diff --git a/.github/actions/golang/action.yaml b/.github/actions/golang/action.yaml
index 60cf98e3..0b076e78 100644
--- a/.github/actions/golang/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/golang/action.yaml
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ runs:
   steps:
     - uses: actions/setup-go@0a12ed9d6a96ab950c8f026ed9f722fe0da7ef32 # v5.0.2
       with:
-        go-version: 1.21.x
+        go-version-file: 'go.mod'
diff --git a/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml b/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml
index b5496adc..fcfe5580 100644
--- a/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/k3d/action.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
 name: setup-k3d
 description: "Install k3d and create a cluster"
 
+inputs:
+  create-cluster:
+    description: "Boolean specifying if k3d should create a cluster after installation"
+    required: false
+    default: 'true'
+
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
-    - run: "curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash"
+    - name: install k3d
+      run: "curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash"
       shell: bash
 
-    - run: k3d cluster delete && k3d cluster create
+    - name: create cluster
+      if: ${{ inputs.create-cluster == 'true' }}
+      run: k3d cluster delete && k3d cluster create
       shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-from-previous/action.yaml b/.github/actions/setup-from-previous/action.yaml
index f272f7da..4300dd5e 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-from-previous/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-from-previous/action.yaml
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@ description: grabs artifact from a previous job and sets up the env for tests
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
-    # Checkout the repo and setup the tooling for this job
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@692973e3d937129bcbf40652eb9f2f61becf3332 # v4.1.7
-      with:
-        fetch-depth: 0
-
     - name: Download build artifacts
       uses: actions/download-artifact@fa0a91b85d4f404e444e00e005971372dc801d16 # v4.1.8
       with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml b/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml
index a3071918..fed97b78 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-uds-core.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   uds-core-test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        type: [with-cluster, without-cluster]
     permissions:
       contents: read
     steps:
@@ -37,9 +40,10 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           chmod +x build/uds
 
-      - name: Install-k3d
-        run: "curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/k3d-io/k3d/main/install.sh | bash"
-        shell: bash
+      - name: Setup K3d
+        uses: ./.github/actions/k3d
+        with:
+          create-cluster: "${{ matrix.type == 'with-cluster' && 'true' || 'false'}}"
 
       - name: Run UDS Core smoke test
         run: build/uds run test:ci-uds-core-smoke-test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml
index b12eb5cd..afdc91f2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-tests.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: E2E Tests
+name: E2E Release Tests
 on:
   workflow_call: # This is the event that triggers the workflow
 
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ jobs:
   smoke-test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: test
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        type: [with-cluster, without-cluster]
     steps:
       # Checkout the repo and setup the tooling for this job
       - name: Checkout
@@ -69,6 +72,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Setup K3d
         uses: ./.github/actions/k3d
+        with:
+          create-cluster: "${{ matrix.type == 'with-cluster' && 'true' || 'false'}}"
 
       - name: Login to GHCR
         uses: docker/login-action@9780b0c442fbb1117ed29e0efdff1e18412f7567 # v3.3.0
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-e2e-pr.yaml b/.github/workflows/test-e2e-pr.yaml
index ae3aba87..075dfee5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-e2e-pr.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-e2e-pr.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: E2E Tests
+name: E2E PR Tests
 on:
   pull_request:
     paths-ignore: