diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 879589c2af..396cbd3fe7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 
 # see https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#includefile
-.templates_sha: &template_sha 98b1218f146a1ec96d65e3ce0041f9a6ec5cb5e6
+.templates_sha: &template_sha 593a0a5fe35a523a646a7efae5471c9759b8fba3
 
 
 
@@ -60,11 +60,11 @@ variables:
   #
   # This is done by running `ci-fairy generate-template` and possibly bumping
   # ".default_tag".
-  ALPINE_TAG:  'tag-759073a4a7c5'
-  CENTOS_TAG:  'tag-8e3ebf909439'
-  DEBIAN_TAG:  'tag-529c288644bc'
-  FEDORA_TAG:  'tag-8e3ebf909439'
-  UBUNTU_TAG:  'tag-529c288644bc'
+  ALPINE_TAG:  'tag-0959c37ef19b'
+  CENTOS_TAG:  'tag-70ac400f2325'
+  DEBIAN_TAG:  'tag-c03f6a5793ce'
+  FEDORA_TAG:  'tag-70ac400f2325'
+  UBUNTU_TAG:  'tag-c03f6a5793ce'
 
   ALPINE_EXEC: 'bash .gitlab-ci/alpine-install.sh'
   CENTOS_EXEC: 'bash .gitlab-ci/fedora-install.sh'
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ variables:
       - NetworkManager-1*.tar.xz
       - NetworkManager-1*.src.rpm
       - nm-test.log
+      - testlog.txt
 
 .nm_artifacts_debug:
   artifacts:
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ variables:
     when: always
     paths:
       - nm-test.log
+      - testlog.txt
 
 #################################################################
 #                                                               #
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/ci.template b/.gitlab-ci/ci.template
index e7a7c0e55e..42d85b9d67 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/ci.template
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/ci.template
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 
 # see https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#includefile
-.templates_sha: &template_sha 98b1218f146a1ec96d65e3ce0041f9a6ec5cb5e6
+.templates_sha: &template_sha 593a0a5fe35a523a646a7efae5471c9759b8fba3
 
 {# Group distros by their common (name,) tuples.#}
 {% set distro_groups = [] %}
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ variables:
       - NetworkManager-1*.tar.xz
       - NetworkManager-1*.src.rpm
       - nm-test.log
+      - testlog.txt
 
 .nm_artifacts_debug:
   artifacts:
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ variables:
     when: always
     paths:
       - nm-test.log
+      - testlog.txt
 
 #################################################################
 #                                                               #
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/config.yml b/.gitlab-ci/config.yml
index 61b229da02..e7b485fcd8 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/config.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/config.yml
@@ -72,4 +72,4 @@ distributions:
       - '3.20'
       - '3.19'
       - '3.18'
-      - '3.17'
+      - '3.17'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/distros-info.yml b/.gitlab-ci/distros-info.yml
index 6571707f1f..831085acaa 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/distros-info.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/distros-info.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ fedora:
   support: yes
   nm: main
 - version: 41
-  support: yes
+  support: 2025-11-19
   nm: 1.50
+  tier1-default: yes
 - version: 40
   support: 2025-05-13
   nm: 1.46
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/distros_support.py b/.gitlab-ci/distros_support.py
index c979acfe10..b8af791b2d 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/distros_support.py
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/distros_support.py
@@ -124,7 +124,20 @@ for distro, versions in distros_info.items():
 
 # Select a Tier1 distro
 tier1_distro, tier1_version = "", ""
+
+for fed_ver_info in distros_info["fedora"]:
+    # We prefer the Fedora version marked as tier1-default
+    if fed_ver_info.get("tier1-default", False):
+        for tier in (tier2, tier3):
+            if fed_ver_info["version"] in tier.get("fedora", []):
+                tier1_distro = "fedora"
+                tier1_version = fed_ver_info["version"]
+                tier["fedora"].remove(fed_ver_info["version"])
+
 for distro in ci_distros:
+    if tier1_distro:
+        break
+
     for tier in (tier2, tier3):
         if distro in tier:
             # Exception: we want to use fedora:latest instead of fedora:rawhide because
@@ -142,8 +155,6 @@ for distro in ci_distros:
             if not tier[distro]:
                 del tier[distro]
             break
-    if tier1_distro:
-        break
 
 if not tier1_distro or not tier1_version:
     print("Warn: no suitable distro for Tier 1 found", file=sys.stderr)
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/run-test.sh b/.gitlab-ci/run-test.sh
index 2ae72f28eb..b84d677e9c 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/run-test.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/run-test.sh
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ meson --version
 export NMTST_SKIP_CHECK_GITLAB_CI=1
 
