diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml b/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
index 51cfc647d2..f9cdfc4e8d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release-branch.yaml
@@ -40,21 +40,6 @@ jobs:
           sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/k
       - name: Build aks-engine binary
         run: make build-binary
-      - name: Validate 1.19 no-egress scenario
-        env:
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.19"
-          CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/no_outbound.json"
-          SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
-          CLIENT_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SP_ID }}
-          CLIENT_SECRET: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SP_PW }}
-          LOCATION: "westus2"
-          TENANT_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
-          CLEANUP_ON_EXIT: true
-          CLEANUP_IF_FAIL: true
-          SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
-          SKIP_TEST: true
-          AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
-        run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.20 no-egress scenario
         env:
           ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
@@ -69,6 +54,7 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.21 no-egress scenario
         env:
@@ -84,6 +70,7 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.22 no-egress scenario
         env:
@@ -99,6 +86,7 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.23 no-egress scenario
         env:
@@ -114,11 +102,12 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate gpu + docker scenario
         env:
           SSH_AUTH_SOCK: /tmp/ssh_agent.sock
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
+          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.23"
           CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/kubernetes-gpu/kubernetes.json"
           GINKGO_FOCUS: "should be able to run a nvidia-gpu job"
           SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
@@ -131,11 +120,12 @@ jobs:
           CONTAINER_RUNTIME: "docker"
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate gpu + containerd scenario
         env:
           SSH_AUTH_SOCK: /tmp/ssh_agent.sock
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
+          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.23"
           CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/kubernetes-gpu/kubernetes.json"
           GINKGO_FOCUS: "should be able to run a nvidia-gpu job"
           SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
@@ -148,6 +138,7 @@ jobs:
           CONTAINER_RUNTIME: "containerd"
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: create branch
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 3bcb423ca2..3e52ffdd37 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -50,21 +50,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: print git status after build
         run: |
           git status
-      - name: Validate 1.19 no-egress scenario
-        env:
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.19"
-          CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/no_outbound.json"
-          SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
-          CLIENT_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SP_ID }}
-          CLIENT_SECRET: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SP_PW }}
-          LOCATION: "westus2"
-          TENANT_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
-          CLEANUP_ON_EXIT: true
-          CLEANUP_IF_FAIL: true
-          SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
-          SKIP_TEST: true
-          AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
-        run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.20 no-egress scenario
         env:
           ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
@@ -79,6 +64,7 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.21 no-egress scenario
         env:
@@ -94,6 +80,7 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.22 no-egress scenario
         env:
@@ -109,6 +96,7 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate 1.23 no-egress scenario
         env:
@@ -124,11 +112,12 @@ jobs:
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           SKIP_TEST: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate gpu + docker scenario
         env:
           SSH_AUTH_SOCK: /tmp/ssh_agent.sock
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
+          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.23"
           CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/kubernetes-gpu/kubernetes.json"
           GINKGO_FOCUS: "should be able to run a nvidia-gpu job"
           SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
@@ -139,13 +128,14 @@ jobs:
           CLEANUP_ON_EXIT: true
           CLEANUP_IF_FAIL: true
           CONTAINER_RUNTIME: "docker"
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
         run: make test-kubernetes
       - name: Validate gpu + containerd scenario
         env:
           SSH_AUTH_SOCK: /tmp/ssh_agent.sock
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
+          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.23"
           CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/kubernetes-gpu/kubernetes.json"
           GINKGO_FOCUS: "should be able to run a nvidia-gpu job"
           SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
@@ -156,13 +146,14 @@ jobs:
           CLEANUP_ON_EXIT: true
           CLEANUP_IF_FAIL: true
           CONTAINER_RUNTIME: "containerd"
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
         run: make test-kubernetes
-      - name: Validate 1.20 + containerd E2E
+      - name: Validate 1.23 + containerd E2E
         env:
           SSH_AUTH_SOCK: /tmp/ssh_agent.sock
-          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.20"
+          ORCHESTRATOR_RELEASE: "1.23"
           CLUSTER_DEFINITION: "examples/e2e-tests/kubernetes/release/default/definition.json"
           SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SUB_ID }}
           CLIENT_ID: ${{ secrets.TEST_AZURE_SP_ID }}
@@ -176,7 +167,7 @@ jobs:
           STABILITY_ITERATIONS: "0"
           RETAIN_SSH: false
           CONTAINER_RUNTIME: "containerd"
-          BLOCK_SSH: false
+          BLOCK_SSH: true
           SKIP_LOGS_COLLECTION: true
           AZURE_CORE_ONLY_SHOW_ERRORS: True
         run: make test-kubernetes