diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
index c621410a7..3e4ebf15b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ jobs:
           owner: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.7"
+          python-version: "3.9"
       - name: Install PSA with CIM models ${{ matrix.cim-models.label }}
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
diff --git a/docs/cim_tests.md b/docs/cim_tests.md
index 9c118b529..8ac693769 100644
--- a/docs/cim_tests.md
+++ b/docs/cim_tests.md
@@ -10,17 +10,12 @@ An add-on is said to be CIM compatible if it fulfils the following two criteria:
 
 ## CIM Data Models Package (`splunk-cim-models`)
 
-CIM data model definitions are provided by the separate
-[`splunk-cim-models`](https://github.com/splunk/psa-cim-models) package.
-This lets you update or pin CIM definitions independently of `pytest-splunk-addon` itself.
+CIM data model definitions are maintained separately from `pytest-splunk-addon`.
+They must be installed from an approved internal source; do not install
+`splunk-cim-models` by package name from public PyPI.
 
-**Install for CIM testing:**
-
-```console
-pip install splunk-cim-models
-```
-
-Or, during development, install the latest from the repository:
+For authorized internal development, install the required definitions directly
+from the repository:
 
 ```console
 pip install git+https://github.com/splunk/psa-cim-models.git@cim-6
@@ -35,8 +30,8 @@ The package exposes:
 | `DATAMODEL_SCHEMA_PATH` | Path to `DatamodelSchema.json` (JSON schema for validating custom data model files) |
 | `datamodels` | Dict mapping CIM version strings to recommended fields per model |
 
-If `splunk-cim-models` is not installed, any test run that exercises CIM functionality
-will raise an `ImportError` with a message pointing to the package.
+If the CIM data models are not installed, any test run that exercises CIM functionality
+will raise an `ImportError` with a message pointing to the required package.
 
 ______________________________________________________________________
 
diff --git a/docs/contributing.md b/docs/contributing.md
index 744430842..10456259f 100644
--- a/docs/contributing.md
+++ b/docs/contributing.md
@@ -20,11 +20,8 @@ $ poetry install
 
 This installs `splunk-cim-models` automatically as a dev dependency (from the `cim-6` branch of
 [psa-cim-models](https://github.com/splunk/psa-cim-models)). In CI or when installing from
-PyPI, install `splunk-cim-models` separately before running CIM tests:
-
-```
-$ pip install splunk-cim-models
-```
+PyPI, use the same approved Git-based source before running CIM tests. Do not install
+`splunk-cim-models` by package name from public PyPI.
 
 ### Working with `splunk-cim-models`
 
diff --git a/docs/how_to_use.md b/docs/how_to_use.md
index d1d9748dc..468ff80a9 100644
--- a/docs/how_to_use.md
+++ b/docs/how_to_use.md
@@ -464,8 +464,6 @@ def splunk_setup(splunk):
   - Provide the path to the directory having all the data models by adding `--splunk_dm_path path_to_dir` to the pytest command.
   - The test cases will now be generated for the data models provided to the plugin and not for the [default data models](https://github.com/splunk/psa-cim-models/tree/cim-6/splunk_cim_models/data_models) bundled in `splunk-cim-models`.
 
-> **_NOTE:_** CIM data model definitions are provided by the [`splunk-cim-models`](https://github.com/splunk/psa-cim-models) package. Install it separately before running CIM tests:
->
-> ```console
-> pip install splunk-cim-models
-> ```
+> **_NOTE:_** CIM data model definitions are provided separately from
+> `pytest-splunk-addon`. Before running CIM tests, install them from an approved
+> internal source. Do not install `splunk-cim-models` by package name from public PyPI.
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index f78ea188e..4a5859259 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ which allows the user to test [knowledge objects](https://docs.splunk.com/Splexi
 - Splunk App or Add-on package
 - Splunk instance with App or Add-on installed (Not required if using Docker)
 - Docker (Not required if using external Splunk instance)
-- [`splunk-cim-models`](https://github.com/splunk/psa-cim-models) — required for [CIM Compatibility Tests](./cim_tests.md) (not installed automatically)
 
 ## Support
 
@@ -23,16 +22,8 @@ pytest-splunk-addon can be installed via pip from PyPI:
 pip3 install pytest-splunk-addon
 ```
 
-To run **CIM compatibility tests** you also need the CIM data models package:
-
-```console
-pip3 install splunk-cim-models
-```
-
-`splunk-cim-models` is versioned independently of `pytest-splunk-addon` so that CIM
-definitions can be updated without a full PSA release. See the
-[CIM Compatibility Tests](./cim_tests.md) page for details on how the two packages
-interact and how to pin or override data model definitions.
+To run **CIM compatibility tests**, see the [CIM Compatibility Tests](./cim_tests.md)
+page for the required CIM data model setup.
 
 ## Features