diff --git a/.github/helper/hydrate.sh b/.github/helper/hydrate.sh
index cadf5c0ac6d..1372bc393a3 100755
--- a/.github/helper/hydrate.sh
+++ b/.github/helper/hydrate.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ db_host="${DB_HOST:-127.0.0.1}"
 # install.sh. The workflow untar'd as root with -p, so the files are already owned by ci.
 if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ] && [ "${SKIP_SYSTEM_SETUP:-0}" = "1" ] && [ "$ci_user" != "root" ]; then
     exec su -m "$ci_user" -s /bin/bash -c \
-        "ERPNEXT_CI_USER='$ci_user' DB_HOST='$db_host' bash '$0'"
+        "ERPNEXT_CI_USER='$ci_user' DB_HOST='$db_host' DB='${DB:-}' bash '$0'"
 fi
 
 cd ~/frappe-bench
diff --git a/.github/helper/install.sh b/.github/helper/install.sh
index bb7c85d88e0..34e777506c9 100644
--- a/.github/helper/install.sh
+++ b/.github/helper/install.sh
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ run_ci_step() {
 
     echo "::group::${label}"
     date -u
-    timeout --foreground "${CI_INSTALL_STEP_TIMEOUT:-600}" "$@"
-    local exit_code=$?
+    local exit_code=0
+    timeout --foreground "${CI_INSTALL_STEP_TIMEOUT:-1800}" "$@" || exit_code=$?
     date -u
     echo "::endgroup::"
     return "$exit_code"
diff --git a/.github/helper/start-db.sh b/.github/helper/start-db.sh
index e99d44babe1..507c33bb7e4 100755
--- a/.github/helper/start-db.sh
+++ b/.github/helper/start-db.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ ci_user="${ERPNEXT_CI_USER:-frappe}"
 # refused anyway). Mirrors install.sh's user switch.
 if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ] && [ "${SKIP_SYSTEM_SETUP:-0}" = "1" ] && [ "$ci_user" != "root" ]; then
     exec su -m "$ci_user" -s /bin/bash -c \
-        "ERPNEXT_CI_USER='$ci_user' CI_DB_DATADIR='${CI_DB_DATADIR:-}' bash '$0'"
+        "ERPNEXT_CI_USER='$ci_user' CI_DB_DATADIR='${CI_DB_DATADIR:-}' DB='${DB:-}' bash '$0'"
 fi
 
 # --- PostgreSQL (GitHub-hosted CI): run in-runner on a PGDATA so it bakes into the artifact,
diff --git a/.github/workflows/server-tests-mariadb.yml b/.github/workflows/server-tests-mariadb.yml
index 68304f5fefd..680639ab6ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/server-tests-mariadb.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/server-tests-mariadb.yml
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ jobs:
           WKHTMLTOX_DEB: /tmp/wkhtmltox.deb
           SKIP_SYSTEM_SETUP: "1"
           SKIP_WKHTMLTOX_SETUP: "1"
+          BENCH_CACHE_DIR: /opt/ci-bench-staging/base-cache
 
       # Clean shutdown (consistent InnoDB datadir), then stage it inside the bench for packaging.
       - name: Stop DB and stage datadir
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ jobs:
   coverage:
     name: Coverage Wrap Up
     needs: [test]
-    if: ${{ always() && github.event_name != 'pull_request' && !cancelled() && !failure() }}
+    if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Clone