diff --git a/.github/workflows/django_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/django_tests.yml
index 79fdf3837..45cf60cb2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/django_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/django_tests.yml
@@ -5,21 +5,25 @@ on:
 jobs:
     run-tests:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-        env:
-            POSTGRES_DB: test_cantusdb
-            POSTGRES_USER: test_user
-            POSTGRES_HOST: postgres
-            POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
-            PROJECT_ENVIRONMENT: PRODUCTION
-            CANTUSDB_STATIC_ROOT: /some/path
-            CANTUSDB_MEDIA_ROOT: /some/path
-            CANTUSDB_HOST: somehost
-            CANTUSDB_SECRET_KEY: "hereisakey1234"
-            POSTGRES_PASSWORD: woahagreatpasswordabc
-            AWS_EMAIL_HOST_USER: test_user
-            AWS_EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD: test_password
         steps:
             - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+            - run: mkdir -p config/envs
+            - uses: SpicyPizza/create-envfile@v2.0
+              with:
+                envkey_POSTGRES_DB: test_cantusdb
+                envkey_POSTGRES_USER: test_user
+                envkey_POSTGRES_HOST: postgres
+                envkey_POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
+                envkey_PROJECT_ENVIRONMENT: PRODUCTION
+                envkey_CANTUSDB_STATIC_ROOT: /some/path
+                envkey_CANTUSDB_MEDIA_ROOT: /some/path
+                envkey_CANTUSDB_HOST: somehost
+                envkey_CANTUSDB_SECRET_KEY: "hereisakey1234"
+                envkey_POSTGRES_PASSWORD: woahagreatpasswordabc
+                envkey_AWS_EMAIL_HOST_USER: test_user
+                envkey_AWS_EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD: test_password
+                directory: config/envs
+                filename: dev_env
             - run: docker compose -f docker-compose-development.yml build
             - run: docker compose -f docker-compose-development.yml up -d
             - run: docker compose -f docker-compose-development.yml exec -T django python manage.py test main_app.tests
\ No newline at end of file