diff --git a/azure/build-prereqs.yml b/azure/build-prereqs.yml
index 2f3944a3a..11374528f 100644
--- a/azure/build-prereqs.yml
+++ b/azure/build-prereqs.yml
@@ -4,14 +4,13 @@ parameters:
     default: 'utils'
 
 steps:
-  # - bash: |
-  #     echo "Setting python tool cache path"
-  #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]:/agent/_work/_tool/Python/3.13.7/x64/lib/"
-  #   displayName: 'Set python tool cache path'
   - bash: |
-      PATCH=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/actions/python-versions/releases \
-        | jq -r '[.[] | .tag_name | select(startswith("3.13"))] | .[]' \
-        | sort -V | tail -n 1 | cut -d- -f1)
+      pyversion="3.13"
+      PATCH=$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/actions/python-versions/main/versions-manifest.json \
+        | jq -r --arg pyversion "$pyversion" '[ .[] | select(.stable == true) | .version
+        | select(test("^" + ($pyversion|gsub("\\.";"\\.")) + "\\.\\d+$")) | split(".") | map(tonumber)] | max | join(".")')
+
+      echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=PY_VER]$PATCH"
       echo "Resolved latest python version: $PATCH"
       echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]/agent/_work/_tool/Python/${PATCH}/x64/lib/"
     displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'  
@@ -21,13 +20,13 @@ steps:
     name: UsePy
     displayName: 'Use Python 3.13'
     inputs:
-      versionSpec: '3.13'
+      versionSpec: '$(PY_VER)'
 
-  - bash: |
-      echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
-      echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
-      echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
-    displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
+  # - bash: |
+  #     echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+  #     echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
+  #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
+  #   displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
   
 
   - bash: |
diff --git a/azure/cleanup-ecs-pr-proxies.yml b/azure/cleanup-ecs-pr-proxies.yml
index 070823ceb..373ed4a68 100644
--- a/azure/cleanup-ecs-pr-proxies.yml
+++ b/azure/cleanup-ecs-pr-proxies.yml
@@ -61,24 +61,26 @@ jobs:
         displayName: cache utils pre-requisites 
 
       - bash: |
-          PATCH=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/actions/python-versions/releases \
-            | jq -r '[.[] | .tag_name | select(startswith("3.13"))] | .[]' \
-            | sort -V | tail -n 1 | cut -d- -f1)
+          pyversion="3.13"
+          PATCH=$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/actions/python-versions/main/versions-manifest.json \
+          | jq -r --arg pyversion "$pyversion" '[ .[] | select(.stable == true) | .version
+          | select(test("^" + ($pyversion|gsub("\\.";"\\.")) + "\\.\\d+$")) | split(".") | map(tonumber)] | max | join(".")')
           echo "Resolved latest python version: $PATCH"
           echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]/agent/_work/_tool/Python/${PATCH}/x64/lib/"
-        displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'            
+        displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'  
+
 
       - task: UsePythonVersion@0
         name: UsePy
-        displayName: "Use Python 3.13"
+        displayName: 'Use Python 3.13'
         inputs:
-          versionSpec: 3.13
+          versionSpec: '$(PY_VER)'
 
-      - bash: |
-          echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
-          echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
-          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
-        displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
+      # - bash: |
+      #     echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+      #     echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
+      #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
+      #   displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
 
       - bash: |
           make install
diff --git a/azure/common/apigee-build.yml b/azure/common/apigee-build.yml
index d920385ad..873fe838a 100644
--- a/azure/common/apigee-build.yml
+++ b/azure/common/apigee-build.yml
@@ -143,32 +143,29 @@ jobs:
         parameters:
           service_name: "${{ parameters.service_name }}"
 
-      # - bash: |
-      #     echo "Setting python tool cache path"
-      #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]:/agent/_work/_tool/Python/${{ parameters.python_version }}/x64/lib/"
-      #   displayName: 'Set python tool cache path'
-
       - bash: |
-          PATCH=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/actions/python-versions/releases \
-              | jq -r '[.[] | .tag_name | select(startswith("'"${{ parameters.python_version }}"'"))] | .[]' \
-              | sort -V | tail -n 1 | cut -d- -f1)
+          pyversion=${{ parameters.python_version }}
+          PATCH=$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/actions/python-versions/main/versions-manifest.json \
+          | jq -r --arg pyversion "$pyversion" '[ .[] | select(.stable == true) | .version
+          | select(test("^" + ($pyversion|gsub("\\.";"\\.")) + "\\.\\d+$")) | split(".") | map(tonumber)] | max | join(".")')
+
+          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=PY_VER]$PATCH"
           echo "Resolved latest python version: $PATCH"
           echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]/agent/_work/_tool/Python/${PATCH}/x64/lib/"
-        displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'      
+        displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'  
+
 
