diff --git a/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml
index 7d9cb3cba..da237592f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/django-tests.yml
@@ -7,12 +7,20 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   build:
-
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env: # overrides for .env.example
+      POSTGRES_HOST: 127.0.0.1
+      PGPORT: 5432
+      POSTGRES_USER: postgres
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: hunter2
+      POSTGRES_DB: github_actions
+      SECRET_KEY: beepbeep
+      EMAIL_HOST_USER: ""
+      EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD: ""
     services:
       postgres:
         image: postgres:13
-        env:
+        env: # does not inherit from jobs.build.env
           POSTGRES_USER: postgres
           POSTGRES_PASSWORD: hunter2
         options: >-
@@ -33,39 +41,9 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         pip install -r requirements.txt
+    - name: Set up .env
+      run: cp .env.example .env
     - name: Check migrations up-to-date
-      run: |
-        python ./manage.py makemigrations --check
-      env:
-        SECRET_KEY: beepbeep
-        DOMAIN: your.domain.here
-        EMAIL_HOST: ""
-        EMAIL_HOST_USER: ""
-        EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD: ""
+      run: python ./manage.py makemigrations --check
     - name: Run Tests
-      env:
-        SECRET_KEY: beepbeep
-        DEBUG: false
-        USE_HTTPS: true
-        DOMAIN: your.domain.here
-        BOOKWYRM_DATABASE_BACKEND: postgres
-        MEDIA_ROOT: images/
-        POSTGRES_PASSWORD: hunter2
-        POSTGRES_USER: postgres
-        POSTGRES_DB: github_actions
-        POSTGRES_HOST: 127.0.0.1
-        CELERY_BROKER: ""
-        REDIS_BROKER_PORT: 6379
-        REDIS_BROKER_PASSWORD: beep
-        USE_DUMMY_CACHE: true
-        FLOWER_PORT: 8888
-        EMAIL_HOST: "smtp.mailgun.org"
-        EMAIL_PORT: 587
-        EMAIL_HOST_USER: ""
-        EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD: ""
-        EMAIL_USE_TLS: true
-        ENABLE_PREVIEW_IMAGES: false
-        ENABLE_THUMBNAIL_GENERATION: true
-        HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO: false
-      run: |
-        pytest -n 3
+      run: pytest -n 3