diff --git a/keras3-cpu/Dockerfile b/keras3-cpu/Dockerfile
index 1dcf0d94e627a57ee74a74fa3c2a7b26c3b109cb..bb0e19b84e1b6adee9849d662e365a9f530fc565 100644
--- a/keras3-cpu/Dockerfile
+++ b/keras3-cpu/Dockerfile
@@ -12,15 +12,16 @@ USER root
 RUN apt-get update --yes && \
     apt-get install --yes --no-install-recommends \
     # general purpose utils
-    iputils-ping \
+    git-lfs \
     htop \
+    iputils-ping \
     # R pre-requisites
     fonts-dejavu \
-    unixodbc \
-    unixodbc-dev \
-    r-cran-rodbc \
+    gcc \
     gfortran \
-    gcc && \
+    r-cran-rodbc \
+    unixodbc \
+    unixodbc-dev && \
     apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 USER ${NB_UID}
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ RUN mamba install --yes \
 USER root
 
 # install code-server and extensions
-ENV CODE_VERSION=4.95.3
+ENV CODE_VERSION=4.96.2
 RUN wget --no-hsts -q https://github.com/coder/code-server/releases/download/v$CODE_VERSION/code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
     dpkg -i code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
     rm -f code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
@@ -80,7 +81,9 @@ RUN wget --no-hsts -q -O vscode_cli.tar.gz 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/do
     tar -xf vscode_cli.tar.gz --directory /usr/local/bin && \
     rm vscode_cli.tar.gz && \
     chown ${NB_USER} /usr/local/bin/code && \
-    fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/code
+    fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/code && \
+    # fix issue with permissions of /opt/conda/share/gdb/auto-load/opt
+    fix-permissions "${CONDA_DIR}"
 
 # install some packages
 USER ${NB_UID}
@@ -148,6 +151,8 @@ USER root
 # activate extensions by default
 COPY plugin.jupyterlab-settings "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter/lab/user-settings/@jupyterlab/extensionmanager-extension/"
 COPY plugin.jupyterlab-settings "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter/lab/user-settings/@jupyter-server/resource-usage/"
+# source mamba.sh in bash using /etc/profile.d/conda.sh (workaround for removed mamba init --system, see https://github.com/mamba-org/mamba/issues/3691)
+COPY conda.sh "/etc/profile.d/"
 RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
     # history search with Page Up/Down
     sed -i "s/^# \(.*history-search.*\)/\1/" /etc/inputrc && \
@@ -162,6 +167,7 @@ RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
     mkdir -p /etc/skel/.cache && \
     cp -r "/home/${NB_USER}/.cache/matplotlib" /etc/skel/.cache/ && \
     # stuff
+    mkdir -p "/home/${NB_USER}/.conda" && \
     cp -r "/home/${NB_USER}/.conda" "/home/${NB_USER}/.config" "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" /etc/skel/ && \
     # VS Code extension "gitlab-workflow", default gitlab server: gitlab.cvh-server.de
     printf '%s\n' \
@@ -173,8 +179,6 @@ RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
            '  fi' \
            'done' \
            >> /usr/local/bin/start-notebook.d/fix-gitlab-server.sh && \
-    # source mamba.sh in bash using /etc/profile.d/conda.sh
-    mamba init --system && \
     chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.local" && \
     fix-permissions "/home/${NB_USER}" && \
     fix-permissions "/etc/skel"
diff --git a/keras3-cpu/conda.sh b/keras3-cpu/conda.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..824b6ce4e88321561297b7ac6b29f19303c93686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keras3-cpu/conda.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# >>> conda initialize >>>
+# !! Contents within this block are managed by 'conda init' !!
