diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index ee163e8cf2..ce6a708e59 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -1,55 +1,33 @@
 name: ci
 
 on:
-  pull_request_review:
-    types: [submitted]
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - main
+      - dependabot/**
 
 jobs:
   approved:
-    if: github.event.review.state == 'approved'
+    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 120
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         py-version:
-          - '3.10'
-          - '3.11'
-          - '3.12'
-          - '3.13'
-          - '3.14'
+          - '3.10' # Oldest supported
+          - '3.14' # Latest stable
         mpi: [ 'openmpi' ]
         install-options: [ '.', '.[hdf5,netcdf,pandas,zarr]' ]
         pytorch-version:
-          - 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
-          - 'torch==2.4.1 torchvision==0.19.1 torchaudio==2.4.1'
-          - 'torch==2.5.1 torchvision==0.20.1 torchaudio==2.5.1'
-          - 'torch==2.6.0 torchvision==0.21.0 torchaudio==2.6.0'
-          - 'torch==2.7.1 torchvision==0.22.1 torchaudio==2.7.1'
-          - 'torch==2.8.0 torchvision==0.23.0 torchaudio==2.8.0'
-          - 'torch==2.9.1 torchvision==0.24.1 torchaudio==2.9.1'
-          - 'torch==2.10.0 torchvision==0.25.0 torchaudio==2.10.0'
+          - 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'   # Oldest supported
+          - 'torch==2.9.1 torchvision==0.24.1 torchaudio==2.9.1'   # JSC Stage 2026
+          - 'torch==2.10.0 torchvision==0.25.0 torchaudio==2.10.0' # Latest stable
         exclude:
-          - py-version: '3.14'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
-          - py-version: '3.14'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.4.1 torchvision==0.19.1 torchaudio==2.4.1'
-          - py-version: '3.14'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.5.1 torchvision==0.20.1 torchaudio==2.5.1'
-          - py-version: '3.14'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.6.0 torchvision==0.21.0 torchaudio==2.6.0'
-          - py-version: '3.14'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.7.1 torchvision==0.22.1 torchaudio==2.7.1'
-          - py-version: '3.14'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.8.0 torchvision==0.23.0 torchaudio==2.8.0'
-          - py-version: '3.13'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
-          - py-version: '3.13'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.4.1 torchvision==0.19.1 torchaudio==2.4.1'
-          - py-version: '3.13'
-            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.5.1 torchvision==0.20.1 torchaudio==2.5.1'
           - py-version: '3.10'
             install-options: '.[hdf5,netcdf,pandas,zarr]'
-
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
 
