diff --git a/tests/e2e/helpers.py b/tests/e2e/helpers.py
index 2d4a609..c37bd45 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/helpers.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/helpers.py
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@ import time
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
 
+# SPOT for the database images and their in-container data dirs the e2e
+# suite runs against. postgres:alpine tracks latest (18+), which mounts at
+# /var/lib/postgresql (not /var/lib/postgresql/data); bump here only.
+POSTGRES_IMAGE = "postgres:alpine"
+POSTGRES_DATA_DIR = "/var/lib/postgresql"
+MARIADB_IMAGE = "mariadb:latest"
+MARIADB_DATA_DIR = "/var/lib/mysql"
+
 
 def run(
     cmd: list[str],
@@ -172,7 +180,7 @@ def backup_run(
         "baudolo",
         "--compose-dir",
         compose_dir,
-        "--docker-compose-hard-restart-required",
+        "--hard-compose-restart",
         "mailu",
         "--repo-name",
         repo_name,
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_fallback_to_files.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_fallback_to_files.py
index fa458c1..db239bc 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_fallback_to_files.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_fallback_to_files.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    POSTGRES_IMAGE,
+    POSTGRES_DATA_DIR,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
     create_minimal_compose_dir,
@@ -50,8 +52,8 @@ class TestE2EDumpOnlyFallbackToFiles(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 "POSTGRES_USER=postgres",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.pg_volume}:/var/lib/postgresql/data",
-                "postgres:16",
+                f"{cls.pg_volume}:{POSTGRES_DATA_DIR}",
+                POSTGRES_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
         wait_for_postgres(cls.pg_container, user="postgres", timeout_s=90)
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ class TestE2EDumpOnlyFallbackToFiles(unittest.TestCase):
                 cls.pg_container,
                 "sh",
                 "-lc",
-                f"echo '{cls.marker}' > /var/lib/postgresql/data/marker.txt",
+                f"echo '{cls.marker}' > {POSTGRES_DATA_DIR}/marker.txt",
             ]
         )
 
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ class TestE2EDumpOnlyFallbackToFiles(unittest.TestCase):
             "baudolo",
             "--compose-dir",
             cls.compose_dir,
-            "--docker-compose-hard-restart-required",
+            "--hard-compose-restart",
             "mailu",
             "--repo-name",
             cls.repo_name,
@@ -116,8 +118,6 @@ class TestE2EDumpOnlyFallbackToFiles(unittest.TestCase):
                 cls.repo_name,
                 "--source-volume",
                 cls.pg_volume,
-                "--rsync-image",
-                "ghcr.io/kevinveenbirkenbach/alpine-rsync",
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_sql_mixed_run.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_sql_mixed_run.py
index ae94df8..e28f2b5 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_sql_mixed_run.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_dump_only_sql_mixed_run.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    POSTGRES_IMAGE,
+    POSTGRES_DATA_DIR,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
     create_minimal_compose_dir,
@@ -70,8 +72,8 @@ class TestE2EDumpOnlySqlMixedRun(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 f"POSTGRES_PASSWORD={cls.pg_password}",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.db_volume}:/var/lib/postgresql/data",
-                "postgres:16-alpine",
+                f"{cls.db_volume}:{POSTGRES_DATA_DIR}",
+                POSTGRES_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
         wait_for_postgres(cls.pg_container, user="postgres", timeout_s=90)
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_files_full.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_files_full.py
index e40d18b..73a8e76 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_files_full.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_files_full.py
@@ -94,8 +94,6 @@ class TestE2EFilesFull(unittest.TestCase):
                 self.repo_name,
                 "--source-volume",
                 self.volume_src,
-                "--rsync-image",
-                "ghcr.io/kevinveenbirkenbach/alpine-rsync",
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_images_no_backup_required_early_skip.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_images_no_backup_required_early_skip.py
index 619d38f..c5fc646 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_images_no_backup_required_early_skip.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_images_no_backup_required_early_skip.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class TestE2EImagesNoBackupRequiredEarlySkip(unittest.TestCase):
             "baudolo",
             "--compose-dir",
             cls.compose_dir,
-            "--docker-compose-hard-restart-required",
+            "--hard-compose-restart",
             "mailu",
             "--repo-name",
             cls.repo_name,
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_anonymous_preemption.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_anonymous_preemption.py
index c16f745..4a9171b 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_anonymous_preemption.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_anonymous_preemption.py
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ import pandas
 from baudolo.backup import db as db_mod
 
