diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests_and_docs.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests_and_docs.yml
index dbe6ea7b..69989730 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests_and_docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests_and_docs.yml
@@ -16,14 +16,22 @@ jobs:
   unit_test_and_docs:
     # Run on Ubuntu
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Ensures conda environment is initialized for all steps
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash -l {0}
 
     steps:
 
       # Checks-out your repository under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE, so your job can access it.
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Setup miniconda
+        uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
         with:
-          python-version: 3.9
+          auto-update-conda: true
+          channels: conda-forge
+          python-version: "3.10"
+          conda-remove-defaults: true
 
       - name: Install, run unit test, build docs
         run: |
@@ -37,16 +45,14 @@ jobs:
           echo "=============================================================";
           echo "Create conda environment";
           echo "=============================================================";
-          source $CONDA/etc/profile.d/conda.sh;
-          echo $CONDA/bin >> $GITHUB_PATH;
-          conda create -n OpenMDAO -c conda-forge python=3.9 mamba=1.5.1 -q -y;
-          conda activate OpenMDAO;
+          conda install -c conda-forge mamba -q -y;
+          mamba install -c conda-forge openmpi openmpi-mpicxx -q -y;
+          mamba install -c conda-forge lapack -q -y;
           pip install --upgrade pip;
-          conda install numpy=1.26 scipy=1.13 -q -y;
           echo "=============================================================";
           echo "Install PETSc";
           echo "=============================================================";
-          mamba install -c conda-forge mpi4py petsc4py=3.20 -q -y;
+          mamba install -c conda-forge "petsc>=3.19,!=3.22.3" petsc4py "numpy<2" -q -y;
           echo "=============================================================";
           echo "Install OpenMDAO";
           echo "=============================================================";