diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 38208c0fa..aa5745367 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@ jobs:
   build_linux:
     name: Builds IMEX on Linux
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 450
-
-    env:
-      LLVM_SHA_FILE: /home/runner/work/mlir-extensions/mlir-extensions/build_tools/llvm_version.txt
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l -eo pipefail {0}
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -37,51 +36,40 @@ jobs:
           activate-environment: imex-devel
 
       - name: Conda info
-        shell: bash -le {0}
         run: conda info
 
       - name: Install Build tools
-        shell: bash -le {0}
         run: |
           conda install cmake ninja conda-forge::lit conda-forge::doxygen
           conda list
 
       - name: Checkout repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Setup Cache Vars
         run: |
-          echo 'LLVM_SHA<<EOF' >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          cat $LLVM_SHA_FILE >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo 'EOF' >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo LLVM_SHA=$(cat build_tools/llvm_version.txt) | tee -a $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Cache LLLVM-MLIR
         id: cache-llvm-mlir
         uses: actions/cache@v4
         env:
-          LLVM_CACHE_NUMBER: 1  # Increase to reset cache
+          LLVM_CACHE_NUMBER: 2  # Increase to reset cache
         with:
           path: |
-            /home/runner/work/llvm-mlir/_mlir_install/**
+            ${{ github.workspace }}/mlir
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-build-llvm-${{ env.LLVM_CACHE_NUMBER }}-${{ env.LLVM_SHA }}
 
       - name: Build LLVM-MLIR
         if: steps.cache-llvm-mlir.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
-        shell: bash -el {0}
-        timeout-minutes: 420
         run: |
-          mkdir -p /home/runner/work/llvm-mlir
-          pushd /home/runner/work/llvm-mlir
-          echo "INFO: Need to rebuild LLVM-MLIR. Previous installation for MLIR not found"
-          np=`nproc`
-          echo "INFO: nproc $np"
           git clone https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project --branch main --single-branch
           cd llvm-project
-          git checkout ${LLVM_SHA}
-          if [ -d "/home/runner/work/mlir-extensions/mlir-extensions/build_tools/patches" ]; then git apply /home/runner/work/mlir-extensions/mlir-extensions/build_tools/patches/*.patch; fi
-          cmake -G Ninja -B _build -S llvm                                  \
+          git checkout $LLVM_SHA
+          git apply ../build_tools/patches/*.patch
+
+          echo "INFO: Need to rebuild LLVM-MLIR. Previous installation for MLIR not found"
+          cmake -G Ninja -B build -S llvm                                  \
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=MinSizeRel                                  \
             -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS=mlir                                    \
             -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON                                    \
@@ -90,25 +78,16 @@ jobs:
             -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD=X86                                    \
             -DLLVM_ENABLE_BINDINGS=OFF                                     \
             -DLLVM_ENABLE_ZSTD=OFF                                         \
-            -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/home/runner/work/llvm-mlir/_mlir_install
-          cmake --build _build --target install
-          popd
+            -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{ github.workspace }}/mlir
+          cmake --build build --target install
 
       - name: Build IMEX and run lit tests
         shell: bash -le {0}
         run: |
-          external_lit=`which lit`
-          echo ${external_lit}
-          cd /home/runner/work/mlir-extensions/mlir-extensions
-          cmake -S . -B _build -GNinja  \
-            -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-            -DLLVM_EXTERNAL_LIT=${external_lit} \
-            -DMLIR_DIR=/home/runner/work/llvm-mlir/_mlir_install/lib/cmake/mlir \
-            -DLLVM_LIT_ARGS=-a
-          cmake --build _build --target check-imex
+          ./scripts/compile.sh -DLLVM_LIT_ARGS="-a" -DLLVM_EXTERNAL_LIT=$(which lit) -DMLIR_DIR=${{ github.workspace }}/mlir/lib/cmake/mlir
+          cmake --build build --target check-imex
 
       - name: Build doxygen docs
         shell: bash -le {0}
         run: |
-          cd /home/runner/work/mlir-extensions/mlir-extensions
-          cmake --build _build --target doc_doxygen
+          cmake --build build --target doc_doxygen
diff --git a/dev_scripts/compile.sh b/dev_scripts/compile.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 5fe080b82..000000000
--- a/dev_scripts/compile.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-set -e
-set -vx
-
-cd $(dirname "$0")/..
-mlir_dir=$(pwd -P)
-
-cd ..
-if test -d llvm-project
-then
-    cd llvm-project
-    git clean -fd
-else
-    git clone https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project.git
-    cd llvm-project
-fi
-
-git reset --hard HEAD
-git checkout $(cat $mlir_dir/build_tools/llvm_version.txt)
-git apply $mlir_dir/build_tools/patches/*
-cmake -G Ninja -B build -S llvm \
-   -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS=mlir \
-   -DLLVM_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON \
-   -DLLVM_TARGETS_TO_BUILD="X86" \
-   -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-   -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON \
-   -DLLVM_EXTERNAL_PROJECTS="Imex" \
-   -DLLVM_EXTERNAL_IMEX_SOURCE_DIR=$mlir_dir
-
-cmake --build build --target check-imex
diff --git a/scripts/compile.sh b/scripts/compile.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d69232d8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/compile.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+set -vx
+
+cd $(dirname "$0")/..
+
+cmake -S . -B build -GNinja  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=ON -DLLVM_USE_LINKER=gold -DLLVM_ENABLE_ZSTD=OFF "$@"