diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.finn_ci b/docker/Dockerfile.finn_ci
index 864a40d1c1fd56e3a234b60beb3fc13e6c72d499..fb257b05c7c5e63922fe9c51241c18ab671ec0ba 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.finn_ci
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.finn_ci
@@ -43,30 +43,19 @@ RUN echo "StrictHostKeyChecking no" >> /etc/ssh/ssh_config
 
 # cloning dependency repos
 # Brevitas
-RUN git clone --branch feature/finn_onnx_export https://github.com/Xilinx/brevitas.git /workspace/brevitas
-RUN git -C /workspace/brevitas checkout 215cf44c76d562339fca368c8c3afee3110033e8
-
+RUN git clone https://github.com/Xilinx/brevitas.git /workspace/brevitas
 # Brevitas examples
-RUN git clone --branch feature/rework_scaling_clipping https://github.com/maltanar/brevitas_cnv_lfc.git /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc
-RUN git -C /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc checkout 2059f96bd576bf71f32c757e7f92617a70190c90
-
+RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/brevitas_cnv_lfc.git /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc
 # CNPY
 RUN git clone https://github.com/rogersce/cnpy.git /workspace/cnpy
-RUN git -C /workspace/cnpy checkout 4e8810b1a8637695171ed346ce68f6984e585ef4
-
 # FINN hlslib
 RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/finn-hlslib.git /workspace/finn-hlslib
-RUN git -C /workspace/finn-hlslib checkout b139bf051ac8f8e0a3625509247f714127cf3317
-
 # PyVerilator
 RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/pyverilator /workspace/pyverilator
-RUN git -C /workspace/pyverilator checkout 307fc5c82db748620836307a2002fdc9fe170226
-
 # PYNQ-HelloWorld
 RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/PYNQ-HelloWorld.git /workspace/PYNQ-HelloWorld
-RUN git -C /workspace/PYNQ-HelloWorld checkout 0c82a61b0ec1a07fa275a14146233824ded7a13d
 
-# FINN
+# checkout desired FINN branch for testing
 RUN git clone --branch $FINN_CI_BRANCH https://github.com/Xilinx/finn /workspace/finn
 
 RUN pip install -r /workspace/finn/requirements.txt
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.finn_dev b/docker/Dockerfile.finn_dev
index 190bd003028d6213c04dbe14d394ade533bda5a0..48ad00a555aebf678f68036d1f5ec576f4c70c3f 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.finn_dev
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.finn_dev
@@ -60,10 +60,6 @@ RUN pip install pytest-dependency
 RUN pip install sphinx
 RUN pip install sphinx_rtd_theme
 
-# copy entrypoint script
-COPY docker/finn_entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/
-RUN chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/finn_entrypoint.sh
-
 # switch user
 RUN groupadd -g $GID $GNAME
 RUN useradd -M -u $UID $UNAME -g $GNAME
@@ -76,32 +72,20 @@ USER $UNAME
 
 # cloning dependency repos (as user)
 # Brevitas
-RUN git clone --branch feature/finn_onnx_export https://github.com/Xilinx/brevitas.git /workspace/brevitas
-RUN git -C /workspace/brevitas checkout 215cf44c76d562339fca368c8c3afee3110033e8
-
+RUN git clone https://github.com/Xilinx/brevitas.git /workspace/brevitas
 # Brevitas examples
-RUN git clone --branch feature/rework_scaling_clipping https://github.com/maltanar/brevitas_cnv_lfc.git /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc
-RUN git -C /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc checkout 2059f96bd576bf71f32c757e7f92617a70190c90
-
+RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/brevitas_cnv_lfc.git /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc
 # CNPY
 RUN git clone https://github.com/rogersce/cnpy.git /workspace/cnpy
-RUN git -C /workspace/cnpy checkout 4e8810b1a8637695171ed346ce68f6984e585ef4
-
 # FINN hlslib
 RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/finn-hlslib.git /workspace/finn-hlslib
-RUN git -C /workspace/finn-hlslib checkout b139bf051ac8f8e0a3625509247f714127cf3317
-
 # PyVerilator
 RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/pyverilator /workspace/pyverilator
-RUN git -C /workspace/pyverilator checkout 307fc5c82db748620836307a2002fdc9fe170226
-
 # PYNQ-HelloWorld
 RUN git clone https://github.com/maltanar/PYNQ-HelloWorld.git /workspace/PYNQ-HelloWorld
-RUN git -C /workspace/PYNQ-HelloWorld checkout 0c82a61b0ec1a07fa275a14146233824ded7a13d
 
