diff --git a/.github/actions/unittesting/action.yml b/.github/actions/unittesting/action.yml
index 39b3d6c3..26c6708a 100644
--- a/.github/actions/unittesting/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/unittesting/action.yml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ runs:
       shell: ${{ inputs.shell-type }}
 
     - name: Upload pytest results
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: ${{ steps.location.outputs.artifact }}
         path: "test/${{ steps.location.outputs.artifact }}.xml"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-docs.yml b/.github/workflows/check-docs.yml
index 4a52aced..123d7ad9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-docs.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ name: Building docs
 on:
   workflow_call:
     inputs:
+      actions-ref:
+        description: "Version of actions, normally the same as workflow"
+        required: false
+        type: string
+        default: ""
       python-version:
         description: "Python version to use"
         default: "3.9"
@@ -71,6 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
+          cache: "pip"
 
       - name: Install pandoc & texlive
         if: ${{ inputs.install-tex == 'true' }}
@@ -83,7 +89,6 @@ jobs:
             dvipng \
             texlive-pictures \
             latexmk
-      # todo: consider adding cache with separate restore/save
       - name: Install dependencies
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
@@ -91,8 +96,16 @@ jobs:
           pip install -e . -U -r ${{ inputs.requirements-file }} -f ${TORCH_URL}
           pip list
 
-      # TODO: re-enable after the external usage is resolved, see #51
-      # - uses: ./.github/actions/pip-list
+      - name: Pull reusable 🤖 actions️
+        if: ${{ inputs.actions-ref != '' }}
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          ref: ${{ inputs.actions-ref }}
+          path: .cicd
+          repository: Lightning-AI/utilities
+      - name: Print 🖨️ dependencies
+        if: ${{ inputs.actions-ref != '' }}
+        uses: ./.cicd/.github/actions/pip-list
 
       - name: Build documentation
         working-directory: ${{ inputs.docs-dir }}
@@ -104,7 +117,7 @@ jobs:
         if: startsWith(github.event_name, 'pull_request')
         run: echo "KEEP_DAYS=7" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Upload built docs
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: docs-${{ matrix.target }}-${{ github.sha }}
           path: ${{ inputs.docs-dir }}/build/
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-typing.yml b/.github/workflows/check-typing.yml
index d1f53b6d..49003d06 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-typing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-typing.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ on:
     inputs:
       actions-ref:
         description: "Version of actions, normally the same as workflow"
-        required: true
+        required: false
         type: string
+        default: ""
       python-version:
         description: "Python version to use"
         default: "3.9"
@@ -50,12 +51,14 @@ jobs:
           pip list
 
       - name: Pull reusable 🤖 actions️
+        if: ${{ inputs.actions-ref != '' }}
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           ref: ${{ inputs.actions-ref }}
           path: .cicd
           repository: Lightning-AI/utilities
       - name: Print 🖨️ dependencies
+        if: ${{ inputs.actions-ref != '' }}
         uses: ./.cicd/.github/actions/pip-list
         with:
           unfold: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-testing.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-testing.yml
index 174204de..d97a241f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-testing.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ jobs:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
       - name: Set oldest dependencies
-        # todo: this is strange to use itself :/
         if: matrix.requires == 'oldest'
         timeout-minutes: 20
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml
index 2d707699..3792ac4f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-use-checks.yaml
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ jobs:
   check-docs:
     uses: ./.github/workflows/check-docs.yml
     with:
+      actions-ref: ${{ github.sha }} # use local version
       requirements-file: "requirements/_docs.txt"
       install-tex: true
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 399c6597..c80aca83 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - CLI: update parsing inputs ([#333](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/333))
 
 
-- CI: bump upload/download artifact `v4` ([#344](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/344))
+- CI: bump upload/download artifact `v4` ([#344](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/344), [#345](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/345))
+
+
+- CI: make `actions-ref` optional if used only for listing packages ([#345](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/345))
 
 
 - Bump minimal Python version to be 3.9 ([#331](https://github.com/Lightning-AI/utilities/pull/331))