diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml
index 0f9640ec48..56518b1c42 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-macos.yaml
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Send e-mail on failed run
         if: failure() && contains(fromJSON('["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name)
-        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v6
+        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v4
         with:
           server_address: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_HOST }}
           server_port: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_PORT }}
@@ -248,6 +248,11 @@ jobs:
             sudo exportfs -a
             sudo mount -t nfs localhost:/tmp/nfsmount_ /tmp/nfsmount
           fi
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.flavor }}" == *encfs* ]] ; then
+            mkdir /tmp/encfsmount_ /tmp/encfsmount
+            sudo apt-get install -y encfs
+            encfs --standard --extpass="echo 123" /tmp/encfsmount_ /tmp/encfsmount
+          fi
 
           case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
             # For git-annex it causes only few temporary directories to be on the crippled FS,
@@ -267,7 +272,7 @@ jobs:
             nfs-home)
               export HOME=/tmp/nfsmount
               ;;
-            normal|custom-config1)
+            normal|custom-config1|encfs-repo)
               ;;
             *)
               echo "Unknown flavor ${{ matrix.flavor }}"
@@ -290,9 +295,19 @@ jobs:
               ;;
           esac
 
-          cd $HOME
+          case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
+            # Perform testing only (leaving TMP or HOME) aside in --repo flavors
+            # and generally under $HOME
+            encfs-repo) cd /tmp/encfsmount;;
+            *) cd $HOME;;
+          esac
+
           export | grep -e crippledfs || :
 
+          # Report basic info about current path given that we might cd away
+          stat $PWD
+          df . || :
+
           timeout 3600 git annex test "${test_opts[@]:-}"
 
       - name: Set final PR status
@@ -308,7 +323,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Send e-mail on failed run
         if: failure() && contains(fromJSON('["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name)
-        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v6
+        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v4
         with:
           server_address: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_HOST }}
           server_port: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_PORT }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml
index 68556720ae..4b8b947195 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yaml
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Send e-mail on failed run
         if: failure() && contains(fromJSON('["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name)
-        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v6
+        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v4
         with:
           server_address: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_HOST }}
           server_port: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_PORT }}
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: build-package
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        flavor: ["normal", "crippled-tmp", "crippled-home", "nfs-home", "custom-config1"]
+        flavor: ["normal", "crippled-tmp", "crippled-home", "nfs-home", "custom-config1", "encfs-repo"]
         os: [ubuntu-22.04]
       fail-fast: false
     steps:
@@ -297,6 +297,11 @@ jobs:
             sudo exportfs -a
             sudo mount -t nfs localhost:/tmp/nfsmount_ /tmp/nfsmount
           fi
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.flavor }}" == *encfs* ]] ; then
+            mkdir /tmp/encfsmount_ /tmp/encfsmount
+            sudo apt-get install -y encfs
+            encfs --standard --extpass="echo 123" /tmp/encfsmount_ /tmp/encfsmount
+          fi
 
           case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
             # For git-annex it causes only few temporary directories to be on the crippled FS,
@@ -316,7 +321,7 @@ jobs:
             nfs-home)
               export HOME=/tmp/nfsmount
               ;;
-            normal|custom-config1)
+            normal|custom-config1|encfs-repo)
               ;;
             *)
               echo "Unknown flavor ${{ matrix.flavor }}"
@@ -339,9 +344,19 @@ jobs:
               ;;
           esac
 
-          cd $HOME
+          case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
+            # Perform testing only (leaving TMP or HOME) aside in --repo flavors
+            # and generally under $HOME
+            encfs-repo) cd /tmp/encfsmount;;
+            *) cd $HOME;;
+          esac
+
           export | grep -e crippledfs || :
 
+          # Report basic info about current path given that we might cd away
+          stat $PWD
+          df . || :
+
           timeout 3600 git annex test "${test_opts[@]:-}"
 
       - name: Set final PR status
@@ -357,7 +372,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Send e-mail on failed run
         if: failure() && contains(fromJSON('["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name)
-        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v6
+        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v4
         with:
           server_address: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_HOST }}
           server_port: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_PORT }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-windows.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-windows.yaml
index 36ce2f36a3..30086cb0a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-windows.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-windows.yaml
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Send e-mail on failed run
         if: failure() && contains(fromJSON('["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name)
-        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v6
+        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v4
         with:
           server_address: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_HOST }}
           server_port: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_PORT }}
@@ -278,9 +278,19 @@ jobs:
               ;;
           esac
 
-          cd $HOME
+          case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
+            # Perform testing only (leaving TMP or HOME) aside in --repo flavors
+            # and generally under $HOME
+            encfs-repo) cd /tmp/encfsmount;;
+            *) cd $HOME;;
+          esac
+
           export | grep -e crippledfs || :
 
+          # Report basic info about current path given that we might cd away
+          stat $PWD
+          df . || :
+
           timeout 3600 git annex test "${test_opts[@]:-}"
 
       - name: Set final PR status
@@ -296,7 +306,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Send e-mail on failed run
         if: failure() && contains(fromJSON('["schedule", "workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name)
-        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v6
+        uses: dawidd6/action-send-mail@v4
         with:
           server_address: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_HOST }}
           server_port: ${{ secrets.NOTIFY_SMTP_PORT }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2 b/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2
index 63fb3d186e..12c02e5155 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2
+++ b/.github/workflows/template/build-{{ostype}}.yaml.j2
@@ -458,6 +458,11 @@ jobs:
             sudo exportfs -a
             sudo mount -t nfs localhost:/tmp/nfsmount_ /tmp/nfsmount
           fi
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.flavor }}" == *encfs* ]] ; then
+            mkdir /tmp/encfsmount_ /tmp/encfsmount
+            sudo apt-get install -y encfs
+            encfs --standard --extpass="echo 123" /tmp/encfsmount_ /tmp/encfsmount
+          fi
 
           case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
             # For git-annex it causes only few temporary directories to be on the crippled FS,
@@ -477,7 +482,7 @@ jobs:
             nfs-home)
               export HOME=/tmp/nfsmount
               ;;
-            normal|custom-config1)
+            normal|custom-config1|encfs-repo)
               ;;
             *)
               echo "Unknown flavor ${{ matrix.flavor }}"
@@ -501,9 +506,19 @@ jobs:
               ;;
           esac
 
-          cd $HOME
+          case "${{ matrix.flavor }}" in
+            # Perform testing only (leaving TMP or HOME) aside in --repo flavors
+            # and generally under $HOME
+            encfs-repo) cd /tmp/encfsmount;;
+            *) cd $HOME;;
+          esac
+
           export | grep -e crippledfs || :
 
+          # Report basic info about current path given that we might cd away
+          stat $PWD
+          df . || :
+
           timeout 3600 git annex test "${test_opts[@]:-}"
 
       - name: Set final PR status
diff --git a/.github/workflows/template/specs.yml b/.github/workflows/template/specs.yml
index 7c991fdc57..d2bb0b1a6a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/template/specs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/template/specs.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     DEB_SIGN_KEYID: 13A1093296154584245E0300C98FC49D36DAB17F
     DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS: nocheck
     bbuild_log: git-annex-build.log
-  test_annex_flavors: [normal, crippled-tmp, crippled-home, nfs-home, custom-config1]
+  test_annex_flavors: [normal, crippled-tmp, crippled-home, nfs-home, custom-config1, encfs-repo]
     # nfs-tmp was removed/replaced with nfs-home since annex started to use TMPDIR for gpg, and tests started to fail
   artifact_basename: git-annex-debianstandalone-packages
   artifact_install_steps: