diff --git a/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml
index 4968b40cf..00e08dadb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
         CELERY_BROKER: ""
         REDIS_BROKER_PORT: 6379
         REDIS_BROKER_PASSWORD: beep
-        USE_LOCAL_CACHE: true
+        USE_DUMMY_CACHE: true
         FLOWER_PORT: 8888
         EMAIL_HOST: "smtp.mailgun.org"
         EMAIL_PORT: 587
diff --git a/bookwyrm/settings.py b/bookwyrm/settings.py
index 57717fb99..2d942366a 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/settings.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/settings.py
@@ -120,7 +120,13 @@ STREAMS = [
 ]
 
 # Redis cache backend
-if not env("USE_LOCAL_CACHE", False):
+if env("USE_DUMMY_CACHE", False):
+    CACHES = {
+        'default': {
+            'BACKEND': 'django.core.cache.backends.dummy.DummyCache',
+        }
+    }
+else:
     # pylint: disable=line-too-long
     CACHES = {
         "default": {