diff --git a/.github/workflows/migrations-check.yml b/.github/workflows/migrations-check.yml
index 3929e7f10e6f..f3ac2222c577 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/migrations-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/migrations-check.yml
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ jobs:
         python-version: [ 3.8 ]
         # 'pinned' is used to install the latest patch version of Django
         # within the global constraint i.e. Django==3.2.21 in current case
-        # because we have global constraint of Django<4.2 
+        # because we have global constraint of Django<4.2
         django-version: ["pinned", "4.2"]
         mongo-version: ["4"]
         mysql-version: ["5.7", "8"]
-        # excluding mysql5.7 with Django 4.2 since Django 4.2 has 
+        # excluding mysql5.7 with Django 4.2 since Django 4.2 has
         # dropped support for MySQL<8
         exclude:
           - django-version: "4.2"
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
         ./manage.py lms migrate
         echo "Running the CMS migrations."
         ./manage.py cms migrate
-  
+
   # This job aggregates test results. It's the required check for branch protection.
   # https://github.com/marketplace/actions/alls-green#why
   # https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/33579
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
index c3b1086c20eb..051a4e326af5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
   run-tests:
     name: python-${{ matrix.python-version }},django-${{ matrix.django-version }},${{ matrix.shard_name }}
     if: (github.repository == 'edx/edx-platform-private') || (github.repository == 'openedx/edx-platform' && (startsWith(github.base_ref, 'open-release') == false))
-    runs-on: [ edx-platform-runner ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
@@ -18,52 +18,102 @@ jobs:
         django-version:
           - "pinned"
           - "4.2"
+        mongo-version: ["4"]
+        mysql-version: ["8"]
         # When updating the shards, remember to make the same changes in
         # .github/workflows/unit-tests-gh-hosted.yml
         shard_name:
           - "lms-1"
-          - "lms-2"
-          - "lms-3"
-          - "lms-4"
-          - "lms-5"
-          - "lms-6"
-          - "openedx-1-with-lms"
-          - "openedx-2-with-lms"
-          - "openedx-1-with-cms"
-          - "openedx-2-with-cms"
-          - "cms-1"
-          - "cms-2"
-          - "common-with-lms"
-          - "common-with-cms"
-          - "xmodule-with-lms"
-          - "xmodule-with-cms"
+#          - "lms-2"
+#          - "lms-3"
+#          - "lms-4"
+#          - "lms-5"
+#          - "lms-6"
+#          - "openedx-1-with-lms"
+#          - "openedx-2-with-lms"
+#          - "openedx-1-with-cms"
+#          - "openedx-2-with-cms"
+#          - "cms-1"
+#          - "cms-2"
+#          - "common-with-lms"
+#          - "common-with-cms"
+#          - "xmodule-with-lms"
+#          - "xmodule-with-cms"
     # We expect Django 4.0 to fail, so don't stop when it fails.
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.django-version == '4.0' }}
-
+    services:
+      mongo:
+        image: mongo:${{ matrix.mongo-version }}
+        ports:
+          - 27017:27017
+        # Note: Calling `mongo` here only works with mongo 4, in newer versions of mongo
+        # we'll have to use `mongosh`
+        options: >-
+          --health-cmd "mongo --quiet --eval 'db.runCommand(\"ping\")'"
+          --health-interval 10s
+          --health-timeout 5s
+          --health-retries 3
+      mysql:
+        image: mysql:${{ matrix.mysql-version }}
+        ports:
+          - 3306:3306
+        env:
+          MYSQL_DATABASE: "edxapp"
+          MYSQL_USER: "edxapp001"
+          MYSQL_PASSWORD: "password"
+          MYSQL_RANDOM_ROOT_PASSWORD: true
+        options: >-
+          --health-cmd "mysqladmin ping"
+          --health-interval 10s
+          --health-timeout 5s
+          --health-retries 3
     steps:
-      - name: sync directory owner
-        run: sudo chown runner:runner -R .*
+#      - name: sync directory owner
+#        run: sudo chown runner:runner -R .*
+#      - name: Setup mongodb user
+#        run: |
+#          mongo edxapp --eval '
+#            db.createUser(
+#              {
+#                user: "edxapp",
+#                pwd:  "password",
+#                roles: [
+#                     { role: "readWrite", db: "edxapp" },
+#                ]
+#              }
+#            );
+#          '
+#
+#      - name: Verify mongo and mysql db credentials
+#        run: |
+#          mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -uedxapp001 -ppassword -e "select 1;" edxapp
+#          mongo --host 127.0.0.1 --username edxapp --password password --eval 'use edxapp; db.adminCommand("ping");' edxapp
+
+
+      - name: Setup Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
       - name: checkout repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: start mongod server for tests
+      - name: Install system Packages
         run: |
-          sudo mkdir -p /data/db
-          sudo chmod -R a+rw /data/db
-          mongod &
+          sudo apt-get update
+          make ubuntu-requirements
 
       - name: install requirements
         run: |
-          sudo make test-requirements
+          make test-requirements
           if [[ "${{ matrix.django-version }}" != "pinned" ]]; then
-            sudo pip install "django~=${{ matrix.django-version }}.0"
-            sudo pip check # fail if this test-reqs/Django combination is broken
+            pip install "django~=${{ matrix.django-version }}.0"
+            pip check # fail if this test-reqs/Django combination is broken
           fi
 
       - name: list installed package versions
         run: |
-          sudo pip freeze
+          pip freeze
 
       - name: Setup and run tests
         uses: ./.github/actions/unit-tests
@@ -95,7 +145,7 @@ jobs:
           jobs: ${{ toJSON(needs) }}
 
   compile-warnings-report:
-    runs-on: [ edx-platform-runner ]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [ run-tests ]
     steps:
       - name: sync directory owner