diff --git a/.github/workflows/install_and_test.yml b/.github/workflows/install_and_test.yml
index 9626a117d4..9becd01434 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/install_and_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/install_and_test.yml
@@ -64,16 +64,34 @@ jobs:
     - name: CPU info
       run: cat /proc/cpuinfo
     - uses: "./habitat-sim/.github/actions/install_ubuntu_deps"
-    - name: Debugging with tmate
-      uses: mxschmitt/action-tmate@v3.18
     - name: Build, install habitat-sim
       run: |-
-        sudo chmod -R 777 /
+        #give cmake ownership to the runner for installation
+        sudo chown runner /opt/cmake312/bin/cmake
+        #activate conda env
         export PATH=$HOME/miniconda/bin:$PATH
         conda init
         source ~/.bashrc
         conda activate habitat
+        #install habitat-sim
         cd habitat-sim
         pip install -r requirements.txt --progress-bar off
         git submodule update --init --recursive --jobs 8
-        ~/miniconda3/envs/habitat/bin/python -u setup.py install --build-type "Release" --lto --headless --bullet
+        python -u setup.py install --build-type "Release" --lto --headless --bullet
+    - name: Download test data
+      run: |-
+        # Disable clone protection for git lfs
+        export GIT_CLONE_PROTECTION_ACTIVE=false
+
+        sudo apt install git-lfs
+        git --version
+        git-lfs --version
+        export PATH=$HOME/miniconda/bin:/usr/local/cuda/bin:$PATH
+        . activate habitat
+        conda install -y gitpython git-lfs
+        cd habitat-sim
+        git lfs install
+        python src_python/habitat_sim/utils/datasets_download.py --uids ci_test_assets ycb rearrange_dataset_v2 --replace --data-path data/ --no-prune
+        ls -la data/scene_datasets/habitat-test-scenes/
+    - name: Debugging with tmate
+      uses: mxschmitt/action-tmate@v3.18