diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 65b7a785..efb623d3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -10,9 +10,38 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 jobs:
+  setup-conda:
+    name: Setup Conda Environment
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      activate: ${{ steps.conda-path.outputs.activate }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Set up Miniconda
+        uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2
+        with:
+          auto-update-conda: true
+          python-version: "3.10"
+          environment-file: environment.yml
+          activate-environment: lotus
+
+      - name: Cache Conda Environment
+        uses: actions/cache@v3
+        with:
+          path: ~/conda_pkgs_dir
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-conda-${{ hashFiles('environment.yml') }}
+
+      - name: Output Conda activate command
+        id: conda-path
+        run: echo "activate=source activate lotus" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
   ruff_lint:
     name: Ruff Lint
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: setup-conda
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
@@ -23,57 +52,47 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: '3.10'
 
-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: Install Ruff
         run: |
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           pip install ruff==0.7.2
 
-      - name: Run ruff
+      - name: Run Ruff
         run: ruff check .
 
   mypy:
     name: Type Check
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: setup-conda
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.10'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: Activate Conda Environment
         run: |
-          conda env create -f environment.yml
-          conda activate lotus
+          source activate lotus
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           pip install mypy==1.13.0
           pip install -r requirements.txt
           pip install -e .
 
-      - name: Run mypy
+      - name: Run Mypy
         run: mypy lotus/
 
   openai_lm_test:
     name: OpenAI Language Model Tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: setup-conda
     timeout-minutes: 5
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.10'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: Activate Conda Environment
         run: |
-          conda env create -f environment.yml
-          conda activate lotus
+          source activate lotus
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           pip install -r requirements.txt
           pip install -e .
@@ -82,7 +101,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set OpenAI API Key
         run: echo "OPENAI_API_KEY=${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
-      - name: Run LM tests
+      - name: Run LM Tests
         env:
           OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
           ENABLE_OPENAI_TESTS: true
@@ -91,31 +110,25 @@ jobs:
   ollama_lm_test:
     name: Ollama Language Model Tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: setup-conda
     timeout-minutes: 10
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.10'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: Activate Conda Environment
         run: |
-          conda env create -f environment.yml
-          conda activate lotus
+          source activate lotus
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           pip install -r requirements.txt
           pip install -e .
           pip install pytest
 
-      - name: Start Ollama container
+      - name: Start Ollama Container
         run: |
           docker pull ollama/ollama:latest
           docker run -d -v ollama:/root/.ollama -p 11434:11434 --name ollama ollama/ollama
-          # Wait for Ollama server to be ready
           timeout=30
           while ! curl -s http://localhost:11434/ >/dev/null; do
             if [ $timeout -le 0 ]; then
@@ -128,30 +141,24 @@ jobs:
           done
           docker exec $(docker ps -q) ollama run llama3.2
 
-      - name: Run LM tests
+      - name: Run LM Tests
         env:
           ENABLE_OLLAMA_TESTS: true
         run: pytest .github/tests/lm_tests.py
 
-
   rm_test:
     name: Retrieval Model Tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: setup-conda
     timeout-minutes: 5
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.10'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: Activate Conda Environment
         run: |
-          conda env create -f environment.yml
-          conda activate lotus
+          source activate lotus
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           pip install -r requirements.txt
           pip install -e .
@@ -160,7 +167,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set OpenAI API Key
         run: echo "OPENAI_API_KEY=${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
-      - name: Run RM tests
+      - name: Run RM Tests
         env:
           OPENAI_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
           ENABLE_OPENAI_TESTS: true