diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-kokkos.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-kokkos.yml
index 9c7a467..dce0051 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-kokkos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-kokkos.yml
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ jobs:
           - ubuntu-gnu-kokkos-cpu-serial-11
           - ubuntu-gnu-kokkos-cpu-openmp-11
         build_type:
-          - Release
           - Debug
-        cmake_extra_args:
-          - ''
 
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container:
@@ -38,7 +35,6 @@ jobs:
         username: ${{ github.actor }}
         password: ${{ secrets.github_token }}
     env:
-      eigen_version: 3.4.0
       num_cpus: 2 # $(cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep processor -c)
 
     steps:
@@ -53,12 +49,10 @@ jobs:
             -D CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS='-Wall -Werror' \
             -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=../install \
             -D CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON \
-            ${{ matrix.cmake_extra_args }} \
-            -D PRESSIO_OPS_ENABLE_TESTS:BOOL=ON \
-            -D PRESSIO_ENABLE_TPL_EIGEN:BOOL=OFF \
             -D PRESSIO_ENABLE_TPL_KOKKOS:BOOL=ON \
             -D Kokkos_ROOT=/kokkos/install \
-            -D KokkosKernels_ROOT=/kokkos-kernels/install
+            -D KokkosKernels_ROOT=/kokkos-kernels/install \
+            -D PRESSIO_OPS_ENABLE_TESTS:BOOL=ON \
 
       - name: Build
         run: |
diff --git a/tests/cmake/.macrosForCreatingUnitTests.cmake.~undo-tree~ b/tests/cmake/.macrosForCreatingUnitTests.cmake.~undo-tree~
deleted file mode 100644
index 90676df..0000000
--- a/tests/cmake/.macrosForCreatingUnitTests.cmake.~undo-tree~
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-(undo-tree-save-format-version . 1)
-"2b4f63d4ddc8744f7c3b6914c8bc4706cd7762dc"
-[nil current nil nil (26376 53248 93049 0) 0 nil]
-nil
diff --git a/tests/cmake/options.cmake b/tests/cmake/options.cmake
index 3b184b0..e0112a0 100644
--- a/tests/cmake/options.cmake
+++ b/tests/cmake/options.cmake
@@ -47,25 +47,20 @@ if(PRESSIO_ENABLE_TPL_KOKKOS)
   message(">> Enabling Kokkos since PRESSIO_ENABLE_TPL_KOKKOS=ON")
   add_definitions(-DPRESSIO_ENABLE_TPL_KOKKOS)
 
-  # when trilinos is enabled it links kokkos too
+  # if kokkos is used as standalone lib, then user
+  # needs to define: Kokkos_ROOT and KokkosKernels_ROOT
   if(NOT PRESSIO_ENABLE_TPL_TRILINOS)
-    # if kokkos is used as standalone lib, then we are more specific
-    # user needs to define: Kokkos_ROOT and KokkosKernels_ROOT
     if (NOT Kokkos_ROOT OR NOT KokkosKernels_ROOT)
-      message(FATAL_ERROR "Missing Kokkos installation directories. KOKKOS needs:
+      message(
+	FATAL_ERROR
+	"Missing Kokkos installation directories. KOKKOS needs:
         -D Kokkos_ROOT=<full-path-to-kokkos-installation>
-        -D KokkosKernels_ROOT=<full-path-to-kokkos-kernels-installation>
-        ")
+        -D KokkosKernels_ROOT=<full-path-to-kokkos-kernels-installation>"
+      )
     endif()
 
-#     set(KOKKOS_LIB_NAMES kokkoscontainers kokkoscore kokkoskernels)
-#     include_directories(SYSTEM ${KOKKOS_ROOT}/include ${KOKKOS_KERNELS_ROOT}/include)
-#     link_directories(${KOKKOS_ROOT}/lib ${KOKKOS_ROOT}/lib64
-# ${KOKKOS_KERNELS_ROOT}/lib ${KOKKOS_KERNELS_ROOT}/lib64)
-
     find_package(Kokkos REQUIRED)
     find_package(KokkosKernels REQUIRED)
-
     link_libraries(Kokkos::kokkos Kokkos::kokkoskernels)
   endif()
 endif()