       - task: UsePythonVersion@0
         name: UsePy
-        displayName: "Use Python ${{ parameters.python_version }}"
+        displayName: 'Use Python ${{ parameters.python_version }}'
         inputs:
-          versionSpec: ${{ parameters.python_version }}
-
+          versionSpec: '$(PY_VER)'
       
-      - bash: |
-          echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
-          echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
-          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
-        displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
-
+      # - bash: |
+      #     echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+      #     echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
+      #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
+      #   displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
 
       - ${{ each cache_step in parameters.cache_steps }}:
           - ${{ cache_step }}
diff --git a/azure/common/deploy-stage.yml b/azure/common/deploy-stage.yml
index 1c3746a50..4951b60c3 100644
--- a/azure/common/deploy-stage.yml
+++ b/azure/common/deploy-stage.yml
@@ -125,24 +125,28 @@ stages:
                     aws_account: "${{ parameters.aws_account }}"
                 
                 - bash: |
-                    PATCH=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/actions/python-versions/releases \
-                      | jq -r '[.[] | .tag_name | select(startswith("3.13"))] | .[]' \
-                      | sort -V | tail -n 1 | cut -d- -f1)
+                    pyversion="3.13"
+                    PATCH=$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/actions/python-versions/main/versions-manifest.json \
+                    | jq -r --arg pyversion "$pyversion" '[ .[] | select(.stable == true) | .version
+                    | select(test("^" + ($pyversion|gsub("\\.";"\\.")) + "\\.\\d+$")) | split(".") | map(tonumber)] | max | join(".")')
+
+                    echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=PY_VER]$PATCH"
                     echo "Resolved latest python version: $PATCH"
                     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]/agent/_work/_tool/Python/${PATCH}/x64/lib/"
-                  displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path' 
+                  displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'  
+
 
                 - task: UsePythonVersion@0
                   name: UsePy
-                  displayName: "Use Python 3.13"
+                  displayName: 'Use Python 3.13'
                   inputs:
-                    versionSpec: 3.13
+                    versionSpec: '$(PY_VER)'
 
-                - bash: |
-                    echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
-                    echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
-                    echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
-                  displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
+                # - bash: |
+                #     echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+                #     echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
+                #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
+                #   displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
 
                 - template: "../components/set-facts.yml"
                   parameters:
diff --git a/azure/utils-pr-pipeline.yml b/azure/utils-pr-pipeline.yml
index 5996b767a..7fff0c5f5 100644
--- a/azure/utils-pr-pipeline.yml
+++ b/azure/utils-pr-pipeline.yml
@@ -29,31 +29,29 @@ jobs:
     workspace:
       clean: all
     steps:
-      # - bash: |
-      #     echo "Setting python tool cache path"
-      #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]:/agent/_work/_tool/Python/3.13.7/x64/lib/"
-      #   displayName: 'Set python tool cache path'
-
       - bash: |
-          PATCH=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/actions/python-versions/releases \
-              | jq -r '[.[] | .tag_name | select(startswith("3.13"))] | .[]' \
-              | sort -V | tail -n 1 | cut -d- -f1)
+          pyversion="3.13"
+          PATCH=$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/actions/python-versions/main/versions-manifest.json \
+          | jq -r --arg pyversion "$pyversion" '[ .[] | select(.stable == true) | .version
+          | select(test("^" + ($pyversion|gsub("\\.";"\\.")) + "\\.\\d+$")) | split(".") | map(tonumber)] | max | join(".")')
+
+          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=PY_VER]$PATCH"
           echo "Resolved latest python version: $PATCH"
           echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH;]/agent/_work/_tool/Python/${PATCH}/x64/lib/"
-        displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'
+        displayName: 'Query and set python tool cache path'  
 
 
       - task: UsePythonVersion@0
         name: UsePy
         displayName: 'Use Python 3.13'
         inputs:
-          versionSpec: 3.13
+          versionSpec: '$(PY_VER)'
 
-      - bash: |
-          echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
-          echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
-          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
-        displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
+      # - bash: |
+      #     echo "Checking the python version in use to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
+      #     echo "Python location: $(UsePy.pythonLocation)"
+      #     echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LD_LIBRARY_PATH]$(UsePy.pythonLocation)/lib"
+      #   displayName: 'Set LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
 
       - bash: |
           instance_id="$(curl -s http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/instance-id)"