diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 5d4e92a9c..b390ad4d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           MATRIX=$(jq -nsc '{
               "os": ["ubuntu-latest", "macos-latest", "windows-latest"],
-              "python-version": ["3.9", "3.12"],
+              "environment": ["test-39", "test-312"],
               "exclude": [
                 {
-                  "python-version": "3.9",
+                  "environment": "test-39",
                   "os": "macos-latest"
                 }
               ]
@@ -79,24 +79,24 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           MATRIX=$(jq -nsc '{
               "os": ["ubuntu-latest", "macos-latest", "windows-latest"],
-              "python-version": ["3.9", "3.12"],
+              "environment": ["test-39", "test-312"],
               "include": [
                 {
-                  "python-version": "3.9",
+                  "environment": "test-39",
                   "os": "ubuntu-latest"
                 },
                 {
-                  "python-version": "3.10",
+                  "environment": "test-310",
                   "os": "ubuntu-latest"
                 },
                 {
-                  "python-version": "3.11",
+                  "environment": "test-311",
                   "os": "ubuntu-latest"
                 }
               ],
               "exclude": [
                 {
-                  "python-version": "3.9",
+                  "environment": "test-39",
                   "os": "macos-latest"
                 }
               ]
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           MATRIX=$(jq -nsc '{
               "os": ["ubuntu-latest"],
-              "python-version": ["3.12"]
+              "environment": ["test-312"]
           }')
           echo "MATRIX=$MATRIX" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ jobs:
         run: pixi run -e ${{ matrix.environment }} test-unit
 
   pip_test:
-    name: pip tests:${{ matrix.os }}:${{ matrix.python-version }}
+    name: pip tests:${{ matrix.os }}:${{ matrix.environment }}
     needs: [pre_commit, setup]
     if: needs.setup.outputs.matrix_option != 'default'
     timeout-minutes: 90
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          python-version: '3.12'
       - name: install with geo
         run: python -m pip install -v --prefer-binary -e '.[tests, examples-tests, geo, hvdev, hvdev-geo, dev-extras]'
       - name: python version and pip list
@@ -183,7 +183,6 @@ jobs:
           python --version --version
           python -m pip list
       - name: bokeh sampledata
-        if: ${{ matrix.python-version == '3.9'}}
         run: bokeh sampledata
       - name: unit tests
         run: pytest -v hvplot --cov=hvplot --cov-append