifest-path: .github/build-ci/compilers/spack.yaml
-      # builtin-spack-packages-ref: develop
-      # access-spack-packages-ref: api-v2
-      # spack-config-ref: main
-      # spack-ref: releases/v1.1
-      
       # CABLE isn't part of the ACCESS-NRI org so can't access the runners
       run-self-hosted: false
-
+      # Default args (including explicit spack/spack-config versions)
+      # are specified in https://github.com/ACCESS-NRI/build-ci/tree/v4/.github/workflows#inputs
     secrets:
       # Needed to access private ACCESS-NRI repos
       spack-install-command-pat: ${{ secrets.SPACK_INSTALL_COMMAND_PAT }}