diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yaml
index 309fefce2a..16c096dc9a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-tests.yaml
@@ -8,9 +8,18 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, edited]
 
 jobs:
+  pre-commit:
+    # runs on github hosted runner
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+    - uses: pre-commit/action@v3.0.0
+
   build-gem5:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, build]
     container: gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_all-dependencies:latest
+    needs: pre-commit # only runs if pre-commit passes
     outputs:
       artifactname: ${{ steps.name.outputs.test }}
     steps:
@@ -29,8 +38,8 @@ jobs:
 
   unittests-all-opt:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, run]
-    container:
-      image: gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_all-dependencies:latest
+    container: gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_all-dependencies:latest
+    needs: pre-commit # only runs if pre-commit passes
     timeout-minutes: 60
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
@@ -42,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
   testlib-quick:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, run]
     container: gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_all-dependencies:latest
-    needs: build-gem5
+    needs: [pre-commit, build-gem5]
     timeout-minutes: 360     # 6 hours
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/compiler-tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/compiler-tests.yaml
index 300f9eba36..e7e9cd2424 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/compiler-tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/compiler-tests.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobs:
         opts: [.opt, .fast]
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, run]
     container: gcr.io/gem5-test/${{ matrix.image }}:latest
-    timeout-minutes: 2880 # 48 hours
+    timeout-minutes: 240 # 4 hours
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       with:
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ jobs:
         # therefore need to explicitly checkout the develop branch.
         ref: develop
     - name: Compile build/ALL/gem5${{ matrix.opts }} with ${{ matrix.image }}
-      run: scons build/ALL/gem5${{ matrix.opts }}
+      run: /usr/bin/env python3 /usr/bin/scons --ignore-style build/ALL/gem5${{ matrix.opts }}
 
   # Tests the two latest gcc and clang supported compilers against all gem5 compilations.
   latest-compilers-all-gem5-builds:
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
         opts: [.opt, .fast]
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, run]
     container: gcr.io/gem5-test/${{ matrix.image }}:latest
-    timeout-minutes: 2880 # 48 hours
+    timeout-minutes: 240 # 4 hours
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       with:
@@ -45,4 +45,4 @@ jobs:
         # therefore need to explicitly checkout the develop branch.
         ref: develop
     - name: Compile build/${{ matrix.gem5-compilation }}/gem5${{ matrix.opts }} with ${{ matrix.image }}
-      run: scons build/${{ matrix.gem5-compilation }}/gem5${{ matrix.opts }}
+      run: /usr/bin/env python3 /usr/bin/scons --ignore-style build/${{ matrix.gem5-compilation }}/gem5${{ matrix.opts }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml
index 91bb7d6f8a..97b41642b7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ jobs:
   unittests-all-debug:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, run]
     container: gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_all-dependencies:latest
-    timeout-minutes: 30
+    timeout-minutes: 60
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ jobs:
   unittests-all-fast:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64, run]
     container: gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_all-dependencies:latest
-    timeout-minutes: 30
+    timeout-minutes: 60
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
@@ -837,22 +837,16 @@ jobs:
         # therefore need to explicitly checkout the develop branch.
         ref: develop
     - name: Build ARM/gem5.opt
-      uses: docker://gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_min-dependencies:latest
-      # This is a bit of a hack so we can run a different docker container.
-      with:
-        args: scons --ignore-style --duplicate-sources -j4 build/ARM/gem5.opt
+      run: scons build/ARM/gem5.opt --ignore-style --duplicate-sources -j$(nproc)
     - name: Build ARM/libgem5_opt.so
-      uses: docker://gcr.io/gem5-test/ubuntu-22.04_min-dependencies:latest
-      # This is a bit of a hack so we can run a different docker container.
-      with:
-        args: scons --with-cxx-config --without-python --without-tcmalloc USE_SYSTEMC=0 -j4 --duplicate-sources build/ARM/libgem5_opt.so
+      run: scons build/ARM/libgem5_opt.so --with-cxx-config --without-python --without-tcmalloc USE_SYSTEMC=0 -j$(nproc) --duplicate-sources
     - name: Compile gem5 withing SystemC
       working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}/util/systemc/gem5_within_systemc
       run: make
     - name: Run gem5 within SystemC test
       run: ./build/ARM/gem5.opt configs/deprecated/example/se.py -c tests/test-progs/hello/bin/arm/linux/hello
-    - name: bla
-      run: LD_LIBRARY_PATH=build/ARM/:/opt/systemc/lib-linux64/ ./gem5.opt.sc m5out/config.ini
+    - name: Continue gem5 within SystemC test
+      run: LD_LIBRARY_PATH=build/ARM/:/opt/systemc/lib-linux64/ ./util/systemc/gem5_within_systemc/gem5.opt.sc m5out/config.ini
 
   # Runs the gem5 Nighyly GPU tests.
   gpu-tests:
@@ -872,7 +866,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: wei/wget@v1
       with:
         args: -q http://dist.gem5.org/dist/develop/test-progs/square/square # Removed -N bc it wasn't available within actions, should be okay bc workspace is clean every time: https://github.com/coder/sshcode/issues/102
-    - name: Run Square test with GCN3_X8/gem5.opt (SE mode)
+    - name: Run Square test with GCN3_X86/gem5.opt (SE mode)
       run: |
         mkdir -p tests/testing-results
         ./build/GCN3_X86/gem5.opt configs/example/apu_se.py --reg-alloc-policy=dynamic -n3 -c square
@@ -880,7 +874,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: wei/wget@v1
       with:
         args: -q http://dist.gem5.org/dist/develop/test-progs/heterosync/gcn3/allSyncPrims-1kernel # Removed -N bc it wasn't available within actions, should be okay bc workspace is clean every time
-    - name: Run allSyncPrims-1kernel sleepMutex test with GCN3_X8/gem5.opt (SE mode)
+    - name: Run allSyncPrims-1kernel sleepMutex test with GCN3_X86/gem5.opt (SE mode)
       run: ./build/GCN3_X86/gem5.opt configs/example/apu_se.py --reg-alloc-policy=dynamic -n3 -c allSyncPrims-1kernel --options="sleepMutex 10 16 4"
-    - name: Run allSysncPrims-1kernel lfTreeBarrUsing test with GCN3_X8/gem5.opt (SE mode)
-      run: ./build/GCN3_X86/gem5.opt configs/example/apu_se.py --reg-alloc-policy=dynamic -n3 -c allSyncPrims-1kernel --options="lfTreeBarrUsing 10 16 4"
+    - name: Run allSyncPrims-1kernel lfTreeBarrUsing test with GCN3_X86/gem5.opt (SE mode)
+      run: ./build/GCN3_X86/gem5.opt configs/example/apu_se.py --reg-alloc-policy=dynamic -n3 -c allSyncPrims-1kernel --options="lfTreeBarrUniq 10 16 4"