diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 9a1307ab3..13045afc1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ env:
   SKYSCAN_CACHE_DIR: /home/runner/work/skymap_scanner/skymap_scanner/cache
   SKYSCAN_OUTPUT_DIR: /home/runner/work/skymap_scanner/skymap_scanner/output
   SKYSCAN_DEBUG_DIR: /home/runner/work/skymap_scanner/skymap_scanner/debug
+  EWMS_PILOT_DUMP_SUBPROC_OUTPUT: False  # get logs in "reco-icetray logs" step instead
   # see source tests/env-vars.sh
 
 
@@ -289,6 +290,14 @@ jobs:
           nsides = "${{ matrix.nsides }}"
           assert len(pydict) == nsides.count(":")
           '
+
+      - name: reco-icetray logs
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          sudo apt install tree
+          tree $SKYSCAN_DEBUG_DIR
+          find $SKYSCAN_DEBUG_DIR -type f -not -name "*.i3" -not -name "*.pkl" -exec "more" {} + | cat  # recursively cats with filenames (delimited by :::::::)
+
       - name: broker docker logs
         if: always()
         run: |
@@ -379,6 +388,14 @@ jobs:
             --expected tests/data/results_json/${{ matrix.reco_algo }}/$(basename $outfile) \
             --assert \
             || (cat $(ls *.diff.json) && false)
+
+      - name: reco-icetray logs
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          sudo apt install tree
+          tree $SKYSCAN_DEBUG_DIR
+          find $SKYSCAN_DEBUG_DIR -type f -not -name "*.i3" -not -name "*.pkl" -exec "more" {} + | cat  # recursively cats with filenames (delimited by :::::::)
+
       - name: broker docker logs
         if: always()
         run: |
diff --git a/dependencies-from-Dockerfile.log b/dependencies-from-Dockerfile.log
index 644f3ef98..aece7d2c7 100644
--- a/dependencies-from-Dockerfile.log
+++ b/dependencies-from-Dockerfile.log
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ decorator==4.4.2
 defusedxml==0.7.1
 docutils==0.20.1
 et-xmlfile==1.0.1
-ewms-pilot==0.12.2
+ewms-pilot==0.14.0
 fonttools==4.29.1
 fs==2.4.12
 gast==0.5.2
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ numexpr==2.8.1
 numpy==1.21.5
 odfpy==1.4.2
 olefile==0.46
-oms-mqclient==2.4.4
+oms-mqclient==2.4.6
 openpyxl==3.0.9
 packaging==21.3
 pandas==1.3.5
diff --git a/dependencies-from-Dockerfile_pulsar.log b/dependencies-from-Dockerfile_pulsar.log
index 52fdf8ad0..bd3a86e5f 100644
--- a/dependencies-from-Dockerfile_pulsar.log
+++ b/dependencies-from-Dockerfile_pulsar.log
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ decorator==4.4.2
 defusedxml==0.7.1
 docutils==0.20.1
 et-xmlfile==1.0.1
-ewms-pilot==0.12.2
+ewms-pilot==0.14.0
 fonttools==4.29.1
 fs==2.4.12
 gast==0.5.2
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ numexpr==2.8.1
 numpy==1.21.5
 odfpy==1.4.2
 olefile==0.46
-oms-mqclient==2.4.4
+oms-mqclient==2.4.6
 openpyxl==3.0.9
 packaging==21.3
 pandas==1.3.5
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index ca115999b..18fc5ca9f 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ branch = main
 
 [options]  # generated by wipac:cicd_setup_builder: python_requires, packages
 install_requires =
-	ewms-pilot==0.12.2 # the extras here are the same as 'oms-mqclient', so just define one place
+	ewms-pilot # the extras here are the same as 'oms-mqclient', so just define one place
 	healpy
 	icecube-skyreader
 	iminuit
 	numpy
-	oms-mqclient==2.4.4
+	oms-mqclient
 	wipac-dev-tools[coloredlogs]
 	wipac-rest-tools
 python_requires = >=3.9, <3.12
diff --git a/tests/env-vars.sh b/tests/env-vars.sh
index 1fcc9188a..6150b0c99 100755
--- a/tests/env-vars.sh
+++ b/tests/env-vars.sh
@@ -3,18 +3,23 @@ set -ex  # file is sourced so turn off at end
 
 # export SKYSCAN_CACHE_DIR=$PWD/cache-dir -- rely on user value
 # export SKYSCAN_OUTPUT_DIR=$PWD/output-dir -- rely on user value
-export SKYSCAN_BROKER_CLIENT=rabbitmq
+export SKYSCAN_BROKER_CLIENT=${SKYSCAN_BROKER_CLIENT:-"rabbitmq"}
 # note=auth env vars are in job(s)
-export EWMS_PILOT_TASK_TIMEOUT=1800
+
+export EWMS_PILOT_TASK_TIMEOUT=${EWMS_PILOT_TASK_TIMEOUT:-1800}
+export EWMS_PILOT_DUMP_SUBPROC_OUTPUT=${EWMS_PILOT_DUMP_SUBPROC_OUTPUT:-"True"}
+
 # export SKYSCAN_DEBUG_DIR=debug-pkl-dir -- rely on user value
-export SKYSCAN_MQ_TIMEOUT_TO_CLIENTS=5
-export SKYSCAN_MQ_TIMEOUT_FROM_CLIENTS=1800
-# export SKYSCAN_MQ_CLIENT_TIMEOUT_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_MESSAGE=120
-export SKYSCAN_DOCKER_PULL_ALWAYS=0
-export SKYSCAN_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG=local
-export SKYSCAN_MINI_TEST='yes'
-export SKYSCAN_LOG=DEBUG
-export SKYSCAN_LOG_THIRD_PARTY=INFO
-export CLIENT_STARTER_WAIT_FOR_STARTUP_JSON=120
+export SKYSCAN_MQ_TIMEOUT_TO_CLIENTS=${SKYSCAN_MQ_TIMEOUT_TO_CLIENTS:-5}
+export SKYSCAN_MQ_TIMEOUT_FROM_CLIENTS=${SKYSCAN_MQ_TIMEOUT_FROM_CLIENTS:-1800}
+# export SKYSCAN_MQ_CLIENT_TIMEOUT_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_MESSAGE=0
+
+export SKYSCAN_DOCKER_PULL_ALWAYS=${SKYSCAN_DOCKER_PULL_ALWAYS:-0}
+export SKYSCAN_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG=${SKYSCAN_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG:-"local"}
+export SKYSCAN_MINI_TEST=${SKYSCAN_MINI_TEST:-'yes'}
+export SKYSCAN_LOG=${SKYSCAN_LOG:-"DEBUG"}
+export SKYSCAN_LOG_THIRD_PARTY=${SKYSCAN_LOG_THIRD_PARTY:-"INFO"}
+
+export CLIENT_STARTER_WAIT_FOR_STARTUP_JSON=${CLIENT_STARTER_WAIT_FOR_STARTUP_JSON:-12}
 
-set +ex
+set +ex  # file is sourced so turn off
\ No newline at end of file