diff --git a/.github/workflows/.deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/.deploy.yml
index d7cecdc97..89a2c5482 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/.deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/.deploy.yml
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@ on:
   workflow_call:
     inputs:
       ### Required
+      tag:
+        description: GitHub package tag; e.g. PR number or PROD
+        required: false
+        type: string
+
       target:
-        description: PR number, test or prod
+        description: Deployment target; e.g. PR number, test or prod
         required: true
         type: string
 
@@ -15,8 +20,8 @@ on:
         required: false
         type: string
 
-      tag:
-        description: GitHub package tag; omit for PRs
+      parameters:
+        description: Template parameters/variables to pass (e.g. -p ZONE=...)
         required: false
         type: string
 
@@ -36,31 +41,8 @@ env:
   JOB_JOB: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}-${{ inputs.target }}-sync-${{ github.run_number }}
 
 jobs:
-  vars:
-    name: Set Variables
-    outputs:
-      tag: ${{ steps.vars.outputs.tag }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      # Get PR number for squash merges to main
-      - name: PR Number
-        id: pr
-        uses: bcgov-nr/action-get-pr@v0.0.1
-
-      - name: Set Variables
-        id: vars
-        run: |
-          if [ -z "${{ inputs.tag }}" ]; then
-            echo "No tag provided, using most recent PR merge number."
-            echo "tag=${{ steps.pr.outputs.pr }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          else
-            echo "Tag provided and being used for deployment."
-            echo "tag=${{ inputs.tag }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          fi
-
   deploy:
-    name: Deploy and Run Job
-    needs: [vars]
+    name: Deploy
     environment: ${{ inputs.environment }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -73,7 +55,9 @@ jobs:
           oc_token: ${{ secrets.OC_TOKEN }}
           oc_version: 4.13
           overwrite: true
-          parameters: -p ZONE=${{ inputs.target }} -p TAG=${{ needs.vars.outputs.tag }}
+          parameters:
+            -p ZONE=${{ inputs.target }} -p TAG=${{ inputs.tag }}
+            ${{ inputs.parameters}}
           post_rollout: oc create job ${{ env.JOB_JOB }} --from=cronjob/${{ env.CRONJOB }}
           triggers: ${{ inputs.triggers }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge.yml b/.github/workflows/merge.yml
index 8a74603d6..eda3904dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge.yml
@@ -21,12 +21,26 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: false
 
 jobs:
+  vars:
+    name: Set Variables
+    outputs:
+      pr: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.pr }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    timeout-minutes: 1
+    steps:
+      # Get PR number for squash merges to main
+      - name: PR Number
+        id: pr
+        uses: bcgov-nr/action-get-pr@v0.0.1
+
   deploy:
     name: Deploy and Run Job
+    needs: [vars]
     secrets: inherit
     uses: ./.github/workflows/.deploy.yml
     with:
       environment: test
+      tag: ${{ needs.vars.outputs.pr }}
       target: test
       verify: false
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml
index bd5f9ba70..4c1a2ae4a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-open.yml
@@ -13,11 +13,14 @@ jobs:
   build:
     name: Build
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    outputs:
+      digest: ${{ steps.build.outputs.digest }}
     permissions:
       packages: write
     timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - uses: bcgov-nr/action-builder-ghcr@v2.0.2
+        id: build
         with:
           keep_versions: 50
           package: sync
@@ -26,12 +29,14 @@ jobs:
           triggers: ('sync/')
 
   deploy:
-    name: Deploy and Run Job
+    name: Deploy
     if: needs.build.outputs.digest != ''
     needs: [build]
     secrets: inherit
     uses: ./.github/workflows/.deploy.yml
     with:
+      parameters: -p TEST_MODE=1
+      tag: ${{ github.event.number }}
       target: ${{ github.event.number }}
 
   results:
diff --git a/sync/Dockerfile b/sync/Dockerfile
index 30143075e..2e95b788b 100644
--- a/sync/Dockerfile
+++ b/sync/Dockerfile
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ RUN apt update && \
     apt install -y --no-install-recommends gcc libpq-dev python3-dev
 
 # Disable cache dir, disable upgrade message, create .venv in project dir
-ARG PIP_NO_CACHE_DIR=off \
-    PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK=on
+ARG PIP_NO_CACHE_DIR="off" \
+    PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK="on" \
+    PIP_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT="100" \
+    PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE="1" \
+    PYTHONUNBUFFERED="1"
 
 # Copy files and install requirements
 WORKDIR /app
diff --git a/sync/openshift.etl.yml b/sync/openshift.etl.yml
index 42a5e8388..f4c97135e 100644
--- a/sync/openshift.etl.yml
+++ b/sync/openshift.etl.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ parameters:
   - name: REPO
     description: Repository name
     value: nr-spar-data
+  - name: TEST_MODE
+    description: "Run in test mode"
+    value: "1"
 
   ### Usually a bad idea - not recommended
   - name: CRON_MINUTES
@@ -67,7 +70,9 @@ objects:
               containers:
                 - name: ${REPO}-${ZONE}
                   image: "${REGISTRY}/${ORG}/${REPO}/${APP}:${TAG}"
-                  # env:
+                  env:
+                    - name: test_mode
+                      value: "${TEST_MODE}"
                   #   - name: POSTGRES_SERVICE
                   #     value: "${REPO}-${ZONE}-database"
                   resources: