diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml
index 61c2ce5d74..e31cb1cc0d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml
@@ -380,10 +380,25 @@ jobs:
           hdiutil detach /Volumes/git-annex/
           echo /Applications/git-annex.app/Contents/MacOS >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
 
+      - name: Set up Docker
+        uses: docker-practice/actions-setup-docker@v1
+
+      - name: Set up SSH target
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          # coreutils provides a readlink that supports `-f`
+          brew install coreutils
+          export PATH="/usr/local/opt/coreutils/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
+          curl -fSsL \
+            https://raw.githubusercontent.com/datalad/datalad/master/tools/ci/prep-travis-forssh.sh \
+            | bash
+          echo DATALAD_TESTS_SSH=1 >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
 
       - name: Set up environment
         run: |
           brew install exempi  # Needed by python-xmp-toolkit
+          mkdir -p /private/tmp/DLTMP
+          echo TMPDIR=/private/tmp/DLTMP >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           git config --global user.email "test@github.land"
           git config --global user.name "GitHub Almighty"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml
index 70a6aa8cdf..ec6dfe8f00 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml
@@ -416,7 +416,6 @@ jobs:
             | bash
           echo DATALAD_TESTS_SSH=1 >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
 
-
       - name: Set up environment
         run: |
           git config --global user.email "test@github.land"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2 b/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2
index 35887b5a5d..5c279d373b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2
@@ -598,25 +598,25 @@ jobs:
           {{step}}
           {% endfor %}
 
-    {% if ostype == "ubuntu" %}
-    {# TODO: return for macos! https://github.com/datalad/git-annex/issues/42
-      {% if ostype == "ubuntu"  or ostype == "macos" %} #}
+    {% if ostype == "ubuntu"  or ostype == "macos" %}
+    {% if ostype == "macos" %}
+      - name: Set up Docker
+        uses: docker-practice/actions-setup-docker@v1
+
+    {% endif %}
       - name: Set up SSH target
         shell: bash
         run: |
           {% if ostype == "macos" %}
           # coreutils provides a readlink that supports `-f`
-          brew install coreutils docker docker-machine
-          docker-machine --github-api-token="${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" create --driver virtualbox default
-          eval "$(docker-machine env default)"
+          brew install coreutils
           export PATH="/usr/local/opt/coreutils/libexec/gnubin:$PATH"
           {% endif %}
           curl -fSsL \
             https://raw.githubusercontent.com/datalad/datalad/master/tools/ci/prep-travis-forssh.sh \
             | bash
           echo DATALAD_TESTS_SSH=1 >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-
-   {% elif ostype == "windows" %}
+    {% elif ostype == "windows" %}
       - name: Define test host alias
         shell: cmd
         run: |
@@ -675,6 +675,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           {% if ostype == "macos" %}
           brew install exempi  # Needed by python-xmp-toolkit
+          mkdir -p /private/tmp/DLTMP
+          echo TMPDIR=/private/tmp/DLTMP >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           {% endif %}
           git config --global user.email "test@github.land"
           git config --global user.name "GitHub Almighty"