diff --git a/.github/actions/cubit_setup/action.yml b/.github/actions/cubit_setup/action.yml
index 81632222..bd1e21ce 100644
--- a/.github/actions/cubit_setup/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/cubit_setup/action.yml
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ inputs:
     required: false
     default: "60"
 outputs:
-  cubit_root:
+  cubitpy_config_file:
     description: "Path to the Cubit installation"
-    value: ${{ steps.cubit-setup.outputs.cubit_root }}
+    value: ${{ steps.cubit-setup.outputs.cubitpy_config_file }}
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ runs:
         # Save cubit root path for following steps
         CUBIT_FOLDER=$(find . -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "Coreform-Cubit-*" | head -n 1 | sed 's|^\./||')
         CUBIT_ROOT="$(pwd)/$CUBIT_FOLDER"
-        echo "cubit_root=$CUBIT_ROOT" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        echo "cubit_root=$CUBIT_ROOT" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
         # Activate cubit. Retry login until success or timeout.
         timeout="${{ inputs.cubit_activation_timeout }}"
         delay="${{ inputs.cubit_activation_delay_between_retries }}"
@@ -65,3 +65,15 @@ runs:
           sleep $delay
         done
         echo "Cubit activation succeeded."
+
+    - name: Create cubit config file
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        CUBITPY_CONFIG_FILE="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/cubit_config.yaml"
+        echo "cubitpy_config_file=$CUBITPY_CONFIG_FILE" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+        : > $CUBITPY_CONFIG_FILE   # truncate / create file
+
+        printf "cubitpy_mode: local\n" >> $CUBITPY_CONFIG_FILE
+        printf "local_config:\n" >> $CUBITPY_CONFIG_FILE
+        printf "  cubit_path: \"%s\"\n" "$CUBIT_ROOT" >> $CUBITPY_CONFIG_FILE
diff --git a/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml b/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml
index b2aef487..f78c08d7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ inputs:
     description: Additional flags to pass to pytest, i.e., markers
     required: false
     default: ""
-  cubit-root:
-    description: Path to the cubit installation
+  cubitpy_config_file:
+    description: Path to the cubitpy config file
     required: false
     default: ""
 runs:
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ runs:
         BEAMME_FOUR_C_EXE: /home/user/4C/bin/4C
         OMPI_MCA_rmaps_base_oversubscribe: 1
       run: |
-        export CUBIT_ROOT=${{ inputs.cubit-root }}
+        export CUBITPY_CONFIG_PATH=${{ inputs.cubitpy_config_file }}
         cd ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}
         TEMP_DIR="${RUNNER_TEMP}/beamme_pytest"
         mkdir -p "$TEMP_DIR"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing_protected.yml b/.github/workflows/testing_protected.yml
index e32e6f0c..09d3a650 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing_protected.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing_protected.yml
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/run_tests
         with:
           additional-pytest-flags: "--4C --ArborX --CubitPy --check-for-unused-reference-files --cov-fail-under=93"
-          cubit-root: ${{ steps.cubit.outputs.cubit_root }}
+          cubitpy_config_file: ${{ steps.cubit.outputs.cubitpy_config_file }}
       - name: Free cubit license
         if: ${{ always() }}
         uses: ./.github/actions/cubit_finalize
         with:
-          cubit-root: ${{ steps.cubit.outputs.cubit_root }}
+          cubitpy_config_file: ${{ steps.cubit.outputs.cubitpy_config_file }}
       - name: Coverage badge and report
         uses: ./.github/actions/coverage