diff --git a/.actions/requirements.txt b/.actions/requirements.txt
index fdd60050f2..a19661dbae 100644
--- a/.actions/requirements.txt
+++ b/.actions/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-jsonargparse>=4.16.0
+jsonargparse >=4.16.0, <4.28.0
 requests
diff --git a/.github/actions/pip-wheels/action.yml b/.github/actions/pip-wheels/action.yml
index 3defc33643..28d6e346b7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/pip-wheels/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/pip-wheels/action.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
     - name: install dev. env
-      run: pip install setuptools wheel
+      run: pip install -r requirements/ci.txt
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Freeze local emv.
diff --git a/.github/actions/pkg-check/action.yml b/.github/actions/pkg-check/action.yml
index ce8c327969..83bdcd3089 100644
--- a/.github/actions/pkg-check/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/pkg-check/action.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
     - name: install dev. env
-      run: pip install "twine==4.0.1" setuptools wheel flake8
+      run: pip install -r requirements/ci.txt
       shell: bash
 
     - name: Set PACKAGE_NAME envvar
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_legacy-checkpoints.yml b/.github/workflows/_legacy-checkpoints.yml
index b0aaf78d06..6adcbf5045 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_legacy-checkpoints.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_legacy-checkpoints.yml
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ jobs:
           path: ${{ env.legacy_dir }}/checkpoints/
           retention-days: ${{ env.KEEP_DAYS }}
 
+      - run: pip install -r requirements/ci.txt
       - name: Upload checkpoints to S3
         working-directory: ${{ env.legacy_dir }}
         env:
@@ -117,7 +118,6 @@ jobs:
           AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_PUB_SECRET_KEY }}
           AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: ${{ secrets.AWS_REGION }}
         run: |
-          pip install -q awscli
           aws s3 sync $AWS_RUN checkpoints/ s3://pl-public-data/legacy/checkpoints/
           zip -r checkpoints.zip checkpoints
           aws s3 cp $AWS_RUN checkpoints.zip s3://pl-public-data/legacy/ --acl public-read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-checkpoints.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-checkpoints.yml
index 1f0cde9b6f..020d02dba9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-checkpoints.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-checkpoints.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
     paths:
       - ".github/workflows/ci-checkpoints.yml"
       - ".github/workflows/_legacy-checkpoints.yml.yml"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
 
