diff --git a/.github/docker-compose-ci.yml b/.github/docker-compose-ci.yml
index 6c134873..35d8ca5a 100644
--- a/.github/docker-compose-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/docker-compose-ci.yml
@@ -8,14 +8,5 @@ services:
     environment:
       MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ""
       MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD: "yes"
-
-  xqueue:
-    container_name: xqueue
-    image: edxops/xqueue-dev:latest
-    command: tail -f /dev/null
-    volumes:
-      - ..:/edx/app/xqueue/xqueue
-    depends_on:
-      - mysql80
-    environment:
-      RABBIT_HOST: "rabbit"
+    ports:
+      - "3306:3306"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f42fdd5c..9708dd62 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: ['py311', 'py312']
+        python-version:
+        - "3.11"
+        - "3.12"
         env-name: ['django42','django52', 'quality']
         db-version: ['mysql80']
 
@@ -24,23 +26,14 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         docker compose -f .github/docker-compose-ci.yml up -d
 
-    - name: Setup Python ${{ matrix.python-version }} inside container
-      run: |
-        PY_VER=$(if [ "${{ matrix.python-version }}" = "py312" ]; then echo "3.12"; else echo "3.11"; fi)
-
-        docker exec xqueue bash -c "
-          apt update &&
-          apt install -y software-properties-common curl &&
-          add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa -y &&
-          apt install -y python$PY_VER python$PY_VER-dev python$PY_VER-venv &&
-          update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python$PY_VER 1 &&
-          python$PY_VER -m venv /tmp/venv &&
-          /tmp/venv/bin/pip install --upgrade pip
-        "
+    - name: Setup Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      with:
+        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
     - name: Install test dependencies and run tests
       env:
-        TOXENV: ${{ matrix.python-version }}-${{ matrix.env-name }}
+        TOXENV: ${{ matrix.env-name }}
       run: |
-        docker exec xqueue bash -c "cd /edx/app/xqueue/xqueue/; /tmp/venv/bin/pip install -r requirements/ci.txt"
-        docker exec xqueue bash -c "cd /edx/app/xqueue/xqueue/ && DB_HOST=${{ matrix.db-version }} tox -e ${TOXENV}"
+        pip install -r requirements/ci.txt
+        tox -e ${TOXENV}
diff --git a/xqueue/test_settings.py b/xqueue/test_settings.py
index d27fddda..1f75cb26 100644
--- a/xqueue/test_settings.py
+++ b/xqueue/test_settings.py
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@
 DATABASES = {
     'default': {
         'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
-        'USER': os.environ.get('DB_USER', ''),
+        'USER': os.environ.get('DB_USER', 'root'),
         'PASSWORD': os.environ.get('DB_PASSWORD', ''),
         # pytest/django TestCase instances auto-prefix test_ onto the NAME
         'NAME': 'xqueue',
-        'HOST': os.environ.get('DB_HOST', 'edx.devstack.mysql80'),
+        'HOST': '127.0.0.1',
         # Wrap all view methods in an atomic transaction automatically.
         'ATOMIC_REQUESTS': True
     }