 # Assert that "$1" is one of the valid values for NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN. die() otherwise.
-check_run_assert() {
+is_run_selected_assert() {
     { set +x; } 2>/dev/null
     local run="$1"
     local a
@@ -83,45 +83,54 @@ check_run_assert() {
 }
 
 [ -z "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN" ] && NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN=all
-check_run_assert "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN"
+is_run_selected_assert "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN"
 
-check_run() {
-    local test_no="$1"
+is_run_selected() {
+    local run="$1"
 
-    check_run_assert "$test_no"
+    is_run_selected_assert "$run"
 
     # Usually, we run the build several times. However, for testing
     # the build script manually, it can be useful to explicitly select
     # one step to run. For example, if step 3 is known to fail, you
     # can still manually run step A by setting NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN=A.
 
-    test "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN" = all -o "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN" = "$test_no"
+    test "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN" = all -o "$NM_TEST_SELECT_RUN" = "$run"
 }
 
-check_run_clean() {
-    if ! check_run "$1" ; then
-        return 1
-    fi
+die_with_testlog() {
+    mv ./build/meson-logs/testlog.txt ./testlog.txt
+    exit 1
+}
+
+if is_run_selected meson+gcc+docs+valgrind ; then
     do_clean
-    return 0
-}
-
-if check_run_clean meson+gcc+docs+valgrind ; then
-    CC=gcc WITH_DOCS=1 WITH_VALGRIND=1 contrib/scripts/nm-ci-run.sh
+    CC=gcc WITH_DOCS=1 WITH_VALGRIND=1 contrib/scripts/nm-ci-run.sh || die_with_testlog
     mv INST/share/gtk-doc/html "$ARTIFACT_DIR/docs-html"
 fi
 
-check_run_clean meson+clang && CC=clang WITH_DOCS=0 contrib/scripts/nm-ci-run.sh
-check_run_clean rpm+meson && test $IS_FEDORA = 1 && ./contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh -g -w crypto_gnutls -w debug -w iwd -w test -w meson
+if is_run_selected meson+clang; then
+    do_clean
+    CC=clang WITH_DOCS=0 contrib/scripts/nm-ci-run.sh || die_with_testlog
+fi
 
-if check_run_clean tarball && [ "$NM_BUILD_TARBALL" = 1 ]; then
-    SIGN_SOURCE=0 ./contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh -r
+if is_run_selected rpm+meson; then
+    do_clean
+    test $IS_FEDORA = 1 && ./contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh -g -w crypto_gnutls -w debug -w iwd -w test -w meson || die_with_testlog
+fi
+
+if is_run_selected tarball && [ "$NM_BUILD_TARBALL" = 1 ]; then
+    do_clean
+    SIGN_SOURCE=0 ./contrib/fedora/rpm/build_clean.sh -r || die_with_testlog
     mv ./build/meson-dist/NetworkManager-1*.tar.xz "$ARTIFACT_DIR/"
     mv ./contrib/fedora/rpm/latest/SRPMS/NetworkManager-1*.src.rpm "$ARTIFACT_DIR/"
     do_clean
 fi
 
-check_run_clean tarball+meson && CC=gcc WITH_DOCS=1 CONFIGURE_ONLY=1 contrib/scripts/nm-ci-run.sh
+if is_run_selected tarball+meson; then
+    do_clean
+    CC=gcc WITH_DOCS=1 CONFIGURE_ONLY=1 contrib/scripts/nm-ci-run.sh || die_with_testlog
+fi
 
 ###############################################################################
 
@@ -148,7 +157,8 @@ test_subtree() {
     popd
 }
 
-if check_run_clean subtree; then
+if is_run_selected subtree; then
+    do_clean
     for d in c-list c-rbtree c-siphash c-stdaux n-acd n-dhcp4 ; do
         for cc in gcc clang; do
             test_subtree "$d" "$cc"
@@ -160,10 +170,10 @@ fi
 
 if [ "$NM_BUILD_TARBALL" = 1 ]; then
     do_clean
-    if check_run meson+gcc+docs+valgrind ; then
+    if is_run_selected meson+gcc+docs+valgrind ; then
         mv "$ARTIFACT_DIR/docs-html/" ./
     fi
-    if check_run tarball ; then
+    if is_run_selected tarball ; then
         mv \
            "$ARTIFACT_DIR"/NetworkManager-1*.tar.xz \
            "$ARTIFACT_DIR"/NetworkManager-1*.src.rpm \