diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 84ff3422..9f8e62b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     strategy:
-      max-parallel: 5
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.9, '3.10', 3.11, 3.12, 3.13]
+        python-version:
+        - 3.9
+        - '3.10'
+        - 3.11
+        - 3.12
+        - 3.13
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -40,6 +44,29 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           poetry build -v
 
+  # this uses the same commands as in our release pipeline and ensures that we can still build puppetboard
+  test-build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        python-version:
+        - 3.9
+        - '3.10'
+        - 3.11
+        - 3.12
+        - 3.13
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: pip install wheel setuptools
+      - name: Build
+        run: python setup.py build sdist bdist_wheel
+
   build_docker_image:
     name: 'Test building a container'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -71,6 +98,7 @@ jobs:
   tests:
     needs:
       - test
+      - test-build
       - build_docker_image
       - security-tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest