diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 7fb567361..efce1a939 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -44,13 +44,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
-
-      - name: Build
-        run: |
-          rm package-lock.json
-          npm install -g npm@latest
-          npm install
-          npm run test
           
       - name: API Test
         run: |
diff --git a/src/backend/src/modules/selfhosted/DefaultUserService.js b/src/backend/src/modules/selfhosted/DefaultUserService.js
index aa33188d5..a71da1695 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/modules/selfhosted/DefaultUserService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/modules/selfhosted/DefaultUserService.js
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ class DefaultUserService extends BaseService {
         // console.log("************************************************");
         // console.log('\n');
 
+        // NB: this is needed for the CI to extract the password
+        console.log(`password for admin is: ${tmp_password}`);
+
         const realConsole = globalThis.original_console_object ?? console;
         realConsole.log('\n');
         svc_devConsole.notice({
diff --git a/tools/api-tester/ci/run.py b/tools/api-tester/ci/run.py
index 2de4ac274..16fa74415 100755
--- a/tools/api-tester/ci/run.py
+++ b/tools/api-tester/ci/run.py
@@ -65,30 +65,40 @@ def init_server_config():
 
 # create the admin user and print its password
 def get_admin_password():
-    output_bytes, exit_code = cxc_toolkit.exec.run_command(
-        "npm start",
-        stream_output=False,
-        kill_on_output="password for admin",
+    # output_bytes, exit_code = cxc_toolkit.exec.run_command(
+    #     "npm start",
+    #     stream_output=False,
+    #     kill_on_output="password for admin",
+    # )
+
+    backend_process = cxc_toolkit.exec.run_background(
+        "npm start", log_path="/tmp/backend.log"
     )
 
-    # wait for the server to terminate
+    # NB: run_command + kill_on_output may wait indefinitely, use run_background + hard limit instead
     time.sleep(10)
 
-    # print the line that contains "password"
-    lines = output_bytes.decode("utf-8", errors="ignore").splitlines()
-    admin_password = None
+    backend_process.terminate()
+
+    # read the log file
+    with open("/tmp/backend.log", "r") as f:
+        lines = f.readlines()
     for line in lines:
-        if "password" in line:
+        if "password for admin" in line:
             print(f"found password line: ---{line}---")
-            # Parse password from "password for admin is: bbb236b2"
-            if "password for admin is:" in line:
-                admin_password = line.split("password for admin is:")[1].strip()
-                print(f"Extracted admin password: {admin_password}")
-                break
+            admin_password = line.split("password for admin is:")[1].strip()
+            print(f"Extracted admin password: {admin_password}")
+            CONTEXT.ADMIN_PASSWORD = admin_password
+            return
 
-    print(f"password for admin: {admin_password}")
+    if not CONTEXT.ADMIN_PASSWORD:
+        print("Error: No admin password found")
 
-    CONTEXT.ADMIN_PASSWORD = admin_password
+        # print the log file
+        with open("/tmp/backend.log", "r") as f:
+            print(f.read())
+
+        exit(1)
 
 
 def update_server_config():