diff --git a/.github/actions/unit-tests/action.yml b/.github/actions/unit-tests/action.yml
index 2a5429baff09..eb7fee0a6ba6 100644
--- a/.github/actions/unit-tests/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/unit-tests/action.yml
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ runs:
 
     - name: save pytest warnings json file
       if: success()
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: pytest-warnings-json
         path: |
           test_root/log/pytest_warnings*.json
+        overwrite: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/js-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/js-tests.yml
index 8b7c137c8b23..ed91bdc4bc5f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/js-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/js-tests.yml
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ jobs:
         xvfb-run --auto-servernum ./scripts/all-tests.sh
 
     - name: Save Job Artifacts
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: Build-Artifacts
         path: |
@@ -82,3 +82,4 @@ jobs:
           test_root/log/*.png
           test_root/log/*.log
           **/TEST-*.xml
+        overwrite: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/quality-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/quality-checks.yml
index 6bf16c9f0b2f..5e5cb5b67a9f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/quality-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/quality-checks.yml
@@ -73,10 +73,11 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Save Job Artifacts
       if: always()
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: Build-Artifacts
         path: |
           **/reports/**/*
           test_root/log/**/*.log
           *.log
+        overwrite: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
index b65e0bcd0b85..aa8356a6fee6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
   run-tests:
     name: ${{ matrix.shard_name }}(py=${{ matrix.python-version }},dj=${{ matrix.django-version }},mongo=${{ matrix.mongo-version }})
     if: (github.repository == 'edx/edx-platform-private') || (github.repository == 'openedx/edx-platform' && (startsWith(github.base_ref, 'open-release') == false))
-    runs-on: [ edx-platform-runner ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: install mongo version
         run: |
           if [[ "${{ matrix.mongo-version }}" != "4.4" ]]; then
-            sudo apt-get purge -y "mongodb-org*"
-            sudo apt-get remove -y mongodb-org
             wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-${{ matrix.mongo-version }}.asc | sudo apt-key add -
             echo "deb https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu focal/mongodb-org/${{ matrix.mongo-version }} multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-${{ matrix.mongo-version }}.list
             sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org="${{ matrix.mongo-version }}.*"
@@ -83,8 +81,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: checkout repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
+      - name: Setup Python Virtual Environment
+        run: |
+          python3 -m venv .venv
+          . .venv/bin/activate
+          echo PATH=$PATH >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
       - name: install requirements
         run: |
+          . .venv/bin/activate
           sudo make test-requirements
           if [[ "${{ matrix.django-version }}" != "pinned" ]]; then
             sudo pip install "django~=${{ matrix.django-version }}.0"
@@ -103,10 +108,11 @@ jobs:
           mv reports/.coverage reports/${{ matrix.shard_name }}.coverage
 
       - name: Upload coverage
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: coverage
           path: reports/${{matrix.shard_name}}.coverage
+          overwrite: true
 
   # This job aggregates test results. It's the required check for branch protection.
   # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/alls-green#why
@@ -125,14 +131,14 @@ jobs:
           jobs: ${{ toJSON(needs) }}
 
   compile-warnings-report:
-    runs-on: [ edx-platform-runner ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     needs: [ run-tests ]
     steps:
       - name: sync directory owner
         run: sudo chown runner:runner -R .*
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - name: collect pytest warnings files
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: pytest-warnings-json
           path: test_root/log
@@ -146,11 +152,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: save warning report
         if: success()
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: pytest-warning-report-html
           path: |
             reports/pytest_warnings/warning_report_all.html
+          overwrite: true
 
   # Combine and upload coverage reports.
   coverage:
@@ -170,7 +177,7 @@ jobs:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
       - name: Download all artifacts
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: coverage
           path: reports
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-gha-unit-tests-count.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-gha-unit-tests-count.yml
index 1f6f91829c89..3d0ef2968d04 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify-gha-unit-tests-count.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-gha-unit-tests-count.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   collect-and-verify:
     if: (github.repository == 'edx/edx-platform-private') || (github.repository == 'openedx/edx-platform' && (startsWith(github.base_ref, 'open-release') == false))
-    runs-on: [ edx-platform-runner ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     steps:
       - name: sync directory owner
         run: sudo chown runner:runner -R .*
@@ -19,9 +19,16 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: '3.11'
 
+      - name: Setup Python Virtual Environment
+        run: |
+          python3 -m venv .venv
+          . .venv/bin/activate
+          echo PATH=$PATH >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
       - name: install requirements
         run: |
+          . .venv/bin/activate
           sudo make test-requirements
 
       - name: verify unit tests count