diff --git a/.github/actions/run_tests/entrypoint.sh b/.github/actions/run_tests/entrypoint.sh
index 53692ab10f..e91e3977d7 100644
--- a/.github/actions/run_tests/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/run_tests/entrypoint.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ fi
 #
 # running unit tests (pytests)
 #
-if [ "$INPUT_CATEGORIES" == "pytests" ]; then
+if [ "$INPUT_CATEGORIES" == pytests* ]; then
   export METPLUS_ENV_TAG="pytest"
   export METPLUS_IMG_TAG=${branch_name}
   echo METPLUS_ENV_TAG=${METPLUS_ENV_TAG}
@@ -55,8 +55,9 @@ if [ "$INPUT_CATEGORIES" == "pytests" ]; then
 	 -f .github/actions/run_tests/Dockerfile.run \
 	 .
 
-  echo Running Pytests
-  command="export METPLUS_PYTEST_HOST=docker; cd internal_tests/pytests; /usr/local/envs/pytest/bin/pytest -vv --cov=../../metplus"
+  marker=`echo $INPUT_CATEGORIES | awk -F_ '{print $2}'`
+  echo Running Pytests marker=$marker
+  command="export METPLUS_PYTEST_HOST=docker; cd internal_tests/pytests; /usr/local/envs/pytest/bin/pytest -vv --cov=../../metplus -m $marker"
   time_command docker run -v $WS_PATH:$GITHUB_WORKSPACE --workdir $GITHUB_WORKSPACE $RUN_TAG bash -c "$command"
   exit $?
 fi
diff --git a/.github/jobs/get_use_cases_to_run.sh b/.github/jobs/get_use_cases_to_run.sh
index 39c250474c..0c0790e4a2 100755
--- a/.github/jobs/get_use_cases_to_run.sh
+++ b/.github/jobs/get_use_cases_to_run.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 
 use_case_groups_filepath=.github/parm/use_case_groups.json
+pytests_groups_filepath=.github/parm/pytest_groups.txt
 # set matrix to string of an empty array in case no use cases will be run
 matrix="[]"
 
@@ -31,12 +32,17 @@ fi
 if [ "$run_unit_tests" == "true" ]; then
   echo Adding unit tests to list to run
 
+  pytests=""
+  for x in `cat $pytests_groups_filepath`; do
+    pytests=$pytests"\"pytests_$x\","
+  done
+
   # if matrix is empty, set to an array that only includes pytests
   if [ "$matrix" == "[]" ]; then
-    matrix="[\"pytests\"]"
+    matrix="[${pytests:0: -1}]"
   # otherwise prepend item to list
   else
-    matrix="[\"pytests\", ${matrix:1}"
+    matrix="[${pytests}${matrix:1}"
   fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/.github/parm/pytest_groups.txt b/.github/parm/pytest_groups.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a7c92618e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/parm/pytest_groups.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+wrapper
+util
diff --git a/internal_tests/pytests/pytest.ini b/internal_tests/pytests/pytest.ini
index 98138a6620..aef09b9d38 100644
--- a/internal_tests/pytests/pytest.ini
+++ b/internal_tests/pytests/pytest.ini
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 [pytest]
 markers =
-    util
-    wrapper
+    util: custom marker for testing metplus/util logic
+    wrapper: custom marker for testing metplus/wrapper logic