diff --git a/.github/actions/init-env-rust/action.yaml b/.github/actions/init-env-rust/action.yaml
index 71ca8bd68..23c45cac3 100644
--- a/.github/actions/init-env-rust/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/init-env-rust/action.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@ runs:
         prefix-key: gitbutler-client
         shared-key: rust
 
-    - name: placeholder for ui assets
+    - name: Placeholder for ui assets
       shell: bash
       run: mkdir gitbutler-ui/build
+
+    - name: Check versions
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        rustc --version
+        cargo --version
+        cargo fmt --version
+        cargo clippy --version
+        git --version
+        which git-upload-pack
+        which git-upload-archive
+        which git-receive-pack
+        ssh -V
diff --git a/.github/workflows/push.yaml b/.github/workflows/push.yaml
index 375d3deed..155b69124 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/push.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/push.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ on:
   - push
   - pull_request
 
+env:
+  RUST_BACKTRACE: full
+
 jobs:
   changes:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -140,6 +143,8 @@ jobs:
           - [git2]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # FIXME(qix-): figure out a way to make these build automatically with tests
+      - run: cargo build --locked -p gitbutler-git --bin gitbutler-git-askpass --bin gitbutler-git-setsid
       - uses: ./.github/actions/check-crate
         with:
           crate: gitbutler-git
diff --git a/gitbutler-git/src/integration_tests/private.rs b/gitbutler-git/src/integration_tests/private.rs
index 53696b4ac..2153259fe 100644
--- a/gitbutler-git/src/integration_tests/private.rs
+++ b/gitbutler-git/src/integration_tests/private.rs
@@ -331,8 +331,15 @@ macro_rules! test_impl {
                         .join(test_name)
                         .to_string_lossy()
                         .into_owned();
-                    let repo = $crate::backend::git2::Repository::<$crate::backend::git2::tokio::TokioThreadedResource>::open_or_init_bare(repo_path.clone());
+
+                    ::std::fs::create_dir_all(&repo_path).unwrap();
+
+                    let repo = $crate::backend::git2::Repository::<
+                            $crate::backend::git2::tokio::TokioThreadedResource
+                        >::open_or_init_bare(repo_path.clone()).await.unwrap();
+
                     let server = $crate::private::TestSshServer::new(repo_path);
+
                     (server, repo)
                 }.await;