diff --git a/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_mpich.yaml b/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_mpich.yaml
index 9804bc15..7fa3af70 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_mpich.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_mpich.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: "Main unit tests with mpich"
 on:
+  push:
   pull_request:
       types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, ready_for_review, labeled, unlabeled]
 
@@ -12,15 +13,18 @@ jobs:
   main_unit_tests:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container:
-      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/pace_mpich:3.11.9
+      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/miniforge:mpich
     steps:
-        - name: Checkout Pace repository
-          uses: actions/checkout@v4
-          with:
+      - name: Checkout Pace repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
             submodules: 'recursive'
-        - name: setup env and run tests (test)
-          run: |
-            cp /home/scripts/setup_env.sh . && chmod +x setup_env.sh
-            cp /home/scripts/run_tests.sh . && chmod +x run_tests.sh
-            ./setup_env.sh
-            ./run_tests.sh
+      - name: setup env and generate input files
+        run: |
+          pip3 install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
+          pip3 install -r requirements_dev.txt -c constraints.txt
+          cd tests/main && mkdir -p input && cd input
+          python3 ../../../examples/generate_eta_files.py
+          cd ../../../
+      - name:
+        run: pytest -x tests/main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_openmpi.yaml b/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_openmpi.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index fcb19de2..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/main_unit_tests_openmpi.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-name: "Main unit tests with openmpi"
-on:
-  pull_request:
-      types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, ready_for_review, labeled, unlabeled]
-
-# cancel running jobs if theres a newer push
-concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-jobs:
-  main_unit_tests:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    container:
-      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/pace_openmpi:3.11.9
-    steps:
-        - name: Checkout Pace repository
-          uses: actions/checkout@v4
-          with:
-            submodules: 'recursive'
-        - name: setup env and run tests
-          run: |
-            cp /home/scripts/setup_env.sh . && chmod +x setup_env.sh
-            cp /home/scripts/run_tests.sh . && chmod +x run_tests.sh
-            ./setup_env.sh
-            ./run_tests.sh
diff --git a/constraints.txt b/constraints.txt
index 0d520450..19e15772 100644
--- a/constraints.txt
+++ b/constraints.txt
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ pathspec==0.12.1
     # via black
 pexpect==4.9.0
     # via ipython
-platformdirs==2.6.2
+platformdirs==3.10.0
     # via
     #   black
     #   jupyter-core