diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/Dockerfile b/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/Dockerfile
index d3ff3f1b..8949c4e9 100644
--- a/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/Dockerfile
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Originally from: https://github.com/devcontainers/images/blob/main/src/javascript-node/.devcontainer/Dockerfile
 # [Choice] Node.js version (use -bullseye variants on local arm64/Apple Silicon): 18, 16, 14, 18-bullseye, 16-bullseye, 14-bullseye, 18-buster, 16-buster, 14-buster
-ARG VARIANT=20-bullseye
+ARG VARIANT=20-bullseye-slim
 FROM node:${VARIANT}
 
 ARG USERNAME=node
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ RUN \
 
 # [Optional] Uncomment this section to install additional OS packages.
 RUN apt-get update && export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
-    && apt-get -y install --no-install-recommends jq gettext-base moreutils
+    && apt-get -y install --no-install-recommends jq gettext-base
 
 # [Optional] Uncomment if you want to install more global node modules
 # RUN su node -c "npm install -g <your-package-list-here>"
diff --git a/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/scripts/build-app.sh b/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/scripts/build-app.sh
index ef6244cf..759ba255 100755
--- a/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/scripts/build-app.sh
+++ b/stack_orchestrator/data/container-build/cerc-nextjs-base/scripts/build-app.sh
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ CUR_NEXT_VERSION="`jq -r '.dependencies.next' package.json`"
 
 if [ "$CERC_NEXT_VERSION" != "keep" ] && [ "$CUR_NEXT_VERSION" != "$CERC_NEXT_VERSION" ]; then
   echo "Changing 'next' version specifier from '$CUR_NEXT_VERSION' to '$CERC_NEXT_VERSION' (set with '--extra-build-args \"--build-arg CERC_NEXT_VERSION=$CERC_NEXT_VERSION\"')"
-  cat package.json | jq ".dependencies.next = \"$CERC_NEXT_VERSION\"" | sponge package.json
+  cat package.json | jq ".dependencies.next = \"$CERC_NEXT_VERSION\"" > package.json.$$
+  mv package.json.$$ package.json
 fi
 
 $CERC_BUILD_TOOL install || exit 1
@@ -128,7 +129,8 @@ to use for the build with:
 ###############################################################################
 
 EOF
-  cat package.json | jq ".dependencies.next = \"^$CERC_MIN_NEXTVER\"" | sponge package.json
+  cat package.json | jq ".dependencies.next = \"^$CERC_MIN_NEXTVER\"" > package.json.$$
+  mv package.json.$$ package.json
   $CERC_BUILD_TOOL install || exit 1
 fi