diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index a60f2e10..c8ade51e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Build
       run: |
         cd build
-        cmake --build . -- -j3
+        cmake --build . -- -j$(( `nproc` + 1 ))
 
     - name: CodeQL Analysis
       uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 40bf99fc..6e702e08 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -82,11 +82,6 @@ jobs:
             cxx: g++-12,
             install: gcc-12 g++-12
           }
-        - {
-            cc: gcc-13,
-            cxx: g++-13,
-            install: gcc-13 g++-13
-          }
         - {
             cc: clang-15,
             cxx: clang++-15,
@@ -119,7 +114,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Build
       run: |
         cd build
-        cmake --build . -- -j3
+        cmake --build . -- -j$(( `nproc` + 1 ))
 
     - name: Tests
       run: |
@@ -139,7 +134,7 @@ jobs:
         mkdir build
         cd build
         cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build-config }} ..
-        cmake --build . -- -j3
+        cmake --build . -- -j$(( `nproc` + 1 ))
 
     - name: List dependencies
       run: |
@@ -150,33 +145,15 @@ jobs:
         ldd libcage-engine.so
 
 
-  Sanitizers:
-    name: sanitizer-${{ matrix.sanitizer.name }}-${{ matrix.build-config }}
+  NoProfiler:
+    name: no-profiler
     needs: Ubuntu
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
-      CFLAGS: ${{ matrix.sanitizer.flags }}
-      CXXFLAGS: ${{ matrix.sanitizer.flags }}
-      LDFLAGS: ${{ matrix.sanitizer.flags }}
       CC: clang-15
       CXX: clang++-15
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        build-config: [debug, release]
-        sanitizer:
-        - {
-            name: undefined,
-            flags: -fsanitize=undefined -fno-omit-frame-pointer
-          }
-        - {
-            name: address,
-            flags: -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer
-          }
-        - {
-            name: thread,
-            flags: -fsanitize=thread -fno-omit-frame-pointer
-          }
 
     steps:
     - name: Install packages
@@ -184,13 +161,6 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt-get update
         sudo apt-get install -y xorg-dev nasm libssl-dev clang-15
 
-    - name: Versions
-      run: |
-        cmake --version
-        clang --version
-        clang++ --version
-        git --version
-
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
         submodules: recursive
@@ -199,28 +169,46 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         mkdir build
         cd build
-        cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build-config }} ..
+        cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=DEBUG -Dcage_profiling_enabled=OFF ..
 
     - name: Build
       run: |
         cd build
-        cmake --build . --target cage-test-core -- -j3
+        cmake --build . --target cage-test-core -- -j$(( `nproc` + 1 ))
 
     - name: Tests
       run: |
-        cd build/result/${{ matrix.build-config }}
+        cd build/result/debug
         ./cage-test-core
 
 
-  NoProfiler:
-    name: no-profiler
+  Sanitizers:
+    name: sanitizer-${{ matrix.sanitizer.name }}-${{ matrix.build-config }}
     needs: Ubuntu
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
+      CFLAGS: ${{ matrix.sanitizer.flags }}
+      CXXFLAGS: ${{ matrix.sanitizer.flags }}
+      LDFLAGS: ${{ matrix.sanitizer.flags }}
       CC: clang-15
       CXX: clang++-15
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        build-config: [debug, release]
+        sanitizer:
+        - {
+            name: undefined,
+            flags: -fsanitize=undefined -fno-omit-frame-pointer
+          }
+        - {
+            name: address,
+            flags: -fsanitize=address -fno-omit-frame-pointer
+          }
+        - {
+            name: thread,
+            flags: -fsanitize=thread -fno-omit-frame-pointer
+          }
 
     steps:
     - name: Install packages
@@ -228,6 +216,13 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt-get update
         sudo apt-get install -y xorg-dev nasm libssl-dev clang-15
 
+    - name: Versions
+      run: |
+        cmake --version
+        clang --version
+        clang++ --version
+        git --version
+
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
         submodules: recursive
@@ -236,16 +231,16 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         mkdir build
         cd build
-        cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=DEBUG -Dcage_profiling_enabled=OFF ..
+        cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build-config }} ..
 
     - name: Build
       run: |
         cd build
-        cmake --build . --target cage-test-core -- -j3
+        cmake --build . --target cage-test-core -- -j$(( `nproc` + 1 ))
 
     - name: Tests
       run: |
-        cd build/result/debug
+        cd build/result/${{ matrix.build-config }}
         ./cage-test-core
 
 
@@ -254,8 +249,8 @@ jobs:
     needs: Ubuntu
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
-      CC: gcc-13
-      CXX: g++-13
+      CC: gcc-12
+      CXX: g++-12
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -273,7 +268,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install packages
       run: |
         sudo apt-get update
-        sudo apt-get install -y xorg-dev nasm valgrind libssl-dev g++-13
+        sudo apt-get install -y xorg-dev nasm valgrind libssl-dev g++-12
 
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
@@ -283,12 +278,13 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         mkdir build
         cd build
-        cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELWITHDEBINFO ..
+        # WAMR_DISABLE_WRITE_GS_BASE: avoid valgrind crashing on an instruction it does not understand
+        cmake -DWAMR_DISABLE_WRITE_GS_BASE=1 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELWITHDEBINFO ..
 
     - name: Build
       run: |
         cd build
-        cmake --build . --target cage-test-core -- -j3
+        cmake --build . --target cage-test-core -- -j$(( `nproc` + 1 ))
 
     - name: Tests
       run: |