diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index cc2d38a79cebedf6ba7ee0d3958bd9296cc8732d..3ffe55f2498bf3aa37819cf993bd7c919bc69348 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ default:
     - source /opt/molecule/bin/activate
     - molecule destroy --scenario-name default
 
+variables:
+  ANSIBLE_FORCE_COLOR: 'true'
+  PY_COLORS: '1'
+
 test-job:
   stage: test
   tags:
diff --git a/molecule/resources/playbooks/prepare.yml b/molecule/resources/playbooks/prepare.yml
index d3dbe45d733859e8f37a17606ce6fe8641ab9355..43c1ff237e37a10aeda3a89e432e6ef984c7f545 100644
--- a/molecule/resources/playbooks/prepare.yml
+++ b/molecule/resources/playbooks/prepare.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   hosts: "*"
   pre_tasks:
     - name: configure additional package repositories for Debian
+      when: ansible_os_family == "Debian"
       block: 
       - name: install GPG
         ansible.builtin.apt:
@@ -10,21 +11,21 @@
           state: latest
           update_cache: true
         become: true
-      - name: add GPG key for SLUB Debian repository
-        ansible.builtin.apt_key:
-          url: "https://sdvdebianrepo.slub-dresden.de/deb-repository/pub.gpg.key"
-          state: present
-        become: true
-      - name: add repo URL to sources.list
-        ansible.builtin.apt_repository:
-          repo: "deb https://sdvdebianrepo.slub-dresden.de/deb-repository bullseye main"
-          state: present
-          update_cache: true
-          mode: "0644"
+      - name: add custom repo for SLUB's custom Debian repo
+        ansible.builtin.deb822_repository:
+          architectures: "amd64"
+          components: "main"
+          enabled: true
+          name: "slub"
+          pdiffs: true
+          signed_by: "https://sdvdebianrepo.slub-dresden.de/deb-repository/pub.gpg.key"
+          suites: "{{ ansible_lsb.codename }}"
+          uris: "https://sdvdebianrepo.slub-dresden.de/deb-repository"
+        notify: update package cache
         become: true
-      when: ansible_os_family == "Debian"
 
     - name: configure additional package repositories for RedHat
+      when: ansible_os_family == "RedHat"
       block:
       - name: add custom repositories
         ansible.builtin.yum_repository:
@@ -42,8 +43,15 @@
             description: SLUB YUM repo
             baseurl: "http://sdvrhelrepo.slub-dresden.de/"
             gpgcheck: "false"
+        notify: update package cache
       - name: remove legacy repo configuration to avoid double configuration for SLUB repo
         ansible.builtin.file:
           path: "/etc/yum.repos.d/SLUB.repo"
           state: absent
-      when: ansible_os_family == "RedHat"
+        notify: update package cache
+
+  handlers:
+    - name: update package cache
+      ansible.builtin.package:
+        update_cache: true
+      become: true
diff --git a/molecule/virtualbox/molecule.yml b/molecule/virtualbox/molecule.yml
index d577cdfba5e5515ee5fbfe991392128d6128f5dc..74f3dd92396ba3de1b09e7696ccbd69e138d2a84 100644
--- a/molecule/virtualbox/molecule.yml
+++ b/molecule/virtualbox/molecule.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ platforms:
   # https://github.com/ansible-community/molecule-vagrant#documentation
   # for more platform parameters.
   - name: mol-samity
-    box: debian/bullseye64
+    box: debian/bookworm64
     memory: 1024
     # List of raw Vagrant `config` options.
     # provider_raw_config_args: