diff --git a/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_cmp.yml b/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_cmp.yml
index 27bf001e..ee99a185 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_cmp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_cmp.yml
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ jobs:
         KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
 
     - name: "Establish SSH connection"
-      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 8086:$CMP_HOST:8086 -g ping -c 270 $CMP_HOST &
+      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -fN -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 8086:$CMP_HOST:8086 -g
       env:
         SSH_USER: ${{ secrets.CMP_SSH_USER }}
         SSH_HOST: ${{ secrets.CMP_SSH_HOST }}
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ jobs:
         KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
 
     - name: "[ PREPARE ] establish SSH connection"
-      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 8086:$CMP_HOST:8086 -g ping -c 180 $CMP_HOST &
+      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -fN -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 8086:$CMP_HOST:8086 -g
       env:
         SSH_USER: ${{ secrets.CMP_SSH_USER }}
         SSH_HOST: ${{ secrets.CMP_SSH_HOST }}
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ jobs:
         KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
 
     - name: "[ PREPARE ] establish SSH connection"
-      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 8086:$CMP_HOST:8086 -g ping -c 180 $CMP_HOST &
+      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -fN -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 8086:$CMP_HOST:8086 -g
       env:
         SSH_USER: ${{ secrets.CMP_SSH_USER }}
         SSH_HOST: ${{ secrets.CMP_SSH_HOST }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_msca.yml b/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_msca.yml
index fb77ed6d..ce546e2c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_msca.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ca_handler_tests_msca.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
-      max-parallel: 1
+      # max-parallel: 1
       matrix:
         websrv: ['apache2', 'nginx']
         dbhandler: ['wsgi', 'django']
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ jobs:
         KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
 
     - name: "Establish SSH connection"
-      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 445:$WCCE_HOST:445 -L 88:$WCCE_HOST:88 -L 443:$WES_IP:443 -g ping -c 300 $CMP_HOST &
+      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -fN -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 445:$WCCE_HOST:445 -L 88:$WCCE_HOST:88 -L 443:$WES_IP:443 -g
       env:
         SSH_USER: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_USER }}
         SSH_HOST: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_HOST }}
@@ -371,9 +371,8 @@ jobs:
   msca_handler_tests_rpm:
     name: "msca_handler_tests_rpm"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: msca_handler_tests
     strategy:
-      max-parallel: 1
+      # max-parallel: 1
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         rhversion: [8, 9]
@@ -528,7 +527,7 @@ jobs:
         KNOWN_HOSTS: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS }}
 
     - name: "Establish SSH connection"
-      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 445:$WCCE_HOST:445 -L 88:$WCCE_HOST:88 -L 443:$WES_IP:443 -g ping -c 300 $CMP_HOST &
+      run: sudo ssh $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST -fN -i /tmp/rd/ak.tmp -p $SSH_PORT -o UserKnownHostsFile=/tmp/rd/known_hosts -L 445:$WCCE_HOST:445 -L 88:$WCCE_HOST:88 -L 443:$WES_IP:443 -g
       env:
         SSH_USER: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_USER }}
         SSH_HOST: ${{ secrets.WCCE_SSH_HOST }}