diff --git a/.github/workflows/basic-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/basic-tests.yml
index 54d5ee2c9b8..941fd11fca4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/basic-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/basic-tests.yml
@@ -12,23 +12,35 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       max-parallel: 60
       matrix:
-        os: [ubuntu-20.04]
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest]
         python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11', '3.12']
         test-type: [unittest, search, docs]
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        # important when we use Conda envs
+        shell: bash -el {0}
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-    - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+    - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
       with:
+        auto-update-conda: true
         python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        activate-environment: tests
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - name: installing system packages
       run: |
-        sudo apt-get -o Acquire::Retries=3 update
-        sudo apt-get -o Acquire::Retries=3 install *fftw3* mpi intel-mkl* git-lfs graphviz
-        pip install "tox<4.0.0" pip setuptools --upgrade
+        conda install fftw git-lfs graphviz gsl openssl
+        conda install -c conda-forge "tox<4.0.0" mpi openmpi mpi4py
+    - name: installing macosx packages
+      if: matrix.os == 'macos-latest'
+      run: |
+         conda install -c conda-forge lapack==3.9.0
+    - name: installing ubuntu packages
+      if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
+      run: |
+         conda install -c conda-forge lapack==3.6.1
     - name: installing auxiliary data files
       run: |
-        GIT_LFS_SKIP_SMUDGE=1 git clone https://git.ligo.org/lscsoft/lalsuite-extra
+        GIT_LFS_SKIP_SMUDGE=1 git clone https://git.ligo.org/lscsoft/lalsuite-extra.git
         cd lalsuite-extra
         git lfs pull -I "data/lalsimulation/SEOBNRv2ROM_*.dat"
         git lfs pull -I "data/lalsimulation/*ChirpTime*.dat"
@@ -38,16 +50,25 @@ jobs:
     - name: run pycbc test suite
       run: |
         export LAL_DATA_PATH=$PWD
+        export LIBRARY_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib:$LIBRARY_PATH
+        export CPATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/include:$CPATH
+        export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
         tox -e py-${{matrix.test-type}}
     - name: check help messages work
       if: matrix.test-type == 'unittest'
       run: |
         export LAL_DATA_PATH=$PWD
+        export LIBRARY_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib:$LIBRARY_PATH
+        export CPATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/include:$CPATH
+        export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
         tox -e py-help
     - name: run inference tests
       if: matrix.test-type == 'search'
       run: |
         export LAL_DATA_PATH=$PWD
+        export LIBRARY_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib:$LIBRARY_PATH
+        export CPATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/include:$CPATH
+        export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$CONDA_PREFIX/lib/pkgconfig:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH
         tox -e py-inference
     - name: store documentation page
       if: matrix.test-type == 'docs' && matrix.python-version == '3.12'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mac-test.yml b/.github/workflows/mac-test.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 2a26882d7ae..00000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/mac-test.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-name: macos basic tests
-
-on: [push, pull_request]
-
-concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-jobs:
-  build:
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
-    strategy:
-      max-parallel: 4
-      matrix:
-        os: [macos-latest]
-        python-version: ['3.10', '3.11', '3.12']
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
-    - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-      with:
-        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-    - run: |
-        brew install fftw openssl gsl
-        pip install --upgrade pip setuptools "tox<4.0.0"
-    - name: run basic pycbc test suite
-      run: |
-        tox -e py-unittest
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index d3d96b2039b..d0c41fcd12d 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ deps =
 [testenv]
 allowlist_externals = bash
 passenv=LAL_DATA_PATH
-conda_deps=openssl
-conda_channels=conda-forge
-platform = lin: linux
-           mac: darwin
 
 # This test should run on almost anybody's environment
 [testenv:py-unittest]
@@ -28,20 +24,6 @@ deps =
     ; Needed for `BBHx` package to work with PyCBC
     git+https://github.com/titodalcanton/BBHx.git@py39-and-cleanup; sys_platform == 'linux'
     git+https://github.com/gwastro/BBHX-waveform-model.git; sys_platform == 'linux'
-conda_deps=
-    mysqlclient
-    lin: gcc_linux-64>=12.2.0
-    lin: gxx_linux-64>=12.2.0
-    ; mac doesn't work, need fix
-    ; mac: clang_osx-64
-    ; mac: clangxx_osx-64
-    gsl
-    lapack==3.6.1
-conda_channels=conda-forge
-setenv =
-    ; Tell the linker to look for shared libs inside the temporary Conda env.
-    ; Needed to build BBHx's wheel, whick links to LAPACK.
-    LIBRARY_PATH={envdir}/lib:{env:LIBRARY_PATH:}
 commands = pytest
 
 # The following are long running or may require
@@ -73,21 +55,6 @@ deps =
     ; Needed for `BBHx` package to work with PyCBC
     git+https://github.com/titodalcanton/BBHx.git@py39-and-cleanup; sys_platform == 'linux'
     git+https://github.com/gwastro/BBHX-waveform-model.git; sys_platform == 'linux'
-conda_deps=
-    mysqlclient
-    lin: gcc_linux-64>=12.2.0
-    lin: gxx_linux-64>=12.2.0
-    ; mac doesn't work, need fix
-    ; mac: clang_osx-64
-    ; mac: clangxx_osx-64
-    binutils_linux-64>=2.39
-    gsl
-    lapack==3.6.1
-    openmpi
-conda_channels=conda-forge
 setenv =
     PYCBC_TEST_TYPE=docs
-    ; Tell the linker to look for shared libs inside the temporary Conda env.
-    ; Needed to build BBHx's wheel, whick links to LAPACK.
-    LIBRARY_PATH={envdir}/lib:{env:LIBRARY_PATH:}
 commands = bash tools/pycbc_test_suite.sh