diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index c15c7349d..e83e10708 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -22,19 +22,26 @@
 trigger:
   - master
 
+variables:
+  # ubuntu version
+  os_version: '22.04'
+
 pool:
   # there is no /dev/stderr on this azure build!
   #vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
-  # Ubuntu 16.04 required for docker container support, looks like 18.04 works too
-  vmImage: 'ubuntu-22.04'
+  #vmImage: 'ubuntu-22.04'
+  vmImage: 'ubuntu-$(os_version)'
 
 # unprivileged container without sudo, cannot install dependencies
-#container: ubuntu:18.04
+#container: ubuntu:22.04
 
 steps:
+  - script: cat /etc/*-release
+    displayName: OS Release
+
   # requires script as first key, otherwise parsing breaks with error message:  Unexpected value 'displayName'
   - script: env | sort
-    displayName: env
+    displayName: Environment
 
   # doesn't work in container due to unprivileged execution and lack of sudo
   #- script: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y git make
@@ -50,7 +57,7 @@ steps:
 
   # hacky workaround to Azure Pipelines ubuntu environment limitations of unprivileged container and no /dev/stderr in vmImage :-(
   - script: |
-      sudo docker run -v "$PWD":/code ubuntu:18.04 /bin/bash -c '
+      sudo docker run -v "$PWD":/code "ubuntu:$(os_version)" /bin/bash -c '
         set -ex
         cd /code
         setup/ci_bootstrap.sh