diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
index ab22e993d..6db95ac77 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ jobs:
       contents: write
       issues: write
     steps:
-      - name: Get version
-        run: |
-          echo "MAJOR_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" | cut -c1-3 >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo $MAJOR_VERSION
-
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
         with:
@@ -45,7 +40,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Deploy
         run: |
-          echo "OWNER: ${REPO_OWNER}"
+          export MAJOR_VERSION=${{ github.ref:0:3 }}
+          echo "OWNER: ${REPO_OWNER}. BUILD: ${MAJOR_VERSION}"
           bash ./docs/build-docs.sh push $REPO_OWNER
         env:
           USERNAME: github-actions[bot]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-conda.yml b/.github/workflows/test-conda.yml
index 594a7b2b8..56347a38e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-conda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-conda.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ name: Test conda env and run tests
 
 on:
   push:
+    branches: 
+      - '!test_branch'
   schedule:  # once a day at midnight UTC
     - cron: '0 0 * * *'
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-package-build.yml b/.github/workflows/test-package-build.yml
index 3d87548fc..8dab627fd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-package-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-package-build.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches:
       - master
       - maint/*
+      - '!test_branch'
     tags:
       - "*"
   pull_request: