diff --git a/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml
index 6ebdd5e8bd..eff0f14d55 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/daily-tests.yaml
@@ -8,59 +8,6 @@ on:
     workflow_dispatch:
 
 jobs:
-    name-artifacts:
-        runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-        outputs:
-            build-name: ${{ steps.artifact-name.outputs.name }}
-        steps:
-            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-            - id: artifact-name
-              run: echo "name=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d_%H.%M.%S-")" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-
-    build-gem5:
-        strategy:
-            fail-fast: false
-            matrix:
-        # NULL is in quotes since it is considered a keyword in yaml files
-                image: [ALL, ALL_CHI, ARM, ALL_MSI, ALL_MESI_Two_Level, 'NULL', NULL_MI_example, RISCV, VEGA_X86]
-        # this allows us to pass additional command line parameters
-        # the default is to add -j $(nproc), but some images
-        # require more specifications when built
-                include:
-                    - setconfig-option: ''
-                    - isa-option: ''
-                    - image: ALL_CHI
-                      setconfig-option: RUBY_PROTOCOL_CHI=y
-                      isa-option: ALL
-                    - image: ALL_MSI
-                      setconfig-option: RUBY_PROTOCOL_MSI=y
-                      isa-option: ALL
-                    - image: ALL_MESI_Two_Level
-                      setconfig-option: RUBY_PROTOCOL_MESI_TWO_LEVEL=y
-                      isa-option: ALL
-                    - image: NULL_MI_example
-                      setconfig-option: RUBY_PROTOCOL_MI_EXAMPLE=y
-                      isa-option: 'NULL'
-        runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64]
-        needs: name-artifacts
-        container: ghcr.io/gem5/ubuntu-24.04_all-dependencies:latest
-        steps:
-            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-            - name: defconfig gem5
-              if: ${{ matrix.setconfig-option  != '' }}
-              run: scons defconfig build/${{ matrix.image }} build_opts/${{ matrix.isa-option }}
-            - name: setconfig gem5
-              if: ${{ matrix.setconfig-option  != '' }}
-              run: scons setconfig build/${{ matrix.image }} ${{ matrix.setconfig-option }}
-            - name: Build gem5
-              run: scons build/${{ matrix.image }}/gem5.opt -j $(nproc)
-            - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-              with:
-                  name: ${{ needs.name-artifacts.outputs.build-name }}${{ matrix.image }}
-                  path: '*build/${{ matrix.image }}/gem5.opt'
-                  retention-days: 1
-            - run: echo "This job's status is ${{ job.status }}."
-
   # this builds both unittests.fast and unittests.debug
     unittests-fast-debug:
         strategy:
@@ -83,27 +30,16 @@ jobs:
                     stdlib, x86_boot_tests]
         runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, x64]
         container: ghcr.io/gem5/ubuntu-24.04_all-dependencies:latest
-        needs: [name-artifacts, build-gem5]
+        needs: [name-artifacts]
         timeout-minutes: 1440 # 24 hours for entire matrix to run
         steps:
             - name: Clean runner
               run: rm -rf ./* || true rm -rf ./.??* || true rm -rf ~/.cache || true
             - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-            # download all artifacts for each test. Thoguh this is inelegant,
-            # it's simpler than figuring otu which long tests requires which
-            # binary.
-            - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-              with:
-                  pattern: ${{needs.name-artifacts.outputs.build-name}}*
-                  merge-multiple: true
-            # The upload/download GitHub actions do not preserve the executable
-            # bit of the files. We need to set the executable bit for the
-            # gem5.opt binaries we've just downloaded.
-            - run: find build -name "gem5.opt" | xargs chmod u+x
-    # run test
+
             - name: long ${{ matrix.test-type }} tests
               working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}/tests
-              run: ./main.py run gem5/${{ matrix.test-type }} --length=long --skip-build -vv -t $(nproc)
+              run: ./main.py run gem5/${{ matrix.test-type }} --length=long -vv -t $(nproc)
             - name: upload results
               if: success() || failure()
               uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
@@ -125,20 +61,16 @@ jobs:
                 test-type: [gem5-library-example-x86-ubuntu-run-ALL-x86_64-opt, gem5-library-example-riscv-ubuntu-run-ALL-x86_64-opt, lupv-example-ALL-x86_64-opt,
                     gem5-library-example-arm-ubuntu-run-test-ALL-x86_64-opt, gem5-library-example-riscvmatched-hello-ALL-x86_64-opt]
         container: ghcr.io/gem5/ubuntu-24.04_all-dependencies:latest
-        needs: [name-artifacts, build-gem5]
+        needs: [name-artifacts]
         timeout-minutes: 1440 # 24 hours
         steps:
             - name: Clean runner
               run: rm -rf ./* || true rm -rf ./.??* || true rm -rf ~/.cache || true
             - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-            - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-              with:
-                  name: ${{needs.name-artifacts.outputs.build-name}}ALL
-            - run: chmod u+x build/ALL/gem5.opt
             - name: long ${{ matrix.test-type }} gem5_library_example_tests
               working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}/tests
               run: ./main.py run --uid SuiteUID:tests/gem5/gem5_library_example_tests/test_gem5_library_examples.py:test-${{ matrix.test-type }} --length=long
-                  --skip-build -vv
+                  -vv
             - name: upload results
               if: success() || failure()
               uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4