-# Note that we expect the cloned finn directory on the host to be
-# mounted on /workspace/finn -- see run-docker.sh for an example
-# of how to do this.
+# for this developer-oriented Docker container we assume the FINN repo is cloned and mounted from the host
+# at /workspace/finn -- see run-docker.sh for an example of how to do this.
 ENV PYTHONPATH "${PYTHONPATH}:/workspace/finn/src"
 ENV PYTHONPATH "${PYTHONPATH}:/workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc/training_scripts"
 ENV PYTHONPATH "${PYTHONPATH}:/workspace/brevitas"
@@ -110,6 +94,13 @@ ENV PYNQSHELL_PATH "/workspace/PYNQ-HelloWorld/boards"
 
 WORKDIR /home/$UNAME/finn
 RUN echo "PS1='\[\033[1;36m\]\u\[\033[1;31m\]@\[\033[1;32m\]\h:\[\033[1;35m\]\w\[\033[1;31m\]\$\[\033[0m\] '" >>  /home/$UNAME/.bashrc
+RUN echo "source \$VIVADO_PATH/settings64.sh" >> /home/$UNAME/.bashrc
+
+# copy entrypoint script
+USER root
+COPY docker/finn_entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/
+RUN chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/finn_entrypoint.sh
+USER $UNAME
 
 ENTRYPOINT ["finn_entrypoint.sh"]
 CMD ["bash"]
diff --git a/docker/finn_entrypoint.sh b/docker/finn_entrypoint.sh
index 930218e26eff0b7be541529f452efc2a038160c5..15c8d5160bd53cc044723f9731f4f2f196739eb5 100644
--- a/docker/finn_entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/finn_entrypoint.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,43 @@ export XILINX_VIVADO=$VIVADO_PATH
 export SHELL=/bin/bash
 export FINN_ROOT=/workspace/finn
 
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+gecho () {
+  echo -e "${GREEN}$1${NC}"
+}
+
+# checkout the correct dependency repo commits
+# the repos themselves are cloned in the Dockerfile
+BREVITAS_COMMIT=215cf44c76d562339fca368c8c3afee3110033e8
+BREVITAS_EXAMPLES_COMMIT=2059f96bd576bf71f32c757e7f92617a70190c90
+CNPY_COMMIT=4e8810b1a8637695171ed346ce68f6984e585ef4
+HLSLIB_COMMIT=b139bf051ac8f8e0a3625509247f714127cf3317
+PYVERILATOR_COMMIT=307fc5c82db748620836307a2002fdc9fe170226
+PYNQSHELL_COMMIT=0c82a61b0ec1a07fa275a14146233824ded7a13d
+
+
+gecho "Setting up known-good commit versions for FINN dependencies"
+# Brevitas
+gecho "brevitas @ $BREVITAS_COMMIT"
+git -C /workspace/brevitas checkout $BREVITAS_COMMIT --quiet
+# Brevitas examples
+gecho "brevitas_cnv_lfc @ $BREVITAS_EXAMPLES_COMMIT"
+git -C /workspace/brevitas_cnv_lfc checkout $BREVITAS_EXAMPLES_COMMIT --quiet
+# CNPY
+gecho "cnpy @ $CNPY_COMMIT"
+git -C /workspace/cnpy checkout $CNPY_COMMIT --quiet
+# FINN hlslib
+gecho "finn-hlslib @ $HLSLIB_COMMIT"
+git -C /workspace/finn-hlslib checkout $HLSLIB_COMMIT --quiet
+# PyVerilator
+gecho "PyVerilator @ $PYVERILATOR_COMMIT"
+git -C /workspace/pyverilator checkout $PYVERILATOR_COMMIT --quiet
+# PYNQ-HelloWorld
+gecho "PYNQ shell @ $PYNQSHELL_COMMIT"
+git -C /workspace/PYNQ-HelloWorld checkout $PYNQSHELL_COMMIT --quiet
+
 # source Vivado env.vars
 source $VIVADO_PATH/settings64.sh