diff --git a/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml b/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a68bce4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/run_tests/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+name: "run tests"
+description: "set up and run the full environment unit test suite"
+inputs:
+  use-tag:
+    description: "Whether or not to test against the tag"
+    required: true
+    default: false
+  CHECKOUT_TOKEN:
+    description: "checkout token for internal repositories"
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  # Maybe someday default shell will be supported for actions, not just workflows
+  # defaults:
+  #   run:
+  #     shell: bash --login -eo pipefail {0}
+  steps:
+    - run: |
+        echo "start script"
+        echo $TOKEN
+        echo $${{ inputs.CHECKOUT_TOKEN }}
+        git clone "https://${TOKEN}@github.com/pcdshub/lcls-plc-kfe-xgmd-vac" --depth 1
+        git clone "https://${TOKEN}@github.com/pcdshub/pytmc" --depth 1
+        cd pytmc
+        pwd
+        git config --global url."https://${{ inputs.CHECKOUT_TOKEN }}@github.com/".insteadOf "https://github.com/"
+        git submodule update --init --recursive
+        ls ./pytmc/tests/projects/lcls-plc-kfe-xgmd-vac
+      env:
+        TOKEN: ${{ inputs.CHECKOUT_TOKEN }}
+      shell: bash --login -eo pipefail {0}
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diff --git a/.github/workflows/composite_test.yml b/.github/workflows/composite_test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bde229
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/composite_test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: Sample composite workflow
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+  release:
+    types:
+      - published
+
+env:
+  MPLBACKEND: "agg"
+  QT_QPA_PLATFORM: "offscreen"
+
+jobs:
+  # The latest deployed env OR the proposed env in a PR
+  current-tests:
+    environment: external-pr
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        shell: bash --login -eo pipefail {0}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        fetch-depth: 0
+    - uses: ./.github/actions/run_tests
+      with:
+        use-tag: true
+        CHECKOUT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ENV_SECRET }}
\ No newline at end of file