diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
index 9ab7afff8f..6edf5eb03b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_cd.yml
@@ -102,20 +102,71 @@ jobs:
           directory: docker
           recursive: true
 
+  manifests:
+    name: Check Docker manifests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      skip_dms: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_dms }}
+      skip_core_windows: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_windows }}
+      skip_core_linux: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_linux }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - container-stable: "windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "dms"
+            service-name: "Windows DMS"
+          - container-stable: "core-windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_windows"
+            service-name: "Windows Core Service"
+          - container-stable: "core-linux-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-linux-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_linux"
+            service-name: "Linux Core Service"
+    steps:
+      - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Check ${{ matrix.service-name }} manifest
+        id: services
+        run: |
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-stable }} > ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-unstable }} > ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json || true
+
+          # Verify that the unstable manifest exists - otherwise create an empty file
+          if [ ! -f ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json ]; then
+            touch ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json
+          fi
+
+
+          # Check if the manifests are the same (and if so, create an output that will skip the next job)
+          if diff ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json; then
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are the same... skipping"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=1" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are different"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
 # =================================================================================================
 # vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv    RUNNING ON SELF-HOSTED RUNNER    vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
 # =================================================================================================
 
   testing-windows:
     name: Testing and coverage (Windows)
-    needs: [smoke-tests]
+    needs: [smoke-tests, manifests]
     # runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     runs-on: # TODO: Waiting for ansys-network runner to be updated
       group: pyansys-self-hosted
       labels:  [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
     env:
-      SKIP_UNSTABLE: ${{ vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY == 1 && matrix.experimental }}
+      SKIP_UNSTABLE: false
       PYVISTA_OFF_SCREEN: true
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -131,6 +182,30 @@ jobs:
             experimental: true
 
     steps:
+      - name: Calculate SKIP_UNSTABLE
+        if: matrix.experimental
+        run: |
+          # Choose the manifests output to consider (for DMS or Core service)
+          # based on the matrix value
+          if ("${{ matrix.docker-image }}" -eq "windows-latest-unstable") {
+            $ImagesAreEqual = ${{ needs.manifests.outputs.skip_dms }}
+          } elseif ("${{ matrix.docker-image }}" -eq "core-windows-latest-unstable") {
+            $ImagesAreEqual = ${{ needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_windows }}
+          } else {
+            Write-Output "Unknown docker image"
+            exit 1
+          }
+
+          $A = $env:SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY -eq 1
+          $B = $ImagesAreEqual -eq 1
+
+          # Calculate the logical expression
+          $Result = ($A -or $B).ToString().ToLower()
+
+          # Export it as an environment variable with true/false value
+          Write-Output "SKIP_UNSTABLE=$Result" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Append
+          Write-Output "SKIP_UNSTABLE will be: $Result"
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         if: env.SKIP_UNSTABLE == 'false'
 
@@ -329,11 +404,11 @@ jobs:
 
   testing-linux:
     name: Testing and coverage (Linux)
-    needs: [smoke-tests]
+    needs: [smoke-tests, manifests]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
     env:
-      SKIP_UNSTABLE: ${{ vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY == 1 && matrix.experimental }}
+      SKIP_UNSTABLE: false
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -344,6 +419,28 @@ jobs:
             experimental: true
 
     steps:
+      - name: Calculate SKIP_UNSTABLE
+        if: matrix.experimental
+        run: |
+          # Choose the manifests output to consider (for Core service)
+          # based on the matrix value
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.docker-image }}" == "core-linux-latest-unstable" ]]; then
+            ImagesAreEqual=${{ needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_linux }}
+          else
+            echo "Unknown docker image"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          A=$([[ "$SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY" == "1" ]] && echo true || echo false)
+          B=$([[ "$ImagesAreEqual" == "1" ]] && echo true || echo false)
+
+          # Calculate the logical expression
+          Result=$([[ "$A" == true || "$B" == true ]] && echo true || echo false)
+
+          # Export it as an environment variable with true/false value
+          echo "SKIP_UNSTABLE=$Result" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "SKIP_UNSTABLE will be: $Result"
+
       - name: Login in Github Container registry
         if: env.SKIP_UNSTABLE == 'false'
         uses: docker/login-action@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml
index 2b6b278dbe..af3131626c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly_docker_test.yml
@@ -35,13 +35,65 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
 
+  manifests:
+    name: Check Docker manifests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      skip_dms: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_dms }}
+      skip_core_windows: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_windows }}
+      skip_core_linux: ${{ steps.services.outputs.skip_core_linux }}
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - container-stable: "windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "dms"
+            service-name: "Windows DMS"
+          - container-stable: "core-windows-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-windows-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_windows"
+            service-name: "Windows Core Service"
+          - container-stable: "core-linux-latest"
+            container-unstable: "core-linux-latest-unstable"
+            service: "core_linux"
+            service-name: "Linux Core Service"
+    steps:
+      - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ghcr.io
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Check ${{ matrix.service-name }} manifest
+        id: services
+        run: |
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-stable }} > ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json
+          docker manifest inspect ghcr.io/ansys/geometry:${{ matrix.container-unstable }} > ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json || true
+
+          # Verify that the unstable manifest exists - otherwise create an empty file
+          if [ ! -f ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json ]; then
+            touch ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json
+          fi
+
+
+          # Check if the manifests are the same (and if so, create an output that will skip the next job)
+          if diff ${{ matrix.container-stable }}.json ${{ matrix.container-unstable }}.json; then
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are the same... skipping"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=1" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "${{ matrix.service-name }} container manifests are different"
+            echo "skip_${{ matrix.service }}=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
 # =================================================================================================
 # ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    RUNNING ON SELF-HOSTED RUNNER    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 # =================================================================================================
 
   windows-dms-tests:
     name: Windows DMS
-    if: vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY != 1
+    needs: manifests
+    if: needs.manifests.outputs.skip_dms == 0
     runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     env:
       PYVISTA_OFF_SCREEN: true
@@ -146,7 +198,8 @@ jobs:
 
   windows-core-tests:
     name: Windows Core Service
-    if: vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY != 1
+    needs: manifests
+    if: needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_windows == 0
     # runs-on: [self-hosted, Windows, pygeometry]
     runs-on: # TODO: Waiting for ansys-network runner to be updated
       group: pyansys-self-hosted
@@ -259,7 +312,8 @@ jobs:
 
   linux-tests:
     name: Linux Core Service
-    if: vars.SKIP_UNSTABLE_CONTAINERS_TEMPORARILY != 1
+    needs: manifests
+    if: needs.manifests.outputs.skip_core_linux == 0
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
diff --git a/doc/changelog.d/1592.maintenance.md b/doc/changelog.d/1592.maintenance.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef7b20ec82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changelog.d/1592.maintenance.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+skip unnecessary stages when containers are the same
\ No newline at end of file