diff --git a/.github/workflows/10min-iiab-test-install.yml b/.github/workflows/10min-iiab-test-install.yml
index d2b8bd056..bf7a0b83e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/10min-iiab-test-install.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/10min-iiab-test-install.yml
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ jobs:
           sudo mkdir /etc/iiab
           # touch /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
           sudo cp /opt/iiab/iiab/vars/local_vars_none.yml /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
+          sudo mkdir /usr/local/bin/ansible
+          sudo cp /opt/iiab/iiab/collections.yml /usr/local/bin/ansible/
       - run: sudo /opt/iiab/iiab/scripts/ansible
       - run: sudo ./iiab-install
         working-directory: /opt/iiab/iiab
diff --git a/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-deb12-on-rpi3.yml b/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-deb12-on-rpi3.yml
index a8703346e..dff53c1e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-deb12-on-rpi3.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-deb12-on-rpi3.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ jobs:
               ls /opt/iiab/iiab
               mkdir /etc/iiab
               cp /opt/iiab/iiab/vars/local_vars_none.yml /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
+              mkdir /usr/local/bin/ansible
+              cp /opt/iiab/iiab/collections.yml /usr/local/bin/ansible/
               /opt/iiab/iiab/scripts/ansible
               ./iiab-install
               cd /opt/iiab/iiab
diff --git a/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-raspios-on-zero2w.yml b/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-raspios-on-zero2w.yml
index 9b521fee6..9c4c7f1af 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-raspios-on-zero2w.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/30min-iiab-test-install-raspios-on-zero2w.yml
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ jobs:
               ls /opt/iiab/iiab
               mkdir /etc/iiab
               cp /opt/iiab/iiab/vars/local_vars_none.yml /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml
+              mkdir /usr/local/bin/ansible
+              cp /opt/iiab/iiab/collections.yml /usr/local/bin/ansible/
               /opt/iiab/iiab/scripts/ansible
               ./iiab-install
               cd /opt/iiab/iiab
diff --git a/scripts/ansible b/scripts/ansible
index 5ef9dfed9..54962723a 100755
--- a/scripts/ansible
+++ b/scripts/ansible
@@ -290,6 +290,8 @@ EOF
     # - 'apt -y install libffi-dev python3-dev'
     # - painstaking pinning of cryptography or cffi (etc) to older version #s
     /usr/local/ansible/bin/python3 -m pip install --prefer-binary --upgrade ansible-core
+    # test github runners fail without true
+    cp $CWD/collections.yml /usr/local/ansible/ || true
     echo -e "\nCreate symlinks /usr/local/bin/ansible* -> /usr/local/ansible/bin/ansible*"
     cd /usr/local/ansible/bin
     for bin in ansible*; do
@@ -300,10 +302,7 @@ EOF
 # upgrade of collection and dependencies it pulls in.  Note Ansible may support
 # explicit upgrading of collections (--upgrade / -U flag) in version "2.11"
 # with PR ansible/ansible#73336.  See also IIAB PRs #2647 #2652 #2653 #2655.
-    echo "start is $CWD"
-    echo "current is $(pwd)"
     echo -e "\n\nIIAB requires these ~4 Ansible Collections: (we upgrade them here if possible!)\n"
-    cp $CWD/collections.yml /usr/local/ansible/
     cd /usr/local/ansible/
     . bin/activate
     bin/ansible-galaxy collection install --force-with-deps -r collections.yml -p collections