diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 17c550c..45ddf1d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout and use lfs
       uses: actions/checkout@v2
       with:
-        lfs: true
-    - name: Download LFS
-      run: git lfs checkout
+        # lfs: true
+        lfs: false
+    # - name: Download LFS
+    #  run: git lfs checkout
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       uses: actions/setup-python@v2
       with:
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         pip install pytest pytest-cov
         pytest --import-mode=append --cov-config=.coveragerc --cov=ruins --cov-report=xml
+      env:
+        NO_LFS: true
     
     - name: Upload coverage to codecov
       uses: codecov/codecov-action@v2
diff --git a/ruins/tests/test_datamanager.py b/ruins/tests/test_datamanager.py
index b3858e0..25e1cbd 100644
--- a/ruins/tests/test_datamanager.py
+++ b/ruins/tests/test_datamanager.py
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 import xarray as xr
+import os
 
 from ruins.core import DataManager
 from ruins.core.data_manager import HDF5Source
 
+# some datasources are backed by git-lfs which have to be disabled on 
+# github actions
+NO_LFS = 'NO_LFS' in os.environ
+
 
 def test_default_manager():
     """Instantiate the default data manager"""
@@ -27,5 +32,9 @@ def test_weather_dataset():
     assert isinstance(weather, HDF5Source)
 
     # load the data
+    if NO_LFS:
+        print('No LFS, skipping partial test')
+        return
+
     data = weather.read()
     assert isinstance(data, xr.Dataset)