diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 570204aa..d3777293 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -68,10 +68,10 @@ jobs:
         run: make check-gazelle
 
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  # BUILD AND UNIT TESTS
+  # BUILD AND UNIT TESTS (parallel jobs, separate Bazel caches)
   # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  build-and-unit-test:
-    name: Build and Unit Test
+  build:
+    name: Build
     if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.draft == false }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -85,6 +85,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build project
         run: make build
 
+  unit-test:
+    name: Unit Test
+    if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.draft == false }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@34e114876b0b11c390a56381ad16ebd13914f8d5 # v4.3.1
+        with:
+          # This job executes untrusted PR code (make build/test/lint). Don't
+          # leave the GITHUB_TOKEN in the workspace git config while it runs.
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/setup
+
       - name: Run unit tests
         run: make test
 
@@ -289,7 +301,8 @@ jobs:
     needs:
       - lint
       - tidy
-      - build-and-unit-test
+      - build
+      - unit-test
       - e2e
       - gateway-integration-test
       - orchestrator-integration-test
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0e7f84ef..cae7104c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ run-queue-admin: ## Run queue-admin CLI (use ARGS to pass arguments, e.g. make r
 
 test: ## Run unit tests
 	@echo "Running unit tests..."
-	@$(BAZEL) test //... --test_tag_filters=-manual,-integration || echo "No unit tests found (only integration tests exist)"
+	@$(BAZEL) test //... --test_tag_filters=-manual,-integration --build_tests_only
 
 test-no-cache: ## Run unit tests without cache (force re-run)
 	@echo "Running unit tests (no cache)..."
diff --git a/service/runway/server/main_test.go b/service/runway/server/main_test.go
index ac297ba5..654dba91 100644
--- a/service/runway/server/main_test.go
+++ b/service/runway/server/main_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ func TestPrimaryConsumer_GitFailureDisposition(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NoError(t, serviceConsumer.Start(context.Background()))
 
 			message := entityqueue.NewMessage("git-test-message", []byte("payload"), "partition", nil)
+			message.Tenant = "git-test"
 			delivery := queuemock.NewMockDelivery(ctrl)
 			delivery.EXPECT().Message().Return(message).AnyTimes()
 			delivery.EXPECT().Attempt().Return(1).AnyTimes()