diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index be3d440cd4c34f14bae49988a69d83f94d4cf4da..62761fbb1fe96d5d28270204c0931d6ae0b57595 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ build-spack-env-on-runner:
     - . install_spack_env.sh $CI_PROJECT_DIR $SPACK_VERSION $CI_PROJECT_DIR $SPACK_DEV_ENV $SPACK_PATH_GITLAB
     # re-activate envionment and run tests
     - spack env activate $SPACK_DEV_ENV
-    - spack test run -x
+    # TODO: run all tests when test dependency issue is fixed
+    - spack test run -x wf-brainscales2-demos wf-multi-area-model
   after_script:
     - mkdir -p $CI_PROJECT_DIR/spack_logs/installed $CI_PROJECT_DIR/spack_logs/not_installed
       # for succesfully installed packages: keep the spack logs for any package modified during this CI job
@@ -246,7 +247,8 @@ test-gitlab-spack-instance:
   script:
     - source $SPACK_PATH_GITLAB/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh
     - spack env activate $SPACK_NFS_ENV
-    - spack test run -x
+    # TODO: run all tests when test dependency issue is fixed
+    - spack test run -x wf-brainscales2-demos wf-multi-area-model
   after_script:
     - if [ -d /tmp/spack_tests ]; then mv /tmp/spack_tests $CI_PROJECT_DIR; fi
   artifacts: