diff --git a/.github/workflows/gar-build-push-model-server-container-on-tag.yml b/.github/workflows/gar-build-push-model-server-container-on-tag.yml
index c6dd416df53..52ef0e424d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gar-build-push-model-server-container-on-tag.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gar-build-push-model-server-container-on-tag.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ on:
   push:
     tags:
       - "*"
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - "main"
 
 env:
   GarProjectID: mv-auxiliary
diff --git a/backend/.gitignore b/backend/.gitignore
index b1c4f4db71d..8e8ffaae9bc 100644
--- a/backend/.gitignore
+++ b/backend/.gitignore
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ api_keys.py
 vespa-app.zip
 dynamic_config_storage/
 celerybeat-schedule*
+env.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile.model_server b/backend/Dockerfile.model_server
index 9f759983c41..bc5aafd1927 100644
--- a/backend/Dockerfile.model_server
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile.model_server
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM python:3.11.7-slim-bookworm
+FROM nvidia/cuda:12.6.2-runtime-ubuntu22.04
 
 LABEL com.danswer.maintainer="founders@danswer.ai"
 LABEL com.danswer.description="This image is for the Danswer model server which runs all of the \
diff --git a/backend/requirements/default.txt b/backend/requirements/default.txt
index 7efdc85ecee..853a483478f 100644
--- a/backend/requirements/default.txt
+++ b/backend/requirements/default.txt
@@ -76,4 +76,4 @@ boto3-stubs[s3]==1.34.133
 ultimate_sitemap_parser==0.5
 pyairtable==3.0.0a3
 anthropic[vertex]==0.36.1
-google-cloud-aiplatform==0.4.0
\ No newline at end of file
+google-cloud-aiplatform==1.70.0
\ No newline at end of file