diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate_examples.yaml b/.github/workflows/validate_examples.yaml
index 3c5537c6..c6c097f5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate_examples.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate_examples.yaml
@@ -39,10 +39,12 @@ jobs:
     outputs:
       DAPR_INSTALL_URL: ${{ env.DAPR_INSTALL_URL }}
       DAPR_CLI_VER: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.DAPR_CLI_VER }}
+      DAPR_CLI_REF: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.DAPR_CLI_REF }}
       DAPR_RUNTIME_VER: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.DAPR_RUNTIME_VER }}
       CHECKOUT_REPO: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.CHECKOUT_REPO }}
       CHECKOUT_REF: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.CHECKOUT_REF }}
       DAPR_REF: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.DAPR_REF }}
+      GITHUB_SHA: ${{ steps.outputs.outputs.GITHUB_SHA }}
     steps:
       - name: Parse repository_dispatch payload
         if: github.event_name == 'repository_dispatch'
@@ -79,9 +81,6 @@ jobs:
           echo "DAPR_CLI_VER=$CLI_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo "Found $CLI_VERSION"
 
-      - name: Set up Dapr CLI
-        run: wget -q ${{ env.DAPR_INSTALL_URL }} -O - | /bin/bash -s ${{ env.DAPR_CLI_VER }}
-
       - name: Checkout Dapr CLI repo to override dapr command.
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         if: env.DAPR_CLI_REF != ''
@@ -98,29 +97,39 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ env.DAPR_REF }}
           path: dapr_runtime
 
-      - name: Build dapr cli with referenced commit.
+      - name: Build dapr cli with referenced commit and override version
         if: env.DAPR_CLI_REF != ''
         run: |
           cd cli
           make
+          echo "artifactPath=$HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           mkdir -p $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/
-          sudo cp dist/linux_amd64/release/dapr $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/dapr
+          sudo cp dist/linux_amd64/release/dapr $artifactpath/dapr
+          CLI_VERSION=edge
+          echo "DAPR_CLI_VER=$CLI_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
-      - name: Build daprd and placement with referenced commit.
+      - name: Build dapr services with referenced commit and override version
         if: env.DAPR_REF != ''
         run: |
           cd dapr_runtime
           make
-          mkdir -p $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/
-          cp dist/linux_amd64/release/daprd $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/daprd
-          cp dist/linux_amd64/release/placement $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/placement
+          mkdir -p $artifactPath
+          cp dist/linux_amd64/release/* $artifactPath
+          RUNTIME_VERSION=edge
+          echo "DAPR_RUNTIME_VER=$RUNTIME_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Build Docker Image
+        if: env.DAPR_REF != ''
+        run: |
+          cd dapr_runtime
+          docker build --build-arg "PKG_FILES=*" -f ./docker/Dockerfile ./dist/linux_amd64/release -t daprio/dapr:edge-linux-amd64 --output type=tar,dest=$artifactPath/dapr_docker.tar
 
       - name: Upload dapr-artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         if: env.DAPR_REF != '' || env.DAPR_CLI_REF != ''
         with:
           name: dapr-artifacts
-          path: $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/
+          path: ${{ env.artifactPath }}
           if-no-files-found: error
           retention-days: 1
           compression-level: 0
@@ -130,10 +139,12 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           echo "DAPR_INSTALL_URL=$DAPR_INSTALL_URL"
           echo "DAPR_CLI_VER=$DAPR_CLI_VER" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "DAPR_CLI_REF=$DAPR_CLI_REF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "DAPR_RUNTIME_VER=$DAPR_RUNTIME_VER" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "CHECKOUT_REPO=$CHECKOUT_REPO" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "CHECKOUT_REF=$CHECKOUT_REF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "DAPR_REF=$DAPR_REF" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "GITHUB_SHA=$GITHUB_SHA" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
   validate-example:
     needs: setup
@@ -150,6 +161,7 @@ jobs:
       DAPR_REF: ${{ github.event.inputs.daprdapr_commit }}
       CHECKOUT_REPO: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.CHECKOUT_REPO }}
       CHECKOUT_REF: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.CHECKOUT_REF }}
+      GITHUB_SHA: ${{ needs.setup.outputs.GITHUB_SHA }}
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -186,16 +198,27 @@ jobs:
           name: dapr-artifacts
           path: $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/
 
+      - name: Display downloaded artifacts
+        if: env.DAPR_CLI_REF != '' || env.DAPR_REF != ''
+        run: |
+          ls ~/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA
+
       - name: Set up Go
         id: setup-go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: "go.mod"
 
+      - name: Import Dapr Image (edge)
+        if: env.DAPR_RUNTIME_VER == 'edge'
+        run: |
+          cat $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/dapr_docker.tar | docker import - daprio/dapr:edge
+
       - name: Set up Dapr CLI
+        if: env.DAPR_CLI_REF == ''
         run: wget -q ${{ env.DAPR_INSTALL_URL }} -O - | /bin/bash -s ${{ env.DAPR_CLI_VER }}
 
-      - name: Override dapr cli with referenced commit.
+      - name: Set up Dapr CLI (edge)
         if: env.DAPR_CLI_REF != ''
         run: |
           sudo cp $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/dapr /usr/local/bin/dapr
@@ -205,13 +228,11 @@ jobs:
           dapr uninstall --all
           dapr init --runtime-version ${{ env.DAPR_RUNTIME_VER }}
 
-      - name: Override daprd and placement service with referenced commit.
+      - name: Override daprd with referenced commit.
         if: env.DAPR_REF != ''
         run: |
           mkdir -p $HOME/.dapr/bin/
           cp $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/daprd $HOME/.dapr/bin/daprd
-          docker stop dapr_placement
-          $HOME/artifacts/$GITHUB_SHA/placement --healthz-port 9091 &
 
       - name: Set up Python ${{ env.PYTHON_VER }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5