diff --git a/.github/workflows/modem__target-test.yml b/.github/workflows/modem__target-test.yml
index 9dea3bc80..e2f8783a6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/modem__target-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/modem__target-test.yml
@@ -34,19 +34,16 @@ jobs:
           IDF_TARGET: ${{ matrix.idf_target }}
           SDKCONFIG: sdkconfig.ci.${{ matrix.test.app }}
         shell: bash
-        working-directory: ${{ env.TEST_DIR }}
         run: |
           . ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/ci/config_env.sh
           . ${IDF_PATH}/export.sh
-          rm -rf sdkconfig build
-          [ -f ${SDKCONFIG} ] && cp ${SDKCONFIG} sdkconfig.defaults
-          idf.py set-target ${{ matrix.idf_target }}
-          idf.py build
-          $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/ci/clean_build_artifacts.sh ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/${TEST_DIR}/build
+          python -m pip install idf-build-apps
+          python ./ci/build_apps.py ${{ env.TEST_DIR }} -t ${{ matrix.idf_target }} -r 'sdkconfig.ci.${{ matrix.test.app }}'
+          $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/ci/clean_build_artifacts.sh ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/${TEST_DIR}/build_${{ matrix.idf_target }}
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: modem_target_bin_${{ matrix.idf_target }}_${{ matrix.idf_ver }}_${{ matrix.test.app }}
-          path: ${{ env.TEST_DIR }}/build
+          path: ${{ env.TEST_DIR }}/build_${{ matrix.idf_target }}
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   target_tests_esp_modem:
diff --git a/ci/config_env.sh b/ci/config_env.sh
index 7239a35c6..750f02113 100755
--- a/ci/config_env.sh
+++ b/ci/config_env.sh
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 set -e
 
 # MQTT public broker URI
-export CI_MQTT_BROKER_URI="broker.emqx.io"
+export CI_MQTT_BROKER_URI="test.mosquitto.org"
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_c3 b/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_c3
index 4fcd2179d..aaff1c733 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_c3
+++ b/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_c3
@@ -13,6 +13,5 @@ CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_PPP_APN="lpwa.vodafone.com"
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MQTT_TEST_TOPIC="/ci/esp-modem/pppos-client"
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_PAUSE_NETIF_TO_CHECK_SIGNAL=y
 CONFIG_ESP_SYSTEM_PANIC_PRINT_HALT=y
-CONFIG_ESP32_PANIC_PRINT_HALT=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_DETECT_MODE_BEFORE_CONNECT=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MQTT_BROKER_URI="mqtt://${CI_MQTT_BROKER_URI}"
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.usb_a7670_s2 b/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.usb_a7670_s2
index 0804642fd..6539b7dee 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.usb_a7670_s2
+++ b/components/esp_modem/examples/pppos_client/sdkconfig.ci.usb_a7670_s2
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ CONFIG_LWIP_PPP_ENABLE_IPV6=n
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_SERIAL_CONFIG_USB=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_DEVICE_A7670=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_PPP_APN="lpwa.vodafone.com"
-CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_PPP_AUTH_NONE=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MQTT_TEST_TOPIC="/ci/esp-modem/pppos-client"
 CONFIG_ESP_SYSTEM_PANIC_PRINT_HALT=y
-CONFIG_ESP32_PANIC_PRINT_HALT=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MQTT_BROKER_URI="mqtt://${CI_MQTT_BROKER_URI}"
diff --git a/components/esp_modem/examples/simple_cmux_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_cmux b/components/esp_modem/examples/simple_cmux_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_cmux
index ede340955..ddb97e501 100644
--- a/components/esp_modem/examples/simple_cmux_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_cmux
+++ b/components/esp_modem/examples/simple_cmux_client/sdkconfig.ci.sim800_cmux
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_DEVICE_SIM800=y
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_DEVICE_BG96=n
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_MODEM_PPP_APN="lpwa.vodafone.com"
 CONFIG_ESP_SYSTEM_PANIC_PRINT_HALT=y
-CONFIG_ESP32_PANIC_PRINT_HALT=y
 CONFIG_COMPILER_CXX_EXCEPTIONS=y
 CONFIG_ESP_MAIN_TASK_STACK_SIZE=8192
 CONFIG_EXAMPLE_CLOSE_CMUX_AT_END=y