diff --git a/.github/actions/setup_tardis/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup_tardis/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dd862868dc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/setup_tardis/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+name: "Setup TARDIS"
+description: "Sets up regression/refdata and environment"
+
+inputs:
+  os-label:
+    description: "os label for lock file, default linux"
+    required: true
+    default: "linux"
+  refdata-repo:
+    description: "tardis refdata repository"
+    required: false
+    default: "tardis-sn/tardis-refdata"
+  regression-data-repo:
+    description: "tardis regression data repository"
+    required: false
+    default: "tardis-sn/tardis-regression-data"
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - name: Clone Refdata Repo
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        repository: ${{ inputs.refdata-repo }}
+        path: tardis-refdata
+        lfs: false
+
+    - name: Create LFS file list
+      run: git lfs ls-files -l | cut -d' ' -f1 | sort > .lfs-assets-id
+      working-directory: tardis-refdata
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Restore LFS cache
+      uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+      id: lfs-cache-refdata
+      with:
+        path: tardis-refdata/.git/lfs
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-lfs-${{ hashFiles('tardis-refdata/.lfs-assets-id') }}-v1
+
+    - name: Git LFS Pull
+      run: git lfs pull
+      working-directory: tardis-refdata
+      if: steps.lfs-cache-refdata.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Git LFS Checkout
+      run: git lfs checkout
+      working-directory: tardis-refdata
+      if: steps.lfs-cache-refdata.outputs.cache-hit == 'true'
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Save LFS cache if not found
+      # uses fake ternary
+      # for reference: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26738#discussioncomment-3253176
+      if: ${{ steps.lfs-cache-refdata.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'  && always() || false }}
+      uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+      id: lfs-cache-refdata-save
+      with:
+        path: tardis-refdata/.git/lfs
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-lfs-${{ hashFiles('tardis-refdata/.lfs-assets-id') }}-v1
+
+    - name: Clone tardis-sn/tardis-regression-data
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        repository: ${{ inputs.regression-data-repo }}
+        path: tardis-regression-data
+
+    - name: Create LFS file list
+      run: git lfs ls-files -l | cut -d' ' -f1 | sort > .lfs-assets-id
+      working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Restore LFS cache
+      uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+      id: lfs-cache-regression-data
+      with:
+        path: tardis-regression-data/.git/lfs
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-lfs-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-assets-id') }}-v1
+
+    - name: Git LFS Pull
+      run: git lfs pull
+      working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+      if: steps.lfs-cache-regression-data.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Git LFS Checkout
+      run: git lfs checkout
+      working-directory: tardis-regression-data
+      if: steps.lfs-cache-regression-data.outputs.cache-hit == 'true'
+      shell: bash
+
+    - name: Save LFS cache if not found
+      # uses fake ternary
+      # for reference: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/26738#discussioncomment-3253176
+      if: ${{ steps.lfs-cache-regression-data.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'  && always() || false }}
+      uses: actions/cache/save@v4
+      id: lfs-cache-regression-data-save
+      with:
+        path: tardis-regression-data/.git/lfs
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-lfs-${{ hashFiles('tardis-regression-data/.lfs-assets-id') }}-v1
+
+    - name: Download Lock File
+      run:  wget -q https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tardis-sn/tardis/master/conda-${{ inputs.os-label }}.lock
+      if: matrix.pip == true
+      shell: bash
+    
+    - name: Generate Cache Key
+      run: | 
+        file_hash=$(cat conda-${{ inputs.os-label }}.lock | shasum -a 256 | cut -d' ' -f1)
+        echo "file_hash=$file_hash" >> "${GITHUB_OUTPUT}"
+      id: cache-environment-key
+      shell: bash
+      
+    - uses: mamba-org/setup-micromamba@v1
+      with:
+        environment-file: conda-${{ inputs.os-label }}.lock
+        cache-environment-key: ${{ steps.cache-environment-key.outputs.file_hash }}
+        cache-downloads-key: ${{ steps.cache-environment-key.outputs.file_hash }}
+        environment-name: tardis
+        cache-environment: true
+        cache-downloads: true
+    
+    - name: Install package editable
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        pip install -e .
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1be645b9122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+name: main
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+    - '*'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+    - '*'
+
+jobs:
+  matrix:
+    if: github.repository_owner == 'tardis-sn'
+    strategy:
+      # super important if you want to see all results, even if one fails
+      # fail-fast is true by default
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        label: [osx-arm64, linux-64]
+        include:
+          - label: osx-arm64
+            os: macos-latest
+            prefix: /Users/runner/miniconda3/envs/tardis
+
+          - label: linux-64
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            prefix: /usr/share/miniconda3/envs/tardis
+
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/new_tests.yml # calls the one above ^
+    with:
+      run_label: ${{ matrix.label }}
+    secrets: inherit
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/new_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/new_tests.yml
index da773dba380..ada7a9349e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/new_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/new_tests.yml
@@ -5,19 +5,25 @@
 name: tests
 
