diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
index 5ca020424c0c19..b9130ef6f8dc36 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yaml
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
           scons-${{ runner.arch }}-macos-${{ env.CACHE_COMMIT_DATE }}
           scons-${{ runner.arch }}-macos
     - name: Building openpilot
-      run: . .venv/bin/activate && scons -j$(nproc)
+      run: . .venv/bin/activate && SKIP_PANDA=1 scons -j$(nproc)
 
   static_analysis:
     name: static analysis
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ jobs:
       id: setup-step
     - name: Build openpilot
       run: ${{ env.RUN }} "scons -j$(nproc)"
+      env:
+        SKIP_PANDA: 1
     - name: Run unit tests
       timeout-minutes: ${{ contains(runner.name, 'nsc') && ((steps.setup-step.outputs.duration < 18) && 1 || 2) || 20 }}
       run: |
@@ -217,13 +219,7 @@ jobs:
 
   simulator_driving:
     name: simulator driving
-    runs-on: ${{
-      (github.repository == 'commaai/openpilot') &&
-      ((github.event_name != 'pull_request') ||
-      (github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == 'commaai/openpilot'))
-      && fromJSON('["namespace-profile-amd64-8x16", "namespace-experiments:docker.builds.local-cache=separate"]')
-      || fromJSON('["ubuntu-24.04"]') }}
-    if: false  # FIXME: Started to timeout recently
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
@@ -231,14 +227,26 @@ jobs:
     - uses: ./.github/workflows/setup-with-retry
       id: setup-step
     - name: Build openpilot
+      timeout-minutes: 45
       run: |
         ${{ env.RUN }} "scons -j$(nproc)"
     - name: Driving test
-      timeout-minutes: ${{ (steps.setup-step.outputs.duration < 18) && 1 || 2 }}
+      timeout-minutes: 20
       run: |
+        mkdir -p .ci_artifacts/logs
         ${{ env.RUN }} "source selfdrive/test/setup_xvfb.sh && \
                         source selfdrive/test/setup_vsound.sh && \
+                        LOG_ROOT=/tmp/openpilot/.ci_artifacts/logs \
+                        SIM_LOGS=1 \
+                        PYOPENCL_CTX=0 \
                         CI=1 pytest -s tools/sim/tests/test_metadrive_bridge.py"
+    - name: Upload simulator logs
+      if: always()
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: metadrive-sim-logs-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
+        path: .ci_artifacts/logs
+        retention-days: 7
 
   create_raylib_ui_report:
     name: Create raylib UI Report
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 094503cfa7902a..7645b744ea418a 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ Export('messaging')
 
 
 # Build other submodules
-SConscript(['panda/SConscript'])
+if not os.environ.get("SKIP_PANDA"):
+  SConscript(['panda/SConscript'])
 
 # Build rednose library
 SConscript(['rednose/SConscript'])
diff --git a/tools/mac_setup.sh b/tools/mac_setup.sh
index 0ae0b35359e6e8..c4b3eaf5a165e3 100755
--- a/tools/mac_setup.sh
+++ b/tools/mac_setup.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ else
     brew up
 fi
 
-brew bundle --file=- <<-EOS
+# Clear any cached ARM toolchain pkg that occasionally ships with bad checksum on runners
+BREW_CACHE_DIR="$(brew --cache)"
+rm -f "${BREW_CACHE_DIR}/downloads"/*arm-gnu-toolchain* || true
+
+cat > /tmp/op-brew-bundle <<'EOS'
 brew "git-lfs"
 brew "capnp"
 brew "coreutils"
@@ -45,11 +49,17 @@ brew "llvm"
 brew "openssl@3.0"
 brew "qt@5"
 brew "zeromq"
-cask "gcc-arm-embedded"
 brew "portaudio"
 brew "gcc@13"
+brew "arm-none-eabi-gcc"
 EOS
 
+if brew info arm-none-eabi-newlib >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo 'brew "arm-none-eabi-newlib"' >> /tmp/op-brew-bundle
+fi
+
+brew bundle --file=/tmp/op-brew-bundle
+
 echo "[ ] finished brew install t=$SECONDS"
 
