diff --git a/circleci/images/citusupgradetester/Dockerfile b/circleci/images/citusupgradetester/Dockerfile
index d051abc..cba1671 100644
--- a/circleci/images/citusupgradetester/Dockerfile
+++ b/circleci/images/citusupgradetester/Dockerfile
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ RUN chown -R circleci /usr/lib/postgresql/ /usr/include/postgresql/ /usr/share/p
 COPY ./files/etc/requirements.txt /tmp/etc/
 
 # this image is only used for testing purposes, so should be okay to overwrite system-managed packages
-RUN pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --break-system-packages
+RUN pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --user
 
 WORKDIR /home/circleci
 
diff --git a/circleci/images/failtester/Dockerfile b/circleci/images/failtester/Dockerfile
index c6973ec..08ee93b 100644
--- a/circleci/images/failtester/Dockerfile
+++ b/circleci/images/failtester/Dockerfile
@@ -76,6 +76,6 @@ RUN mkdir -p /var/run/postgresql && chown -R postgres:postgres /var/run/postgres
 COPY ./files/etc/requirements.txt /tmp/etc/
 
 # this image is only used for testing purposes, so should be okay to overwrite system-managed packages
-RUN pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --break-system-packages
+RUN pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --user
 
 WORKDIR /home/circleci
diff --git a/circleci/images/pgupgradetester/Dockerfile b/circleci/images/pgupgradetester/Dockerfile
index f688272..ac3dd09 100644
--- a/circleci/images/pgupgradetester/Dockerfile
+++ b/circleci/images/pgupgradetester/Dockerfile
@@ -76,4 +76,4 @@ RUN mkdir -p /var/run/postgresql && chown -R postgres:postgres /var/run/postgres
 COPY ./files/etc/requirements.txt /tmp/etc/
 
 # this image is only used for testing purposes, so should be okay to overwrite system-managed packages
-RUN pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --break-system-packages
+RUN pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --user
diff --git a/circleci/images/stylechecker/Dockerfile b/circleci/images/stylechecker/Dockerfile
index ca2d19f..c4550fa 100644
--- a/circleci/images/stylechecker/Dockerfile
+++ b/circleci/images/stylechecker/Dockerfile
@@ -39,5 +39,5 @@ RUN apk add --no-cache --virtual installdeps \
   && cd ../.. \
   && rm -rf uncrustify-uncrustify-0.68.1/ \
   # this image is only used for testing purposes, so should be okay to overwrite system-managed packages
-  && pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --break-system-packages \
+  && pip3 install -Ir /tmp/etc/requirements.txt --user \
   && apk del installdeps