 jobs:
   try-legacy-checkpoints:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-pkg-install.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-pkg-install.yml
index 261c07b0d7..993e264332 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-pkg-install.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-pkg-install.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, synchronize] # added `ready_for_review` since draft is skipped
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - ".github/actions/pkg-check/*"
       - ".github/actions/pkg-install/*"
       - ".github/workflows/_build-packages.yml"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-app.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-app.yml
index 79bd396005..2b1740a04a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-app.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-app.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ on:
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
       - ".github/workflows/ci-tests-app.yml"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - "src/lightning/app/**"
       - "src/lightning_app/*"
       - "tests/tests_app/**"
@@ -91,7 +92,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install package & dependencies
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
-          python -m pip install -q pip -U
           pip install -e ".[${EXTRA_PREFIX}dev]" -U --prefer-binary \
             --find-links="${TORCH_URL}" --find-links="${PYPI_CACHE_DIR}"
           pip list
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-data.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-data.yml
index baf37c2794..0ad603ca17 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-data.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-data.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, synchronize] # added `ready_for_review` since draft is skipped
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - "requirements/data/**"
       - "src/lightning/data/**"
       - "src/lightning/__init__.py"
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Adjust PyTorch versions in requirements files
         if: ${{ matrix.requires != 'oldest' && matrix.release != 'pre' }}
         run: |
-          pip install -q wget packaging
+          pip install -q -r requirements/ci.txt
           python -m wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/main/scripts/adjust-torch-versions.py
           for fpath in `ls requirements/data/*.txt`; do \
             python ./adjust-torch-versions.py $fpath ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }}; \
@@ -88,7 +89,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install package & dependencies
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
-          python -m pip install -q pip -U
           pip install -e ".[data-dev]" -U --prefer-binary -f ${TORCH_URL}
           pip list
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-fabric.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-fabric.yml
index 0a142bdea8..e32ebcf3ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-fabric.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-fabric.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, synchronize] # added `ready_for_review` since draft is skipped
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - "requirements/fabric/**"
       - "src/lightning/fabric/**"
       - "src/lightning_fabric/*"
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Adjust PyTorch versions in requirements files
         if: ${{ matrix.requires != 'oldest' }}
         run: |
-          pip install -q wget packaging
+          pip install -q -r requirements/ci.txt
           python -m wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/main/scripts/adjust-torch-versions.py
           for fpath in `ls requirements/**/*.txt`; do \
             python ./adjust-torch-versions.py $fpath ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }}; \
@@ -136,7 +137,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install package & dependencies
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
-          #python -m pip install -q pip -U
           pip install -e ".[${EXTRA_PREFIX}test,${EXTRA_PREFIX}strategies]" -U --prefer-binary \
             --find-links="${TORCH_URL}" --find-links="${PYPI_CACHE_DIR}"
           pip list
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-pytorch.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-pytorch.yml
index 57ec482ee1..c3d2aacb8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-pytorch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-pytorch.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, synchronize] # added `ready_for_review` since draft is skipped
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - "requirements/pytorch/**"
       - "src/lightning/pytorch/**"
       - "src/pytorch_lightning/*"
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Adjust PyTorch versions in requirements files
         if: ${{ matrix.requires != 'oldest' }}
         run: |
-          pip install -q wget packaging
+          pip install -q -r requirements/ci.txt
           python -m wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/main/scripts/adjust-torch-versions.py
           for fpath in `ls requirements/**/*.txt`; do \
             python ./adjust-torch-versions.py $fpath ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }}; \
@@ -142,7 +143,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install package & dependencies
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
-          #python -m pip install -q pip -U
           pip install ".[${EXTRA_PREFIX}extra,${EXTRA_PREFIX}test,${EXTRA_PREFIX}strategies]" -U --prefer-binary \
             -r requirements/_integrations/accelerators.txt \
             --find-links="${TORCH_URL}" --find-links="${PYPI_CACHE_DIR}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-store.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-store.yml
index c9bb6d8ebc..5a34a1243b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests-store.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests-store.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, synchronize] # added `ready_for_review` since draft is skipped
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - "requirements/store/**"
       - "src/lightning/__init__.py"
       - "src/lightning/__setup__.py"
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Adjust PyTorch versions in requirements files
         if: ${{ matrix.requires != 'oldest' && matrix.release != 'pre' }}
         run: |
-          pip install -q wget packaging
+          pip install -q -r requirements/ci.txt
           python -m wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/main/scripts/adjust-torch-versions.py
           for fpath in `ls requirements/store/*.txt`; do \
             python ./adjust-torch-versions.py $fpath ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }}; \
@@ -66,7 +67,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install package & dependencies
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
-          python -m pip install -q pip -U
           pip install -e ".[store,store-test]" -U -f ${TORCH_URL} --prefer-binary
           pip list
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs-build.yml b/.github/workflows/docs-build.yml
index a81a4f6f01..a9785cb548 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs-build.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ on:
     paths:
       - ".actions/*"
       - ".github/workflows/docs-build.yml"
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - "docs/**"
       - "_notebooks"
       - "requirements/**"
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Pull sphinx template
         run: |
-          pip install awscli
+          pip install -q -r requirements/ci.txt
           aws s3 sync --no-sign-request s3://sphinx-packages/ ${PYPI_LOCAL_DIR}
           pip install lai-sphinx-theme -U -f ${PYPI_LOCAL_DIR}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-pkg.yml b/.github/workflows/release-pkg.yml
index 5abda9d7e7..d2d60bbc29 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-pkg.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-pkg.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ on:
     branches: [master, "release/*"]
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, synchronize]
     paths:
+      - "requirements/ci.txt"
       - ".github/actions/pkg-publish/*"
       - ".github/workflows/_legacy-checkpoints.yml.yml"
       - ".github/workflows/_build-packages.yml"
diff --git a/requirements/ci.txt b/requirements/ci.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..08c2bd4114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements/ci.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+setuptools
+wheel
+awscli >=1.30.0, <1.31.0
+twine ==4.0.1
+wget
+packaging