+__conda_setup="$('/opt/conda/bin/conda' 'shell.posix' 'hook' 2> /dev/null)"
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    eval "$__conda_setup"
+else
+    if [ -f "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh" ]; then
+        . "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh"
+    else
+        export PATH="/opt/conda/bin:$PATH"
+    fi
+fi
+unset __conda_setup
+
+if [ -f "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/mamba.sh" ]; then
+    . "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/mamba.sh"
+fi
+# <<< conda initialize <<<
diff --git a/keras3-gpu/Dockerfile b/keras3-gpu/Dockerfile
index e237d45a5c9226d51d08900f4405ff701bccf7b3..b2a38e38799eed692334aed4de5b4e9e3fff6445 100644
--- a/keras3-gpu/Dockerfile
+++ b/keras3-gpu/Dockerfile
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ USER root
 # general purpose utils
 RUN apt-get update --yes && \
     apt-get install --yes --no-install-recommends \
-    iputils-ping \
-    htop && \
+    git-lfs \
+    htop \
+    iputils-ping && \
     apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # install code-server and extensions
-ENV CODE_VERSION=4.95.3
+ENV CODE_VERSION=4.96.2
 RUN wget --no-hsts -q https://github.com/coder/code-server/releases/download/v$CODE_VERSION/code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
     dpkg -i code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
     rm -f code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
@@ -35,7 +36,9 @@ RUN wget --no-hsts -q -O vscode_cli.tar.gz 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/do
     tar -xf vscode_cli.tar.gz --directory /usr/local/bin && \
     rm vscode_cli.tar.gz && \
     chown ${NB_USER} /usr/local/bin/code && \
-    fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/code
+    fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/code && \
+    # fix issue with permissions of /opt/conda/share/gdb/auto-load/opt
+    fix-permissions "${CONDA_DIR}"
 
 # install some packages
 USER ${NB_UID}
@@ -109,6 +112,8 @@ RUN pip install --no-cache-dir \
 USER root
 # activate extensions by default
 COPY plugin.jupyterlab-settings "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter/lab/user-settings/@jupyterlab/extensionmanager-extension/"
+# source mamba.sh in bash using /etc/profile.d/conda.sh (workaround for removed mamba init --system, see https://github.com/mamba-org/mamba/issues/3691)
+COPY conda.sh "/etc/profile.d/"
 RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
     # history search with Page Up/Down
     sed -i "s/^# \(.*history-search.*\)/\1/" /etc/inputrc && \
@@ -123,6 +128,7 @@ RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
     mkdir -p /etc/skel/.cache && \
     cp -r "/home/${NB_USER}/.cache/matplotlib" /etc/skel/.cache/ && \
     # stuff
+    mkdir -p "/home/${NB_USER}/.conda" && \
     cp -r "/home/${NB_USER}/.conda" "/home/${NB_USER}/.config" "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" /etc/skel/ && \
     # VS Code extension "gitlab-workflow", default gitlab server: gitlab.cvh-server.de
     printf '%s\n' \
@@ -134,8 +140,6 @@ RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
            '  fi' \
            'done' \
            >> /usr/local/bin/start-notebook.d/fix-gitlab-server.sh && \
-    # source mamba.sh in bash using /etc/profile.d/conda.sh
-    mamba init --system && \
     chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.local" && \
     fix-permissions "/home/${NB_USER}" && \
     fix-permissions "/etc/skel"
diff --git a/keras3-gpu/conda.sh b/keras3-gpu/conda.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..824b6ce4e88321561297b7ac6b29f19303c93686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keras3-gpu/conda.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# >>> conda initialize >>>
+# !! Contents within this block are managed by 'conda init' !!