 BREW_PREFIX=$(brew --prefix)
diff --git a/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_bridge.py b/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_bridge.py
index b8dc94cf86fc75..c3f3c6970a8149 100644
--- a/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_bridge.py
+++ b/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_bridge.py
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ def create_map(track_size=60):
 
 
 class MetaDriveBridge(SimulatorBridge):
-  TICKS_PER_FRAME = 5
+  # lower framerate to make CI real-time on standard GitHub runners
+  TICKS_PER_FRAME = 10
 
   def __init__(self, dual_camera, high_quality, test_duration=math.inf, test_run=False):
     super().__init__(dual_camera, high_quality)
diff --git a/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_process.py b/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_process.py
index 2486d87ff997cb..10d4be6ccecebe 100644
--- a/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_process.py
+++ b/tools/sim/bridge/metadrive/metadrive_process.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ def metadrive_process(dual_camera: bool, config: dict, camera_array, wide_camera
     wide_road_image = np.frombuffer(wide_camera_array.get_obj(), dtype=np.uint8).reshape((H, W, 3))
 
   env = MetaDriveEnv(config)
+  step_every = max(1, int(round(config.get("physics_world_step_size", 0.05) * 100)))
 
   def get_current_lane_info(vehicle):
     _, lane_info, on_lane = vehicle.navigation._get_current_lane(vehicle)
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ def get_cam_as_rgb(cam):
     if is_engaged and start_time is None:
       start_time = time.monotonic()
 
-    if rk.frame % 5 == 0:
+    if rk.frame % step_every == 0:
       _, _, terminated, _, _ = env.step(vc)
       timeout = True if start_time is not None and time.monotonic() - start_time >= test_duration else False
       lane_idx_curr, on_lane = get_current_lane_info(env.vehicle)
diff --git a/tools/sim/launch_openpilot.sh b/tools/sim/launch_openpilot.sh
index fa5ac731bd3e8f..37c1ce67891012 100755
--- a/tools/sim/launch_openpilot.sh
+++ b/tools/sim/launch_openpilot.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@ export SIMULATION="1"
 export SKIP_FW_QUERY="1"
 export FINGERPRINT="HONDA_CIVIC_2022"
 
-export BLOCK="${BLOCK},camerad,loggerd,encoderd,micd,logmessaged"
+# keep camera process blocked (simulator publishes frames), but optionally allow logging stack
+block_list="camerad,micd,logmessaged"
+if [[ -z "$SIM_LOGS" ]]; then
+  block_list="$block_list,loggerd,encoderd"
+fi
+export BLOCK="${BLOCK},${block_list}"
 if [[ "$CI" ]]; then
   # TODO: offscreen UI should work
   export BLOCK="${BLOCK},ui"
diff --git a/tools/sim/tests/test_metadrive_bridge.py b/tools/sim/tests/test_metadrive_bridge.py
index 04ce5d584f96b3..fca24777037af0 100644
--- a/tools/sim/tests/test_metadrive_bridge.py
+++ b/tools/sim/tests/test_metadrive_bridge.py
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 class TestMetaDriveBridge(TestSimBridgeBase):
   @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
   def setup_create_bridge(self, test_duration):
-    self.test_duration = 30
+    # match pytest option (default 60s) so wall-clock runtime equals simulated drive time
+    self.test_duration = test_duration
 
   def create_bridge(self):
     return MetaDriveBridge(False, False, self.test_duration, True)
diff --git a/tools/sim/tests/test_sim_bridge.py b/tools/sim/tests/test_sim_bridge.py
index d58cddff7fabf0..6102f73b9bbb38 100644
--- a/tools/sim/tests/test_sim_bridge.py
+++ b/tools/sim/tests/test_sim_bridge.py
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ def test_driving(self):
     p_bridge = bridge.run(q, retries=10)
     self.processes.append(p_bridge)
 
-    max_time_per_step = 60
+    # allow slower CI runners without flaking
+    max_time_per_step = 120
 
     # Wait for bridge to startup
     start_waiting = time.monotonic()
@@ -89,4 +90,12 @@ def teardown_method(self):
       p.terminate()
 
     for p in reversed(self.processes):
-      p.kill()
+      if hasattr(p, "join"):
+        p.join(timeout=10)
+        if getattr(p, "is_alive", lambda: False)():
+          p.kill()
+      else:  # subprocess.Popen
+        try:
+          p.wait(timeout=10)
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+          p.kill()