 from .helpers import (
+    MARIADB_IMAGE,
+    MARIADB_DATA_DIR,
     cleanup_docker,
     require_docker,
     run,
@@ -69,8 +71,8 @@ class TestE2EMariaDBAnonymousPreemption(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 f"MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD={cls.root_password}",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.db_volume}:/var/lib/mysql",
-                "mariadb:12.2",
+                f"{cls.db_volume}:{MARIADB_DATA_DIR}",
+                MARIADB_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_full.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_full.py
index 3f23b9a..ffce700 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_full.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_full.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    MARIADB_IMAGE,
+    MARIADB_DATA_DIR,
     backup_run,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
@@ -56,8 +58,8 @@ class TestE2EMariaDBFull(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 f"MARIADB_PASSWORD={cls.db_password}",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.db_volume}:/var/lib/mysql",
-                "mariadb:11",
+                f"{cls.db_volume}:{MARIADB_DATA_DIR}",
+                MARIADB_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_no_copy.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_no_copy.py
index 68a0dca..96a324a 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_no_copy.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_mariadb_no_copy.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    MARIADB_IMAGE,
+    MARIADB_DATA_DIR,
     backup_run,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
@@ -55,8 +57,8 @@ class TestE2EMariaDBNoCopy(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 f"MARIADB_PASSWORD={cls.db_password}",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.db_volume}:/var/lib/mysql",
-                "mariadb:11",
+                f"{cls.db_volume}:{MARIADB_DATA_DIR}",
+                MARIADB_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_full.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_full.py
index fde00ad..a789334 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_full.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_full.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    POSTGRES_IMAGE,
+    POSTGRES_DATA_DIR,
     backup_run,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
@@ -47,8 +49,8 @@ class TestE2EPostgresFull(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 "POSTGRES_USER=postgres",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.pg_volume}:/var/lib/postgresql/data",
-                "postgres:16",
+                f"{cls.pg_volume}:{POSTGRES_DATA_DIR}",
+                POSTGRES_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
         wait_for_postgres(cls.pg_container, user="postgres", timeout_s=90)
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_no_copy.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_no_copy.py
index 28570a8..55c2703 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_no_copy.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_postgres_no_copy.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    POSTGRES_IMAGE,
+    POSTGRES_DATA_DIR,
     backup_run,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
@@ -46,8 +48,8 @@ class TestE2EPostgresNoCopy(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 "POSTGRES_USER=postgres",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.pg_volume}:/var/lib/postgresql/data",
-                "postgres:16",
+                f"{cls.pg_volume}:{POSTGRES_DATA_DIR}",
+                POSTGRES_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
         wait_for_postgres(cls.pg_container, user="postgres", timeout_s=90)
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_seed_star_and_db_entries_backup_postgres.py b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_seed_star_and_db_entries_backup_postgres.py
index 88a11d7..7eb71dc 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_e2e_seed_star_and_db_entries_backup_postgres.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_e2e_seed_star_and_db_entries_backup_postgres.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import unittest
 
 from .helpers import (
+    POSTGRES_IMAGE,
+    POSTGRES_DATA_DIR,
     backup_path,
     cleanup_docker,
     create_minimal_compose_dir,
@@ -66,8 +68,8 @@ class TestE2ESeedStarAndDbEntriesBackupPostgres(unittest.TestCase):
                 "-e",
                 f"POSTGRES_PASSWORD={cls.pg_password}",
                 "-v",
-                f"{cls.db_volume}:/var/lib/postgresql/data",
-                "postgres:16-alpine",
+                f"{cls.db_volume}:{POSTGRES_DATA_DIR}",
+                POSTGRES_IMAGE,
             ]
         )
         wait_for_postgres(cls.pg_container, user="postgres", timeout_s=90)