diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests/pytest.yml b/.github/workflows/tests/pytest.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86ed03a9c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests/pytest.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# A generic workflow to run tests within a docker compose stack
+
+name: Run Tests
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - staging
+      - development
+
+jobs:
+  run-tests:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Vars and Secrets to Env
+        env:
+          TAG_OVERRIDE: ${{ env.TAG_OVERRIDE || 'ci-development' }}
+          GIT_BRANCH: ${{ github.ref_name }}
+          VARS_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(vars) }}
+          SECRETS_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(secrets) }}
+        run: |
+          # Random delimeter string for security
+          delim=$(dd if=/dev/urandom bs=15 count=1 status=none | base64)
+
+          # Parse JSON with multiline strings, using delimeter (Github specific)
+          to_envs() { jq -r "to_entries[] | \"\(.key)<<$delim\n\(.value)\n$delim\n\""; }
+
+          # Set all vars
+          echo "TAG_OVERRIDE=${TAG_OVERRIDE}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "GIT_BRANCH=${GIT_BRANCH}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+          # Set VARS_CONTEXT if not null
+          if [ "${VARS_CONTEXT}" != "null" ]; then
+            echo "${VARS_CONTEXT}" | to_envs >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          fi
+
+          # Set SECRETS_CONTEXT if not null
+          if [ "${SECRETS_CONTEXT}" != "null" ]; then
+            echo "${SECRETS_CONTEXT}" | to_envs >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          fi
+
+      - name: Create .env file
+        run: |
+          # Get a8m/envsubst (required for default vals syntax ${VAR:-default})
+          echo "Downloading envsubst"
+          curl -L https://github.com/a8m/envsubst/releases/download/v1.2.0/envsubst-`uname -s`-`uname -m` -o envsubst
+          chmod +x envsubst
+
+          # Check if .env.example exists
+          if [ -f .env.example ]; then
+            echo "Substituting variables from .env.example --> .env"
+            ./envsubst < .env.example > .env
+          else
+            echo ".env.example not found, creating .env with GIT_BRANCH only"
+            echo "GIT_BRANCH=${GIT_BRANCH}" > .env
+          fi
+
+          echo "GIT_BRANCH=${GIT_BRANCH}" >> .env
+
+      - name: Run Tests
+        run: |
+          docker compose up -d proxy
+          docker compose run api pytest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests/test_ci.sh b/.github/workflows/tests/test_ci.sh
index 60a319231d..aaad26820b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests/test_ci.sh
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests/test_ci.sh
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@ set -e
 # GITHUB_TOKEN=input
 # Feed to act using -s flag: -s GITHUB_TOKEN=input_personal_access_token
 
-# PR Test Backend
-act pull_request -W .github/workflows/pr_test_backend.yml \
+# Run backend PyTest manually
+docker compose build api
+act pull_request -W .github/workflows/tests/pytest.yml \
     -e .github/workflows/tests/pr_payload.json \
     --var-file=.env --secret-file=.env
 
+# # PR Test Backend
+# Includes image build, which fails due to registry auth
+# act pull_request -W .github/workflows/pr_test_backend.yml \
+#     -e .github/workflows/tests/pr_payload.json \
+#     --var-file=.env --secret-file=.env
+
 # PR Test Frontend
 act pull_request -W .github/workflows/pr_test_frontend.yml \
     -e .github/workflows/tests/pr_payload.json \