diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 082cdd7..a29181f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+name: test suite
+run-name: test suite for ${{ github.event.pull_request.title || github.ref }}
 on:
   push:
     branches:
@@ -8,6 +10,10 @@ on:
       - synchronize
       - ready_for_review
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
 env:
   DENO_VERSION: "2.1.2"
   GHJK_LOG: debug
@@ -67,13 +73,15 @@ jobs:
           path: ${{ env.DENO_DIR }}
           key: deno-${{ hashFiles('**/deno.lock') }}
       - if: "${{ matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest' || matrix.os == 'custom-arm' }}"
+        # need coreutils on max for the `timeout` command
+        # need cmake to build the rust deps
         run: |
-          # we need coreutils on max for the `timeout` command
           sudo apt update
-          sudo apt install -y --no-install-recommends fish zsh
+          sudo apt install -y --no-install-recommends fish zsh cmake
       - if: "${{ matrix.os == 'macos-latest' || matrix.os == 'macos-14' }}"
-        # we need coreutils on max for the `timeout` command
-        run: brew install fish zsh coreutils
+        # need cmake to build the rust deps
+        # need coreutils on max for the `timeout` command
+        run: brew install fish zsh coreutils cmake
       - run: deno task test
 
   test-action:
diff --git a/src/ghjk/config.rs b/src/ghjk/config.rs
index d5f937f..5157c90 100644
--- a/src/ghjk/config.rs
+++ b/src/ghjk/config.rs
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ impl Config {
         let xdg_dirs = directories::ProjectDirs::from("", "", "ghjk")
             .expect_or_log("unable to resolve home dir");
 
-        let ghjkdir_path = match path_from_env(&cwd, "GHJK_DIR").await? {
+        let ghjkdir_path = match path_from_env(&cwd, "GHJK_DIR")? {
             Some(val) => Some(val),
             None => crate::utils::find_entry_recursive(&cwd, ".ghjk")
                 .await
                 .wrap_err("error trying to locate a .ghjk dir")?,
         };
 
-        let ghjkfile_path = match path_from_env(&cwd, "GHJKFILE").await? {
+        let ghjkfile_path = match path_from_env(&cwd, "GHJKFILE")? {
             Some(val) => Some(val),
             None => {
                 // NOTE: look for typescript ghjkfile
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ impl Config {
             },
         };
 
-        let global_config_path = match path_from_env(&cwd, "GHJK_CONFIG_DIR").await? {
+        let global_config_path = match path_from_env(&cwd, "GHJK_CONFIG_DIR")? {
             Some(val) => val,
             None => xdg_dirs.config_dir().join("config"),
         };
@@ -262,12 +262,12 @@ hash.json",
 
 fn resolve_config_path(path: impl AsRef<Path>, config_path: &Path) -> Res<PathBuf> {
     let path = config_path.join(&path);
-    let path = std::fs::canonicalize(&path)
-        .wrap_err_with(|| format!("error canonicalizing path at {path:?}"))?;
+    let path = std::path::absolute(&path)
+        .wrap_err_with(|| format!("error absolutizing path at {path:?}"))?;
     Ok(path)
 }
 
-async fn path_from_env(cwd: &Path, env_name: &str) -> Res<Option<PathBuf>> {
+fn path_from_env(cwd: &Path, env_name: &str) -> Res<Option<PathBuf>> {
     let path = match std::env::var(env_name) {
         Ok(path) => Some(PathBuf::from(path)),
         Err(std::env::VarError::NotUnicode(os_str)) => Some(PathBuf::from(os_str)),
@@ -276,9 +276,10 @@ async fn path_from_env(cwd: &Path, env_name: &str) -> Res<Option<PathBuf>> {
 
     if let Some(path) = path {
         let path = cwd.join(&path);
-        Ok(Some(tokio::fs::canonicalize(&path).await.wrap_err_with(
-            || format!("error canonicalizing path {path:?} from env ${env_name}"),
-        )?))
+
+        Ok(Some(std::path::absolute(&path).wrap_err_with(|| {
+            format!("error absolutizing path {path:?} from env ${env_name}")
+        })?))
     } else {
         Ok(None)
     }