diff --git a/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml b/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml
index 1a4481f..dd45926 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/c-cpp.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ on:
         branches: ["main"]
     pull_request:
         branches: ["main"]
-
 jobs:
     build:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -27,33 +26,30 @@ jobs:
               with:
                   name: builds
                   path: build*
-            - name: Upload test data
-              uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-              with:
-                  name: tests
-                  path: tests/data/*.data
     test:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
         needs: build
+        env:
+            ILIAD_TEST: tests/data/iliad.data
         steps:
             - uses: actions/checkout@v4
             - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
               with:
                   name: builds
                   path: builds
-            - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
-              with:
-                  name: tests
-                  path: tests
+            - name: setup data
+              run: |
+                  cd tests/data && bash setup.bash
             - name: test
               run: |
-                  export ILIAD_FILE="tests/iliad.data"
+                  export ILIAD_FILE=${PWD}/$ILIAD_TEST
                   cd builds/build
                   chmod +x tests/tests
                   tests/tests
+
             - name: test_ubsan
               run: |
-                  export ILIAD_FILE="tests/iliad.data"
+                  export ILIAD_FILE=${PWD}/$ILIAD_TEST
                   cd builds/build_ubsan
                   chmod +x tests/tests
                   tests/tests
diff --git a/tests/data/setup.bash b/tests/data/setup.bash
index 1e47c87..3b11eff 100644
--- a/tests/data/setup.bash
+++ b/tests/data/setup.bash
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ set -eEx
 ILIAD_REF="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2199/pg2199.txt"
 ILIAD_FILE=${PWD}/"iliad.data"
 wget ${ILIAD_REF} -O ${ILIAD_FILE}
+export ILIAD_FILE=${ILIAD_FILE}
diff --git a/tests/streaming.cpp b/tests/streaming.cpp
index e19cfb4..28bf8e6 100644
--- a/tests/streaming.cpp
+++ b/tests/streaming.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <chrono>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <unordered_map>
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ void fill_answer(std::istream& in) {
 
 TEST(StreamingTests, CountMinSketch) {
     std::string iliad_file = std::getenv("ILIAD_FILE");
+    std::filesystem::path p{iliad_file.c_str()};
+    EXPECT_TRUE(std::filesystem::exists(p));
     std::cout << "using iliad file: " << iliad_file << "\n";
     {  /// fill answer
         std::ifstream iliad(iliad_file);