diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_unit_test.yml b/.github/workflows/build_unit_test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bb660a98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_unit_test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Build and Unit Tests
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types:
+      - labeled
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - release-*
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'config/**'
+      - '**.md'
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - '*'
+
+env:
+  GO_VERSION: '1.22'
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    concurrency:
+      group: ${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+      cancel-in-progress: true
+    name: Build and Unit Test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Setup Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+        with:
+          go-version: ${{ env.GO_VERSION }}
+          cache: false
+      - name: Lint
+        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6
+        with:
+          args: --timeout 10m0s
+      - name: Verify all generated pieces are up-to-date
+        run: make generate-all && git add -N . && git diff --exit-code
+      - name: Unit tests
+        run: |
+          make test
+      - name: Build HMC controller image
+        run: |
+          make docker-build
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_test.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e_test.yml
similarity index 64%
rename from .github/workflows/build_test.yml
rename to .github/workflows/e2e_test.yml
index fd61eaa73..18be6857b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e_test.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-name: CI
+name: E2E Tests
 on:
-  pull_request_target:
+  pull_request:
     types:
       - labeled
       - opened
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ on:
     paths-ignore:
       - 'config/**'
       - '**.md'
-      - '.github/**'
   push:
     tags:
       - '*'
@@ -22,62 +21,25 @@ env:
   REGISTRY_REPO: 'oci://ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/charts-ci'
 
 jobs:
-  build:
+  push:
     concurrency:
-      group: build-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
+      group: push-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
       cancel-in-progress: true
-    name: Build and Unit Test
+    name: Push Images and Charts to GHCR
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.vars.outputs.version }}
       clustername: ${{ steps.vars.outputs.clustername }}
-      pr: ${{ steps.pr.outputs.result }}
     steps:
-      - name: Get User Permissions
-        id: checkAccess
-        uses: actions-cool/check-user-permission@v2
-        with:
-          require: write
-          username: ${{ github.triggering_actor }}
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-      - name: Check User Permissions
-        if: steps.checkAccess.outputs.require-result == 'false'
-        run: |
-          echo "${{ github.triggering_actor }} does not have permissions on this repo."
-          echo "Current permission level: ${{ steps.checkAccess.outputs.user-permission }}"
-          echo "Job originally triggered by: ${{ github.actor }}"
-          echo "This job must be triggered by a user with proper permissions, if you have opened a PR and lack permissions please ask a repo collaborator to re-run this job on your behalf."
-          exit 1
-      - name: Get PR ref
-        uses: actions/github-script@v6
-        id: pr
-        with:
-          script: |
-            const { data: pullRequest } = await github.rest.pulls.get({
-              ...context.repo,
-              pull_number: context.payload.pull_request.number,
-            });
-            return pullRequest
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{fromJSON(steps.pr.outputs.result).merge_commit_sha}}
           fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Setup Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version: ${{ env.GO_VERSION }}
           cache: false
-      - name: Lint
-        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6
-        with:
-          args: --timeout 10m0s
-      - name: Verify all generated pieces are up-to-date
-        run: make generate-all && git add -N . && git diff --exit-code
-      - name: Unit tests
-        run: |
-          make test
       - name: Set up Buildx
         uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
       - name: Login to GHCR
@@ -92,7 +54,8 @@ jobs:
           GIT_VERSION=$(git describe --tags --always)
           echo "version=${GIT_VERSION:1}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           echo "clustername=ci-$(date +%s | cut -b6-10)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-      - name: Build and push HMC controller image
+      - name: Push HMC Controller Image to GHCR
+        if:
         uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
         with:
           build-args: |
@@ -104,36 +67,35 @@ jobs:
           push: true
           cache-from: type=gha
           cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
-      - name: Prepare and push HMC template charts
+      - name: Prepare and push HMC template charts to GHCR
         run: |
           make hmc-chart-release
           make helm-push
 