     name: Python ${{ matrix.py-version }} with ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }}; options ${{ matrix.install-options }}
     steps:
@@ -60,18 +38,22 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
       - name: Setup MPI
         uses: mpi4py/setup-mpi@3969f247e8fceef153418744f9d9ee6fdaeda29f # v1.2.0
         with:
           mpi: ${{ matrix.mpi }}
+
       - name: Use Python ${{ matrix.py-version }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@83679a892e2d95755f2dac6acb0bfd1e9ac5d548 # v6.1.0
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.py-version }}
           architecture: x64
+
       - name: Test
         run: |
           pip install pytest
           pip install ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }} ${{ matrix.install-options }} --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu
-          mpirun -n 3 pytest heat/
-          mpirun -n 4 pytest heat/
+          # use pytest -vv -x for debugging
+          pytest heat/
+          mpirun -n 4 pytest -vv heat/
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_full.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci_full.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..479649312b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_full.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+name: ci_full
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - stable
+    paths:
+      - 'heat/**'
+      - 'pyproject.toml'
+      - '.github/workflows/ci_full.yaml'
+
+jobs:
+  full_matrix_test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 120
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        py-version:
+          - '3.10'
+          - '3.11'
+          - '3.12'
+          - '3.13'
+          - '3.14'
+        mpi: [ 'openmpi' ]
+        install-options: [ '.', '.[hdf5,netcdf,pandas,zarr]' ]
+        pytorch-version:
+          - 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
+          - 'torch==2.4.1 torchvision==0.19.1 torchaudio==2.4.1'
+          - 'torch==2.5.1 torchvision==0.20.1 torchaudio==2.5.1'
+          - 'torch==2.6.0 torchvision==0.21.0 torchaudio==2.6.0'
+          - 'torch==2.7.1 torchvision==0.22.1 torchaudio==2.7.1'
+          - 'torch==2.8.0 torchvision==0.23.0 torchaudio==2.8.0'
+          - 'torch==2.9.1 torchvision==0.24.1 torchaudio==2.9.1'
+          - 'torch==2.10.0 torchvision==0.25.0 torchaudio==2.10.0'
+        exclude:
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.4.1 torchvision==0.19.1 torchaudio==2.4.1'
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.5.1 torchvision==0.20.1 torchaudio==2.5.1'
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.6.0 torchvision==0.21.0 torchaudio==2.6.0'
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.7.1 torchvision==0.22.1 torchaudio==2.7.1'
+          - py-version: '3.14'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.8.0 torchvision==0.23.0 torchaudio==2.8.0'
+          - py-version: '3.13'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.3.1 torchvision==0.18.1 torchaudio==2.3.1'
+          - py-version: '3.13'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.4.1 torchvision==0.19.1 torchaudio==2.4.1'
+          - py-version: '3.13'
+            pytorch-version: 'torch==2.5.1 torchvision==0.20.1 torchaudio==2.5.1'
+          - py-version: '3.10'
+            install-options: '.[hdf5,netcdf,pandas,zarr]'
+
+    name: Python ${{ matrix.py-version }} with ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }}; options ${{ matrix.install-options }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Harden Runner
+        uses: step-security/harden-runner@5ef0c079ce82195b2a36a210272d6b661572d83e # v2.14.2
+        with:
+          egress-policy: audit
+
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6.0.2
+
+      - name: Setup MPI
+        uses: mpi4py/setup-mpi@3969f247e8fceef153418744f9d9ee6fdaeda29f # v1.2.0
+        with:
+          mpi: ${{ matrix.mpi }}
+
+      - name: Use Python ${{ matrix.py-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@83679a892e2d95755f2dac6acb0bfd1e9ac5d548 # v6.1.0
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.py-version }}
+          architecture: x64
+
+      - name: Test
+        run: |
+          pip install pytest
+          pip install ${{ matrix.pytorch-version }} ${{ matrix.install-options }} --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu
+          mpirun -n 3 pytest heat/
+          mpirun -n 4 pytest heat/
diff --git a/.readthedocs.yaml b/.readthedocs.yaml
index 08060fa610..2c96813e2d 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yaml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ build:
           # If grep failed to find a match (exit code 1), then exit with 18
           if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
             echo "No relevant changes found. Skipping build."
-            exit 18
+            exit 0
           fi
         fi
 
diff --git a/heat/core/tests/test_io.py b/heat/core/tests/test_io.py
index 45a3776758..cd57f7aadd 100644
--- a/heat/core/tests/test_io.py
+++ b/heat/core/tests/test_io.py
@@ -990,6 +990,8 @@ def test_load_zarr_group(self):
 
         import zarr
 
+        ht.MPI_WORLD.Barrier()
+
         # Write out a nested Zarr store
         original_data = np.arange(np.prod(self.ZARR_SHAPE)).reshape(self.ZARR_SHAPE)
         nested_group_name = "MAIN_0"
@@ -1027,7 +1029,6 @@ def test_load_zarr_group(self):
                 self.assertTrue(np.array_equal(ht_tensor_kw.numpy(), original_data))
 
         ht.MPI_WORLD.Barrier()
-
         # test loading with wildcard
         num_chunks = self.comm.size * 2 + 1
         if self.comm.size > 3:
@@ -1118,6 +1119,8 @@ def test_load_zarr_group(self):
             with self.assertRaises(FileNotFoundError):
                 test = ht.load(self.ZARR_OUT_PATH, variable="NONEXSISTENT_CHUNK_*_SPLIT0/DATA", split=0)
 
+            ht.MPI_WORLD.Barrier()
+
     def test_load_zarr_slice(self):
         if not ht.io.supports_zarr():
             self.skipTest("Requires zarr")