diff --git a/kontrol-service/engine/docker.go b/kontrol-service/engine/docker.go
index d35ae61..842b7d2 100644
--- a/kontrol-service/engine/docker.go
+++ b/kontrol-service/engine/docker.go
@@ -46,14 +46,9 @@ func GenerateProdDevCluster(baseClusterTopologyMaybeWithTemplateOverrides *resol
 			return nil, stacktrace.NewError("Service with UUID %s has no DeploymentSpec", devServiceName)
 		}
 
-		deploymentSpec := flow.DeepCopyDeploymentSpec(devService.DeploymentSpec)
-
-		// TODO: find a better way to update deploymentSpec, this assumes there is only container in the pod
-		deploymentSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image = item.Image
-
 		patches = append(patches, flow_spec.ServicePatch{
-			Service:        devServiceName,
-			DeploymentSpec: deploymentSpec,
+			Service: devServiceName,
+			Image:   item.Image,
 		})
 	}
 
diff --git a/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow.go b/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow.go
index a4ff802..3e1e85a 100644
--- a/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow.go
+++ b/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow.go
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"kardinal.kontrol-service/plugins"
 	"kardinal.kontrol-service/types/cluster_topology/resolved"
 	"kardinal.kontrol-service/types/flow_spec"
-
-	v1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
 )
 
 // CreateDevFlow creates a dev flow from the given topologies
@@ -56,7 +54,7 @@ func CreateDevFlow(
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		_, err = applyPatch(pluginRunner, topologyRef, clusterGraph, flowID, targetService, servicePatch.DeploymentSpec)
+		_, err = applyPatch(pluginRunner, topologyRef, clusterGraph, flowID, targetService, servicePatch.Image)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -147,7 +145,7 @@ func applyPatch(
 	clusterGraph graph.Graph[resolved.ServiceHash, *resolved.Service],
 	flowID string,
 	targetService *resolved.Service,
-	deploymentSpec *v1.DeploymentSpec,
+	newImage string,
 ) (*resolved.ClusterTopology, error) {
 	// Find downstream stateful services
 	statefulPaths := findAllDownstreamStatefulPaths(targetService, clusterGraph, topology)
@@ -167,7 +165,7 @@ func applyPatch(
 
 	externalPaths := findAllDownstreamExternalPaths(targetService, clusterGraph, topology)
 	externalServices := make([]*resolved.Service, 0)
-	alreadyHandledExternalServices := make([]string, 0)
+
 	for _, path := range externalPaths {
 		externalServiceHash, err := lo.Last(path)
 		if externalServiceHash == "" || err != nil {
@@ -206,7 +204,8 @@ func applyPatch(
 	}
 
 	modifiedTargetService := DeepCopyService(targetService)
-	modifiedTargetService.DeploymentSpec = deploymentSpec
+	// TODO: find a better way to update deploymentSpec, this assumes there is only container in the pod
+	modifiedTargetService.DeploymentSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image = newImage
 	modifiedTargetService.Version = flowID
 	err := topology.UpdateWithService(modifiedTargetService)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -266,7 +265,7 @@ func applyPatch(
 		}
 
 		// if the service is an external service of the target service, it was already handled above
-		if lo.Contains(externalServices, service) && !lo.Contains(alreadyHandledExternalServices, service.ServiceID) {
+		if lo.Contains(externalServices, service) {
 			// 	assume there's only one parent service for now but eventually we'll likely need to account for multiple parents to external service
 			parentServices := topology.FindImmediateParents(service)
 			if len(parentServices) == 0 {
diff --git a/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow_test.go b/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow_test.go
index 45504e9..cf2b5b8 100644
--- a/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow_test.go
+++ b/kontrol-service/engine/flow/dev_flow_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,13 @@ import (
 const dummyPluginName = "https://github.com/h4ck3rk3y/identity-plugin.git"
 
 func clusterTopologyExample() resolved.ClusterTopology {
-	dummySpec := &appsv1.DeploymentSpec{}
+	dummySpec := &appsv1.DeploymentSpec{
+		Template: v1.PodTemplateSpec{
+			Spec: v1.PodSpec{
+				Containers: []v1.Container{{Image: "dummy-image"}},
+			},
+		},
+	}
 	testPlugins := []*resolved.StatefulPlugin{
 		{
 			Name: dummyPluginName,
@@ -710,8 +716,8 @@ func TestDevFlowImmutability(t *testing.T) {
 		FlowId: "dev-flow-1",
 		ServicePatches: []flow_spec.ServicePatch{
 			{
-				Service:        "checkoutservice",
-				DeploymentSpec: checkoutservice.DeploymentSpec,
+				Service: "checkoutservice",
+				Image:   checkoutservice.DeploymentSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -761,8 +767,8 @@ func TestFlowMerging(t *testing.T) {
 		FlowId: "dev-flow-1",
 		ServicePatches: []flow_spec.ServicePatch{
 			{
-				Service:        "checkoutservice",
-				DeploymentSpec: checkoutservice.DeploymentSpec,
+				Service: "checkoutservice",
+				Image:   checkoutservice.DeploymentSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -800,8 +806,8 @@ func TestExternalServicesFlowOnDependentService(t *testing.T) {
 		FlowId: "dev-flow-1",
 		ServicePatches: []flow_spec.ServicePatch{
 			{
-				Service:        "cartservice",
-				DeploymentSpec: cartservice.DeploymentSpec,
+				Service: "cartservice",
+				Image:   cartservice.DeploymentSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -833,8 +839,8 @@ func TestExternalServicesCreateDevFlowOnNotDependentService(t *testing.T) {
 		FlowId: "dev-flow-1",
 		ServicePatches: []flow_spec.ServicePatch{
 			{
-				Service:        "frontend",
-				DeploymentSpec: frontend.DeploymentSpec,
+				Service: "frontend",
+				Image:   frontend.DeploymentSpec.Template.Spec.Containers[0].Image,
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/kontrol-service/engine/flow/render.go b/kontrol-service/engine/flow/render.go
index 6646776..9c072ae 100644
--- a/kontrol-service/engine/flow/render.go
+++ b/kontrol-service/engine/flow/render.go
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ func generateDynamicLuaScript(allServices []*resolved.Service, flowId string, na
 			service = fallbackService
 		}
 		if service == nil {
-			logrus.Errorf("No service found for '%s' for version '%s' or baseline '%s'. No routing can configured.", serviceID, flowId, &baselineFlowVersion)
+			logrus.Errorf("No service found for '%s' for version '%s' or baseline '%s'. No routing can configured.", serviceID, flowId, baselineFlowVersion)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/kontrol-service/types/flow_spec/resolved.go b/kontrol-service/types/flow_spec/resolved.go
index 9268e78..ce296cb 100644
--- a/kontrol-service/types/flow_spec/resolved.go
+++ b/kontrol-service/types/flow_spec/resolved.go
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 package flow_spec
 
-import v1 "k8s.io/api/apps/v1"
-
 type FlowPatch struct {
 	FlowId         string
 	ServicePatches []ServicePatch
 }
 
 type ServicePatch struct {
-	Service        string
-	DeploymentSpec *v1.DeploymentSpec
+	Service string
+	Image   string
 }