diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 80273db106d03f..2e2f2d252226c4 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ elif arch == "Darwin":
     f"{brew_prefix}/include",
     f"{brew_prefix}/opt/openssl@3.0/include",
   ])
+  # Ensure native Apple Silicon builds always target arm64 - issue with linker especially
+  env.Append(CCFLAGS=["-arch", "arm64"])
+  env.Append(CXXFLAGS=["-arch", "arm64"])
+  env.Append(LINKFLAGS=["-arch", "arm64"])
 else:
   env.Append(LIBPATH=[
     "/usr/lib",
diff --git a/conftest.py b/conftest.py
index 7e40ec3ed7a9d5..11c25792586619 100644
--- a/conftest.py
+++ b/conftest.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import contextlib
 import gc
 import os
+import platform
 import pytest
 
 from openpilot.common.prefix import OpenpilotPrefix
@@ -49,13 +50,20 @@ def clean_env():
 def openpilot_function_fixture(request):
   with clean_env():
     # setup a clean environment for each test
-    with OpenpilotPrefix(shared_download_cache=request.node.get_closest_marker("shared_download_cache") is not None) as prefix:
-      prefix = os.environ["OPENPILOT_PREFIX"]
-
+    is_darwin = platform.system() == "Darwin"
+    if is_darwin:
+      # ZMQ backend is mandatory on macOS and forbids OPENPILOT_PREFIX
+      if "OPENPILOT_PREFIX" in os.environ:
+        del os.environ["OPENPILOT_PREFIX"]
       yield
+    else:
+      with OpenpilotPrefix(shared_download_cache=request.node.get_closest_marker("shared_download_cache") is not None) as prefix:
+        prefix = os.environ["OPENPILOT_PREFIX"]
+
+        yield
 
-      # ensure the test doesn't change the prefix
-      assert "OPENPILOT_PREFIX" in os.environ and prefix == os.environ["OPENPILOT_PREFIX"]
+        # ensure the test doesn't change the prefix
+        assert "OPENPILOT_PREFIX" in os.environ and prefix == os.environ["OPENPILOT_PREFIX"]
 
     # cleanup any started processes
     manager.manager_cleanup()
diff --git a/tools/mac_setup.sh b/tools/mac_setup.sh
index 0ae0b35359e6e8..b3356a5da447f3 100755
--- a/tools/mac_setup.sh
+++ b/tools/mac_setup.sh
@@ -70,6 +70,18 @@ export PYCURL_SSL_LIBRARY=openssl
 $DIR/install_python_dependencies.sh
 echo "[ ] installed python dependencies t=$SECONDS"
 
+# Ensure pip is available in the venv and rebuild PyAudio for ARM64
+VENV_PYTHON="$ROOT/.venv/bin/python"
+
+if ! "$VENV_PYTHON" -m pip --version &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "[ ] Bootstrapping pip in venv"
+    curl -sS https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py | arch -arm64 "$VENV_PYTHON"
+fi
+
+echo "[ ] Rebuilding PyAudio for ARM64"
+arch -arm64 "$VENV_PYTHON" -m pip uninstall -y pyaudio || true
+arch -arm64 "$VENV_PYTHON" -m pip install --no-binary :all: pyaudio
+
 # brew does not link qt5 by default
 # check if qt5 can be linked, if not, prompt the user to link it
 QT_BIN_LOCATION="$(command -v lupdate || :)"
diff --git a/tools/sim/tests/conftest.py b/tools/sim/tests/conftest.py
index ddf66352767502..009cb52b778cd3 100644
--- a/tools/sim/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tools/sim/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 import pytest
+import multiprocessing
+
+def pytest_configure(config):
+  multiprocessing.set_start_method("spawn", force=True)
 
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
   parser.addoption("--test_duration", action="store", default=60, type=int, help="Seconds to run metadrive drive")