diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_and_validate.yml b/.github/workflows/test_and_validate.yml
index 8fbc9e184b..060e4cfc8e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_and_validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_and_validate.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/ngen-build
         with:
           targets: "compare_pet"
+          bmi_c: on
           build-cores: ${{ env.LINUX_NUM_PROC_CORES }}
 
       - name: Run Tests
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 620c212c94..0dcb2fe982 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ deprecated_option(OLD NETCDF_ACTIVE         NEW NGEN_WITH_NETCDF)
 deprecated_option(OLD BMI_C_LIB_ACTIVE      NEW NGEN_WITH_BMI_C)
 deprecated_option(OLD BMI_FORTRAN_ACTIVE    NEW NGEN_WITH_BMI_FORTRAN)
 deprecated_option(OLD QUIET                 NEW NGEN_QUIET)
-deprecated_option(OLD PACKAGE_TESTS         NEW NGEN_WITH_TESTS)
+
+# -- Removed
+# deprecated_option(OLD PACKAGE_TESTS         NEW NGEN_WITH_TESTS)
 
 # Options to automate building of extern-distributed models
 option(NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_CXX_MODELS                     "Build with extern-distributed C++ models"     ON)
@@ -364,6 +366,10 @@ ngen_multiline_message(
 "    NGEN_WITH_PYTHON: ${NGEN_WITH_PYTHON}"
 "    NGEN_WITH_ROUTING: ${NGEN_WITH_ROUTING}"
 "    NGEN_WITH_TESTS: ${NGEN_WITH_TESTS}"
+"    NGEN_WITH_COVERAGE: ${NGEN_WITH_COVERAGE}"
+"    NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_CXX_MODELS: ${NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_CXX_MODELS}"
+"    NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_C_MODELS: ${NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_C_MODELS}"
+"    NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_FORTRAN_MODELS: ${NGEN_WITH_EXTERN_FORTRAN_MODELS}"
 "    NGEN_QUIET: ${NGEN_QUIET}"
 "Environment summary:"
 "  Boost:"
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 1e3a5c3a65..cdfb66b1f2 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -103,9 +103,13 @@ function(ngen_add_test TESTNAME)
         target_link_libraries(${TESTNAME} PRIVATE gtest gtest_main ${NGEN_TEST_LIBRARIES})
         set_target_properties(${TESTNAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER test)
 
-        if(NGEN_TEST_DEPENDS)
-            add_dependencies(${TESTNAME} ${NGEN_TEST_DEPENDS})
-        endif()
+        # Iterate over each dependency, and add as a dependency for the test
+        # IF the dependency is a target.
+        foreach(dependency IN LISTS NGEN_TEST_DEPENDS)
+            if(TARGET ${dependency})
+                add_dependencies(${TESTNAME} ${NGEN_TEST_DEPENDS})
+            endif()
+        endforeach()
 
         gtest_discover_tests(
             ${TESTNAME}
@@ -159,7 +163,6 @@ ngen_add_test(
         NGen::core_mediator
         NGen::forcing
         NGen::ngen_bmi
-        testbmicppmodel
     DEPENDS
         testbmicppmodel
 )