   controller-e2etest:
-    name: E2E Controller
+    name: Controller
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: build
+    if: ${{ contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'test e2e') }}
+    needs: push
     concurrency:
       group: controller-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
       cancel-in-progress: true
     outputs:
-      clustername: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-      version: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
-      pr: ${{ needs.build.outputs.pr }}
+      clustername: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+      version: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: ${{fromJSON(needs.build.outputs.pr).merge_commit_sha}}
       - name: Setup kubectl
         uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v4
       - name: Run E2E tests
         env:
           GINKGO_LABEL_FILTER: 'controller'
-          MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-          IMG: 'ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/controller-ci:${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}'
-          VERSION: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
+          MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+          IMG: 'ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/controller-ci:${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}'
+          VERSION: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           make test-e2e
       - name: Archive test results
@@ -145,17 +107,16 @@ jobs:
             test/e2e/*.log
 
   provider-cloud-e2etest:
-    name: E2E Cloud Providers
+    name: Cloud Providers
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     if: ${{ contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'test e2e') }}
-    needs: build
+    needs: push
     concurrency:
       group: cloud-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
       cancel-in-progress: true
     outputs:
-      clustername: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-      version: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
-      pr: ${{ needs.build.outputs.pr }}
+      clustername: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+      version: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
     env:
       AWS_REGION: us-west-2
       AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.CI_AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
@@ -170,7 +131,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: ${{fromJSON(needs.build.outputs.pr).merge_commit_sha}}
       - name: Setup Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
@@ -181,9 +141,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run E2E tests
         env:
           GINKGO_LABEL_FILTER: 'provider:cloud'
-          MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-          IMG: 'ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/controller-ci:${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}'
-          VERSION: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
+          MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+          IMG: 'ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/controller-ci:${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}'
+          VERSION: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           make test-e2e
       - name: Archive test results
@@ -195,17 +155,16 @@ jobs:
             test/e2e/*.log
 
   provider-onprem-e2etest:
-    name: E2E On-Prem Providers
+    name: On-Prem Providers
     runs-on: self-hosted
     if: ${{ contains( github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'test e2e') }}
-    needs: build
+    needs: push
     concurrency:
       group: onprem-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }}
       cancel-in-progress: true
     outputs:
-      clustername: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-      version: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
-      pr: ${{ needs.build.outputs.pr }}
+      clustername: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+      version: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
     env:
       VSPHERE_USER: ${{ secrets.CI_VSPHERE_USER }}
       VSPHERE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.CI_VSPHERE_PASSWORD }}
@@ -224,7 +183,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: ${{fromJSON(needs.build.outputs.pr).merge_commit_sha}}
       - name: Setup Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
@@ -234,9 +192,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run E2E tests
         env:
           GINKGO_LABEL_FILTER: 'provider:onprem'
-          MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-          IMG: 'ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/controller-ci:${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}'
-          VERSION: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
+          MANAGED_CLUSTER_NAME: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+          IMG: 'ghcr.io/mirantis/hmc/controller-ci:${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}'
+          VERSION: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           make test-e2e
       - name: Archive test results
@@ -250,21 +208,19 @@ jobs:
   cleanup:
     name: Cleanup
     needs:
-      - build
+      - push
       - provider-cloud-e2etest
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: ${{ always() && !contains(needs.provider-cloud-e2etest.result, 'skipped') && contains(needs.build.result, 'success') }}
+    if: ${{ always() && !contains(needs.provider-cloud-e2etest.result, 'skipped') && contains(needs.push.result, 'success') }}
     timeout-minutes: 15
     outputs:
-      clustername: ${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}
-      version: ${{ needs.build.outputs.version }}
-      pr: ${{ needs.build.outputs.pr }}
+      clustername: ${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}
+      version: ${{ needs.push.outputs.version }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          ref: ${{fromJSON(needs.build.outputs.pr).merge_commit_sha}}
       - name: Setup Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
@@ -279,7 +235,7 @@ jobs:
           AZURE_TENANT_ID: ${{ secrets.CI_AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
           AZURE_CLIENT_ID: ${{ secrets.CI_AZURE_CLIENT_ID }}
           AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET: ${{ secrets.CI_AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET }}
-          CLUSTER_NAME: '${{ needs.build.outputs.clustername }}'
+          CLUSTER_NAME: '${{ needs.push.outputs.clustername }}'
         run: |
           make dev-aws-nuke
           make dev-azure-nuke