+__conda_setup="$('/opt/conda/bin/conda' 'shell.posix' 'hook' 2> /dev/null)"
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    eval "$__conda_setup"
+else
+    if [ -f "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh" ]; then
+        . "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh"
+    else
+        export PATH="/opt/conda/bin:$PATH"
+    fi
+fi
+unset __conda_setup
+
+if [ -f "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/mamba.sh" ]; then
+    . "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/mamba.sh"
+fi
+# <<< conda initialize <<<
diff --git a/pytorch-gpu/Dockerfile b/pytorch-gpu/Dockerfile
index 53e2af3fd2295d433c1615b6baa306773e355343..a992f321f5a29ca52e05716e4686b4656b5ba35f 100644
--- a/pytorch-gpu/Dockerfile
+++ b/pytorch-gpu/Dockerfile
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ USER root
 # general purpose utils
 RUN apt-get update --yes && \
     apt-get install --yes --no-install-recommends \
-    iputils-ping \
-    htop && \
+    git-lfs \
+    htop \
+    iputils-ping && \
     apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # install code-server and extensions
-ENV CODE_VERSION=4.95.3
+ENV CODE_VERSION=4.96.2
 RUN wget --no-hsts -q https://github.com/coder/code-server/releases/download/v$CODE_VERSION/code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
     dpkg -i code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
     rm -f code-server_${CODE_VERSION}_amd64.deb && \
@@ -35,7 +36,9 @@ RUN wget --no-hsts -q -O vscode_cli.tar.gz 'https://code.visualstudio.com/sha/do
     tar -xf vscode_cli.tar.gz --directory /usr/local/bin && \
     rm vscode_cli.tar.gz && \
     chown ${NB_USER} /usr/local/bin/code && \
-    fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/code
+    fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/code && \
+    # fix issue with permissions of /opt/conda/share/gdb/auto-load/opt
+    fix-permissions "${CONDA_DIR}"
 
 # install some packages
 # NOTE: without --no-update-deps somehow an undefined symbol error in /opt/conda/lib/python3.11/lib-dynload/_sqlite3.cpython-311-x86_64-linux-gnu.so occurs, which crashes jupyter lab.
@@ -109,6 +112,8 @@ RUN conda install --yes --no-update-deps \
 USER root
 # activate extensions by default
 COPY plugin.jupyterlab-settings "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter/lab/user-settings/@jupyterlab/extensionmanager-extension/"
+# source mamba.sh in bash using /etc/profile.d/conda.sh (workaround for removed mamba init --system, see https://github.com/mamba-org/mamba/issues/3691)
+COPY conda.sh "/etc/profile.d/"
 RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
     # history search with Page Up/Down
     sed -i "s/^# \(.*history-search.*\)/\1/" /etc/inputrc && \
@@ -123,6 +128,7 @@ RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
     mkdir -p /etc/skel/.cache && \
     cp -r "/home/${NB_USER}/.cache/matplotlib" /etc/skel/.cache/ && \
     # stuff
+    mkdir -p "/home/${NB_USER}/.conda" && \
     cp -r "/home/${NB_USER}/.conda" "/home/${NB_USER}/.config" "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" /etc/skel/ && \
     # VS Code extension "gitlab-workflow", default gitlab server: gitlab.cvh-server.de
     printf '%s\n' \
@@ -134,8 +140,6 @@ RUN chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.jupyter" && \
            '  fi' \
            'done' \
            >> /usr/local/bin/start-notebook.d/fix-gitlab-server.sh && \
-    # source mamba.sh in bash using /etc/profile.d/conda.sh
-    mamba init --system && \
     chown -R ${NB_USER} "/home/${NB_USER}/.local" && \
     fix-permissions "/home/${NB_USER}" && \
     fix-permissions "/etc/skel"
diff --git a/pytorch-gpu/conda.sh b/pytorch-gpu/conda.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..824b6ce4e88321561297b7ac6b29f19303c93686
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pytorch-gpu/conda.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# >>> conda initialize >>>
+# !! Contents within this block are managed by 'conda init' !!
+__conda_setup="$('/opt/conda/bin/conda' 'shell.posix' 'hook' 2> /dev/null)"
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    eval "$__conda_setup"
+else
+    if [ -f "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh" ]; then
+        . "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh"
+    else
+        export PATH="/opt/conda/bin:$PATH"
+    fi
+fi
+unset __conda_setup
+
+if [ -f "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/mamba.sh" ]; then
+    . "/opt/conda/etc/profile.d/mamba.sh"
+fi
+# <<< conda initialize <<<