diff --git a/images.CI/macos/azure-pipelines/image-generation.yml b/images.CI/macos/azure-pipelines/image-generation.yml
index 8c53af41..65483279 100644
--- a/images.CI/macos/azure-pipelines/image-generation.yml
+++ b/images.CI/macos/azure-pipelines/image-generation.yml
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ jobs:
       arguments: -VMName "$(VirtualMachineName)" `
                  -VIServer "$(vcenter-server-v2)" `
                  -VIUserName "$(vcenter-username-v2)" `
-                 -VIPassword "$(vcenter-password-v2)"
+                 -VIPassword '$(vcenter-password-v2)' `
+                 -Cluster "$(esxi-cluster-v2)"
 
   - pwsh: |
       $SensitiveData = @(
@@ -66,13 +67,14 @@ jobs:
       packer build -on-error=abort `
         -var="vcenter_server=$(vcenter-server-v2)" `
         -var="vcenter_username=$(vcenter-username-v2)" `
-        -var="vcenter_password=$(vcenter-password-v2)" `
+        -var='vcenter_password=$(vcenter-password-v2)' `
         -var="vcenter_datacenter=$(vcenter-datacenter-v2)" `
         -var="cluster_or_esxi_host=$(esxi-cluster-v2)" `
         -var="esxi_datastore=$(buildDatastore)" `
         -var="output_folder=$(output-folder)" `
         -var="vm_username=$(vm-username)" `
         -var="vm_password=$(vm-password)" `
+        -var="github_api_pat=$(github_api_pat)" `
         -var="build_id=$(VirtualMachineName)" `
         -var="baseimage_name=${{ parameters.base_image_name }}" `
         -var="xcode_install_user=$(xcode-installation-user)" `
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ jobs:
                  -TargetDataStore "${{ parameters.target_datastore }}" `
                  -VIServer "$(vcenter-server-v2)" `
                  -VIUserName "$(vcenter-username-v2)" `
-                 -VIPassword "$(vcenter-password-v2)"
+                 -VIPassword '$(vcenter-password-v2)' `
                  -CpuCount "$(cpu-count)" `
                  -CoresPerSocketCount "$(cores-per-socket-count)" `
                  -Memory "$(memory)"
@@ -144,4 +146,4 @@ jobs:
       arguments: -VMName "$(VirtualMachineName)" `
                  -VIServer "$(vcenter-server-v2)" `
                  -VIUserName "$(vcenter-username-v2)" `
-                 -VIPassword "$(vcenter-password-v2)"
+                 -VIPassword '$(vcenter-password-v2)'
diff --git a/images.CI/macos/select-datastore.ps1 b/images.CI/macos/select-datastore.ps1
index 1d9a898a..23b5fb5a 100644
--- a/images.CI/macos/select-datastore.ps1
+++ b/images.CI/macos/select-datastore.ps1
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ param(
     [ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
     [string]$VIPassword,
 
-    [string]$TagCategory = "Busy"
+    [string]$TagCategory = "Busy",
+
+    [string]$Cluster
 )
 
 # Import helpers module
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ function Select-DataStore {
         [string]$VMName,
         [string]$TagCategory,
         [string]$TemplateDatastore = "ds-local-Datastore-*",
+        [string]$Cluster,
         [int]$ThresholdInGb = 400,
         [int]$VMCount = 2,
         [int]$Retries = 5
@@ -57,8 +60,9 @@ function Select-DataStore {
     # 3. Choose a datastore with the minimal VM count < 2
 
     Write-Host "Start Datastore selection process..."
-    $allDatastores = Get-Datastore -Name $templateDatastore | Where-Object { $_.State -eq "Available" }
-    $availableDatastores = $allDatastores `
+    $clusterHosts = Get-Cluster -Name $Cluster | Get-VMHost
+    $availableClusterDatastores = $clusterHosts | Get-Datastore -Name $TemplateDatastore | Where-Object -Property State -eq "Available"
+    $availableDatastores = $availableClusterDatastores `
     | Where-Object { $_.FreeSpaceGB -ge $thresholdInGb } `
     | Where-Object {
         $vmOnDatastore = @((Get-ChildItem -Path $_.DatastoreBrowserPath).Name -notmatch "^\.").Count
@@ -101,11 +105,11 @@ function Select-DataStore {
     }
 
     Write-Host "Datastore select failed, $retries left"
-    Select-DataStore -VMName $VMName -TagCategory $TagCategory -Retries $retries
+    Select-DataStore -VMName $VMName -Cluster $Cluster -TagCategory $TagCategory -Retries $retries
 }
 
 # Connection to a vCenter Server system
 Connect-VCServer -VIServer $VIServer -VIUserName $VIUserName -VIPassword $VIPassword
 
 # Get a target datastore for current deployment
-Select-DataStore -VMName $VMName -TagCategory $TagCategory
+Select-DataStore -VMName $VMName -Cluster $Cluster -TagCategory $TagCategory
diff --git a/images/macos/templates/macOS-10.15.json b/images/macos/templates/macOS-10.15.json
index 4edf744a..c55bb3f5 100644
--- a/images/macos/templates/macOS-10.15.json
+++ b/images/macos/templates/macOS-10.15.json
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
             "vm_name": "{{user `build_id`}}",
             "ssh_username": "{{user `vm_username`}}",
             "ssh_password": "{{user `vm_password`}}",
-            "CPUs": "10",
+            "CPUs": "5",
+            "cpu_cores": "5",
             "RAM": "24576",
             "NestedHV": "true",
             "shutdown_timeout": "15m"
diff --git a/images/macos/templates/macOS-11.json b/images/macos/templates/macOS-11.json
index 10046d35..082228f7 100644
--- a/images/macos/templates/macOS-11.json
+++ b/images/macos/templates/macOS-11.json
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
             "vm_name": "{{user `build_id`}}",
             "ssh_username": "{{user `vm_username`}}",
             "ssh_password": "{{user `vm_password`}}",
-            "CPUs": "10",
+            "CPUs": "5",
+            "cpu_cores": "5",
             "RAM": "24576",
             "NestedHV": "true",
             "shutdown_timeout": "15m"
diff --git a/images/macos/templates/macOS-12.json b/images/macos/templates/macOS-12.json
index d79e86bc..b10aa4fa 100644
--- a/images/macos/templates/macOS-12.json
+++ b/images/macos/templates/macOS-12.json
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
             "vm_name": "{{user `build_id`}}",
             "ssh_username": "{{user `vm_username`}}",
             "ssh_password": "{{user `vm_password`}}",
-            "CPUs": "10",
+            "CPUs": "5",
+            "cpu_cores": "5",
             "RAM": "24576",
             "NestedHV": "true",
             "shutdown_timeout": "15m"