diff --git a/.github/workflows/oxide.yml b/.github/workflows/oxide.yml
index 29e114baf..9067e8e34 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/oxide.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/oxide.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name: "conjure-oxide"
 on:
   push:
     branches:
-      - main # run for pushes to the main branch
+      - main # run for pushes to the main branch. other branches need to create a PR if they want testing.
     paths: 
       - conjure_oxide/**
       - Cargo.*
@@ -15,100 +15,68 @@ on:
       - .github/workflows/oxide.yml
   workflow_dispatch:
 
-env:
-  rust_release: stable
 
 jobs:
-  ubuntu:
-    name: "Conjure Oxide: Ubuntu Build"
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-
-      - name: Set up cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
-        with:
-          path: 
-            ~/.cargo/bin/
-            ~/.cargo/registry/index/
-            ~/.cargo/registry/cache/
-            ~/.cargo/git/db/
-            target/            
-            solvers/minion/vendor
-            solvers/chuffed/vendor
 
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_release }}-${{ github.event.repository.updated_at }}
-          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_release }}-
+  Job:
+
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        rust_release:
+          - stable
+          - nightly
+        conjure_version:
+          - 2.5.1
+        os:
+          - ubuntu-latest
+          - macos-latest
+        include:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            release_suffix: linux
+          - os: macos-latest
+            release_suffix: macos-intel
+
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
-      - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
-        run: rustup update ${{ env.rust_release }} && rustup default ${{ env.rust_release }}
-
-      - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
-        run: cargo build -vv
-
-  mac:
-    name: "Conjure Oxide: Mac Build"
-    runs-on: macos-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
-      - name: Set up cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
+      - uses: actions/cache@v3
         with:
-          path: 
-            ~/.cargo/bin/
-            ~/.cargo/registry/index/
-            ~/.cargo/registry/cache/
-            ~/.cargo/git/db/
-            target/            
+          path: |
+            ~/.cargo/bin
+            ~/.cargo/registry/index
+            ~/.cargo/registry/cache
+            ~/.cargo/git/db
+            target
             solvers/minion/vendor
             solvers/chuffed/vendor
-            
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_release }}-${{ github.event.repository.updated_at }}
-          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_release }}-
 
-      - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
-        run: rustup update ${{ env.rust_release }} && rustup default ${{ env.rust_release }}
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ matrix.rust_release }}-${{ github.event.repository.updated_at }}
+          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ matrix.rust_release }}
 
       - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
-        run: rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
+        run: rustup update ${{ matrix.rust_release }} && rustup default ${{ matrix.rust_release }}
 
       - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
         run: cargo build -vv
 
-  tests:
-    name: "Conjure Oxide: Tests"
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-
-      - name: Set up cache
-        uses: actions/cache@v3
-        with:
-          path: 
-            ~/.cargo/bin/
-            ~/.cargo/registry/index/
-            ~/.cargo/registry/cache/
-            ~/.cargo/git/db/
-            target/            
-            solvers/minion/vendor
-            solvers/chuffed/vendor
-          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_release }}-${{ github.event.repository.updated_at }}
-          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.rust_release }}-
+      - name: Add conjure to PATH
+        run: echo "${HOME}/.cargo/bin/conjure-v${{ matrix.conjure_version }}-${{ matrix.release_suffix }}-with-solvers" >> ${GITHUB_PATH}
 
-      - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
-        run: rustup update ${{ env.rust_release }} && rustup default ${{ env.rust_release }}
-      
-      - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
+      - name: Install conjure
         run: |
-          wget https://github.com/conjure-cp/conjure/releases/download/v2.5.1/conjure-v2.5.1-linux-with-solvers.zip
-          unzip conjure-v2.5.1-linux-with-solvers.zip
-          echo "$(pwd)/conjure-v2.5.1-linux-with-solvers" >> ${GITHUB_PATH}
+          if [ "$(conjure --version | head -n2 | tail -n1)" == "Release version ${{ matrix.conjure_version }}" ]; then
+            echo "Found conjure, not fetching again."
+          else
+            echo "Did not find conjure, fetching."
+            pushd ~/.cargo/bin
+            rm -rf conjure-v${{ matrix.conjure_version }}-${{ matrix.release_suffix }}-with-solvers*
+            wget https://github.com/conjure-cp/conjure/releases/download/v${{ matrix.conjure_version }}/conjure-v${{ matrix.conjure_version }}-${{ matrix.release_suffix }}-with-solvers.zip
+            unzip conjure-v${{ matrix.conjure_version }}-${{ matrix.release_suffix }}-with-solvers.zip
+            popd
+          fi
+          conjure --version
 
       - working-directory: ./conjure_oxide
         run: cargo test
-
-
-      
-
-
diff --git a/conjure_oxide/tests/generated_tests.rs b/conjure_oxide/tests/generated_tests.rs
index fbb8d49ea..3b608a8ef 100644
--- a/conjure_oxide/tests/generated_tests.rs
+++ b/conjure_oxide/tests/generated_tests.rs
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@ fn integration_test(path: &str, essence_base: &str) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>
         .arg("--output-format=astjson")
         .arg(format!("{path}/{essence_base}.essence"))
         .output()?;
+    let stderr_string = String::from_utf8(output.stderr)?;
     assert!(
-        String::from_utf8(output.stderr)?.is_empty(),
-        "conjure's stderr is not empty"
+        stderr_string.is_empty(),
+        "conjure's stderr is not empty: {}",
+        stderr_string
     );
     let astjson = String::from_utf8(output.stdout)?;