diff --git a/.github/workflows/pytests.yml b/.github/workflows/pytests.yml
index d6573ab0..8429d461 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pytests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pytests.yml
@@ -86,15 +86,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Quippy from PyPI
         run: pip install quippy-ase
 
-      - name: Julia and ace fit
-        run: |
-          pip install pip install threadpoolctl
-          wget https://julialang-s3.julialang.org/bin/linux/x64/1.8/julia-1.8.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
-          tar xzf julia-1.8.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
-          # note that this hardwires a particular compatible ACE1pack version
-          echo 'using Pkg; pkg"registry add https://github.com/JuliaRegistries/General"; pkg"registry add https://github.com/JuliaMolSim/MolSim.git"; pkg"add ACE1pack@0.0, ACE1, JuLIP, IPFitting, ASE"' > ace1pack_install.jl
-          ${PWD}/julia-1.8.1/bin/julia ace1pack_install.jl
-
       - name: MACE
         run: |
           echo "search for torch version"
@@ -105,6 +96,15 @@ jobs:
           python3 -m pip install git+https://github.com/ACEsuit/mace.git@develop
           python3 -c "import mace; print(mace.__file__)"
 
+      - name: Julia and ace fit
+        run: |
+          pip install pip install threadpoolctl
+          wget https://julialang-s3.julialang.org/bin/linux/x64/1.8/julia-1.8.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+          tar xzf julia-1.8.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+          # note that this hardwires a particular compatible ACE1pack version
+          echo 'using Pkg; pkg"registry add https://github.com/JuliaRegistries/General"; pkg"registry add https://github.com/JuliaMolSim/MolSim.git"; pkg"add ACE1pack@0.0, ACE1, JuLIP, IPFitting, ASE"' > ace1pack_install.jl
+          ${PWD}/julia-1.8.1/bin/julia ace1pack_install.jl
+
       - name: Install wfl (expyre and universalSOAP are dependencies)
         run: pip install .