diff --git a/kola-denylist.yaml b/kola-denylist.yaml
index 7a03b1df..7d45a529 100644
--- a/kola-denylist.yaml
+++ b/kola-denylist.yaml
@@ -7,25 +7,21 @@
   tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1237
   osversion:
     - c9s
-    - rhel-9.6
 
 - pattern: iso-live-login.uefi-secure
   tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1237
   osversion:
     - c9s
-    - rhel-9.6
 
 - pattern: iso-as-disk.uefi-secure
   tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1237
   osversion:
     - c9s
-    - rhel-9.6
 
 - pattern: fips.*
   tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1540
   osversion:
     - c9s
-    - rhel-9.6
 
 # The 4.17 and 4.18 build of Ignition encounters a FIPS panic so
 # we are using the 4.16 build for now while that is under investigation.
@@ -36,15 +32,3 @@
 # but not denylisted here so it can run on the rhcos pipeline
 #- pattern: iso-offline-install-iscsi.ibft.bios
 #  tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1492
-
-# as it's a fake rhel build (from c9s) versions won't match
-- pattern: ext.config.version.rhel-major-version
-  tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1635
-  snooze: 2025-01-01
-  osversion:
-    - rhel-9.6
-- pattern: ext.config.shared.content-origins
-  tracker: https://github.com/openshift/os/issues/1635
-  snooze: 2025-01-01
-  osversion:
-    - rhel-9.6
diff --git a/manifest-ocp-rhel-9.6.yaml b/manifest-ocp-rhel-9.6.yaml
index 2f1bc358..d91960be 100644
--- a/manifest-ocp-rhel-9.6.yaml
+++ b/manifest-ocp-rhel-9.6.yaml
@@ -16,20 +16,9 @@ include:
   - packages-openshift.yaml
 
 # Additional repos we need for OCP components
-# right now we use rhel-9.4 OCP repos as RHEL 9.6 is not available yet
 repos:
-  - rhel-9.4-fast-datapath
-  - rhel-9.4-server-ose-4.18
-  - rhel-9.4-appstream
-  - c9s-extras-common
-  - c9s-sig-nfv
-  - c9s-nfv
-
-packages:
- # RPM GPG keys for CentOS SIG repos
-  - centos-release-cloud-common
-  - centos-release-nfv-common
-  - centos-release-virt-common
+  - rhel-9.6-fast-datapath
+  - rhel-9.6-server-ose-4.18
 
 # We include hours/minutes to avoid version number reuse
 automatic-version-prefix: "418.96.<date:%Y%m%d%H%M>"
@@ -97,15 +86,15 @@ postprocess:
      ln -s /usr/lib/issue /etc/issue
      ln -s /usr/lib/issue /etc/issue.net
 
-# Packages pinned to specific repos in RHCOS 9
 repo-packages:
-  - repo: c9s-appstream
-    packages:
-      - nss-altfiles
-  - repo: rhel-9.4-server-ose-4.18
+  # https://issues.redhat.com/browse/RHELPLAN-170883
+  - repo: rhel-9.6-appstream
     packages:
-      - conmon-rs
-      - cri-o
-      - cri-tools
-      - openshift-clients
-      - openshift-kubelet
+      - conmon
+      - containers-common
+      - container-selinux
+      - crun
+      - podman
+      - runc
+      - skopeo
+      - toolbox
diff --git a/manifest-rhel-9.6.yaml b/manifest-rhel-9.6.yaml
index 455004df..ca2d6350 100644
--- a/manifest-rhel-9.6.yaml
+++ b/manifest-rhel-9.6.yaml
@@ -12,11 +12,9 @@ variables:
 include:
   - common.yaml
 
-# XXX todo: swap to rhel 9.6 repos when beta is GA
-# CentOS Stream 9 repos for now
 repos:
-  - c9s-baseos
-  - c9s-appstream
+  - rhel-9.6-baseos
+  - rhel-9.6-appstream
 
 # Eventually we should try to build these images as part of the RHEL composes.
 # In that case, the versioning should instead be exactly the same as the pungi
@@ -27,52 +25,9 @@ automatic-version-suffix: "-"
 
 mutate-os-release: "9.6"
 
-# XXX todo: swap to rhel 9.6 repos when beta is GA
-repo-packages:
-  - repo: c9s-baseos
-    packages:
-     # We include the generic centos release package and fake the red hat os-release
-     # info in a post-process script
-     # XXX todo: swap to redhat-release once 9.6 beta is GA
-     - centos-stream-release
-
-# XXX remove once swapping to rhel 9.6 beta content
-# Fake out RHEL version in the os-release while waiting for RHEL-9.6 release.
-postprocess:
-  - |
-     #!/usr/bin/env bash
-     set -xeo pipefail
-
-     (
-     . /etc/os-release
-     cat > /usr/lib/os-release <<EOF
-     NAME="Red Hat Enterprise Linux CoreOS"
-     VERSION="${OSTREE_VERSION} (Plow)"
-     ID="rhel"
-     ID_LIKE="fedora"
-     VERSION="${OSTREE_VERSION}"
-     VARIANT="CoreOS"
-     VARIANT_ID=coreos
-     VERSION_ID="9.6"
-     PLATFORM_ID="platform:el9"
-     PRETTY_NAME="Red Hat Enterprise Linux CoreOS ${OSTREE_VERSION} (Plow)"
-     ANSI_COLOR="0;31"
-     LOGO="fedora-logo-icon"
-     CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos"
-     HOME_URL="https://www.redhat.com/"
-     DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9"
-     BUG_REPORT_URL="https://issues.redhat.com/"
-
-     REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT="Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9"
-     REDHAT_BUGZILLA_PRODUCT_VERSION=9.6
-     REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="Red Hat Enterprise Linux"
-     REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION="9.6"
-     OSTREE_VERSION="${OSTREE_VERSION}"
-     EOF
-     )
-
-
-      rm -f /etc/system-release /etc/os-release /etc/redhat-release
-      ln -s /usr/lib/os-release /etc/os-release
-      ln -s /usr/lib/os-release /etc/system-release
-      ln -s /usr/lib/os-release /etc/redhat-release
+# Packages that are only in RHCOS and not in SCOS or that have special
+# constraints that do not apply to SCOS
+packages:
+ # We include the generic release package and tweak the os-release info in a
+ # post-process script
+ - redhat-release