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-    - '*'
-
-  pull_request:
-    branches:
-    - '*'
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      run_label: 
+        required: true
+        type: string
+
+  # push:
+  #   branches:
+  #   - '*'
+
+  # pull_request:
+  #   branches:
+  #   - '*'
     
-    types:
-      - opened
-      - reopened
-      - synchronize
-      - labeled
+  #   types:
+  #     - opened
+  #     - reopened
+  #     - synchronize
+  #     - labeled
 
 env:
   CACHE_NUMBER: 0  # increase to reset cache manually
@@ -36,43 +42,17 @@ defaults:
 
 
 jobs:
-  build:
+  non-continuum:
     if: github.repository_owner == 'tardis-sn'
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        label: [osx-arm64, linux-64]
-        include:
-          - label: osx-arm64
-            os: macos-latest
-            prefix: /Users/runner/miniconda3/envs/tardis
-
-          - label: linux-64
-            os: ubuntu-latest
-            prefix: /usr/share/miniconda3/envs/tardis
-
-    name: ${{ matrix.label }}
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    name: non-continuum-${{ inputs.run_label }}
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.run_label }}
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Setup tardis
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup_tardis
 
-      - name: Setup LFS
-        uses: ./.github/actions/setup_lfs
-      
-      - name: Setup environment
-        uses: ./.github/actions/setup_env
-        with: 
-          os-label: ${{ matrix.label }}
-
-      - name: Install package editable
-        run: |
-          pip install -e .
-
-      - name: Run continuum tests
-        run: pytest tardis ${{ env.PYTEST_FLAGS }} -m continuum
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: pytest tardis ${{ env.PYTEST_FLAGS }} -m "not continuum"
         if: always()
-
-      - name: Upload to Codecov
-        run: bash <(curl -s https://codecov.io/bash)
       
       - name: Refdata Generation tests
         run: pytest tardis ${{ env.PYTEST_FLAGS }} --generate-reference
@@ -80,46 +60,16 @@ jobs:
     
   continuum_tests:
     if: github.repository_owner == 'tardis-sn'
-    strategy:
-        matrix:
-          label: [osx-arm64, linux-64]
-          include:
-          - label: osx-arm64
-            os: macos-latest
-            prefix: /Users/runner/miniconda3/envs/tardis
-
-          - label: linux-64
-            os: ubuntu-latest
-            prefix: /usr/share/miniconda3/envs/tardis
-
-    name: ${{ matrix.label }}
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    name: ${{ inputs.run_label }}
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.run_label }}
     steps:
-        - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-        - name: Setup LFS
-          uses: ./.github/actions/setup_lfs
-      
-        - name: Setup environment
-          uses: ./.github/actions/setup_env
-          with: 
-            os-label: ${{ matrix.label }}
-
-        - name: Install package editable
-          run: |
-            pip install -e .
-
-        - name: Run tests
-          run: pytest tardis ${{ env.PYTEST_FLAGS }} -m "not continuum"
-          if: always()
+        - name: Setup tardis
+          uses: ./.github/actions/setup_tardis
 
         - name: Run continuum tests
           run: pytest tardis ${{ env.PYTEST_FLAGS }} -m continuum
           if: always()
 
-        - name: Upload to Codecov
-          run: bash <(curl -s https://codecov.io/bash)
-        
         - name: Refdata Generation tests
           run: pytest tardis ${{ env.PYTEST_FLAGS }} --generate-reference
           if: contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'run-generation-tests') || github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'