diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
index 0e3c6526a0..c5c361ecb2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
@@ -9,13 +9,21 @@ on:
       - '[0-9]+.[0-9]+'
 
 jobs:
-  check-static-codecov:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Keep the original job as its 'required'
-        run: exit 0
-
   unit-tests:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 20
+    container:
+      image: domjudge/gitlabci:24.04
+    services:
+      sqlserver:
+        image: mariadb
+        ports:
+          - 3306:3306
+        env:
+          MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
+          MYSQL_USER: domjudge
+          MYSQL_PASSWORD: domjudge
+        options: --health-cmd="healthcheck.sh --connect --innodb_initialized" --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
     strategy:
       matrix:
         PHPVERSION: [8.1]
@@ -28,18 +36,6 @@ jobs:
         #    TEST: Unit
         #    SQL: mysql
         #    SQL_OPTIONS: --health-cmd="mysqladmin ping"
-    services:
-      sqlserver:
-        image: ${{ matrix.SQL }}
-        ports:
-          - 3306:3306
-        env:
-          MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
-        options: ${{ matrix.SQL_OPTIONS }} --health-interval=10s --health-timeout=5s --health-retries=3
-        # --max-allowed-packet=67108864 --wait_timeout3600 --interactive_timeout=3600
-    container:
-      image: domjudge/gitlabci:24.04
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Download latest codecov upload script
@@ -60,3 +56,10 @@ jobs:
         with:
           files: |
             unit-tests.xml
+
+  check-static-codecov:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Keep the original job as its 'required'
+        run: exit 0
+