diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index faa2b02192..345d35563a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 ---
 name: CI
 env:
-  BRANCH: ${{ github.base_ref || 'devel' }}
   LC_ALL: "C.UTF-8" # prevent ERROR: Ansible could not initialize the preferred locale: unsupported locale setting
+  py_version: "3.9"
+  CI_GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+  DEV_DOCKER_TAG_BASE: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}
+  COMPOSE_TAG: ${{ github.base_ref || 'devel' }}
 on:
   pull_request:
 jobs:
@@ -43,60 +46,23 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-      - name: Get python version from Makefile
-        run: echo py_version=`make PYTHON_VERSION` >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Run check ${{ matrix.tests.label }}
+        run: make github_ci_runner
+        env:
+          CI_GITHUB_COMMAND: ${{ matrix.tests.command }}
 
-      - name: Install python ${{ env.py_version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
-        with:
-          python-version: ${{ env.py_version }}
-
-      - name: Log in to registry
-        run: |
-          echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" | docker login ghcr.io -u ${{ github.actor }} --password-stdin
-
-      - name: Pre-pull image to warm build cache
-        run: |
-          docker pull ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/awx_devel:${{ env.BRANCH }} || :
-
-      - name: Build image
-        run: |
-          DEV_DOCKER_TAG_BASE=ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }} COMPOSE_TAG=${{ env.BRANCH }} make docker-compose-build
-
-      - name: ${{ matrix.texts.label }}
-        run: |
-          docker run -u $(id -u) --rm -v ${{ github.workspace}}:/awx_devel/:Z \
-            --workdir=/awx_devel ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/awx_devel:${{ env.BRANCH }} ${{ matrix.tests.command }}
   dev-env:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-      - name: Get python version from Makefile
-        run: echo py_version=`make PYTHON_VERSION` >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
       - name: Install python ${{ env.py_version }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v2
         with:
           python-version: ${{ env.py_version }}
 
-      - name: Log in to registry
-        run: |
-          echo "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" | docker login ghcr.io -u ${{ github.actor }} --password-stdin
-
-      - name: Pre-pull image to warm build cache
-        run: |
-          docker pull ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/awx_devel:${{ env.BRANCH }} || :
-
-      - name: Build image
-        run: |
-          DEV_DOCKER_TAG_BASE=ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }} COMPOSE_TAG=${{ env.BRANCH }} make docker-compose-build
-
       - name: Run smoke test
-        run: |
-          export DEV_DOCKER_TAG_BASE=ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}
-          export COMPOSE_TAG=${{ env.BRANCH }}
-          ansible-playbook tools/docker-compose/ansible/smoke-test.yml -e repo_dir=$(pwd) -v
+        run: make github_ci_setup && ansible-playbook tools/docker-compose/ansible/smoke-test.yml -v
 
   awx-operator:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -112,10 +78,6 @@ jobs:
           repository: ansible/awx-operator
           path: awx-operator
 
-      - name: Get python version from Makefile
-        working-directory: awx
-        run: echo py_version=`make PYTHON_VERSION` >> $GITHUB_ENV
-
       - name: Install python ${{ env.py_version }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v2
         with:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1185666e76..642513dace 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ I18N_FLAG_FILE = .i18n_built
 	sdist \
 	ui-release ui-devel \
 	VERSION PYTHON_VERSION docker-compose-sources \
-	.git/hooks/pre-commit
+	.git/hooks/pre-commit github_ci_setup github_ci_runner
 
 clean-tmp:
 	rm -rf tmp/
@@ -301,6 +301,14 @@ test:
 	cd awxkit && $(VENV_BASE)/awx/bin/tox -re py3
 	awx-manage check_migrations --dry-run --check  -n 'missing_migration_file'
 
+github_ci_setup:
+	echo $(CI_GITHUB_TOKEN) | docker login ghcr.io -u $(GITHUB_ACTOR) --password-stdin  # Log in to registry
+	docker pull $(DEVEL_IMAGE_NAME) || :  # Pre-pull image to warm build cache
+	make docker-compose-build	 # Build image
+
+github_ci_runner: github_ci_setup
+	docker run -u $(shell id -u) --rm -v $(GITHUB_WORKSPACE):/awx_devel/:Z --workdir=/awx_devel $(DEVEL_IMAGE_NAME) $(CI_GITHUB_COMMAND)
+
 test_collection:
 	rm -f $(shell ls -d $(VENV_BASE)/awx/lib/python* | head -n 1)/no-global-site-packages.txt
 	if [ "$(VENV_BASE)" ]; then \
diff --git a/tools/docker-compose/ansible/smoke-test.yml b/tools/docker-compose/ansible/smoke-test.yml
index 79b0fc2ee2..f4002c8567 100644
--- a/tools/docker-compose/ansible/smoke-test.yml
+++ b/tools/docker-compose/ansible/smoke-test.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       environment:
         COMPOSE_UP_OPTS: -d
       args:
-        chdir: "{{ repo_dir }}"
+        chdir: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../../../"
 
     # Takes a while for migrations to finish
     - name: Wait for the dev environment to be ready