diff --git a/.github/workflows/caches_cron_job.yml b/.github/workflows/caches_cron_job.yml
index 95759b956..dca221987 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/caches_cron_job.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/caches_cron_job.yml
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ jobs:
 
   create-conda-env-cache-if-missing:
     name: Caching conda env
-    runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: true
+      matrix:
+        os: ['ubuntu-latest', 'windows-latest', 'macos-latest']
     defaults:
       # by default run in bash mode (required for conda usage)
       run:
@@ -38,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
         #   * when package dependencies change
         id: cache-conda-env
         with:
-          path: /usr/share/miniconda/envs/neo-test-env
+          path: envs/neo-test-env
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-conda-env-${{ steps.dependencies.outputs.hash }}-${{ steps.date.outputs.date }}
 
       - name: Cache found?
@@ -48,10 +50,21 @@ jobs:
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2.2.0
         if: steps.cache-conda-env.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         with:
-          activate-environment: neo-test-env
+          activate-environment: ~/envs/neo-test-env
           environment-file: environment_testing.yml
           python-version: 3.9
 
+      - name: Installing datalad and git-annex
+        if: steps.cache-conda-env.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.email "neo_ci@fake_mail.com"
+          git config --global user.name "neo CI"
+          python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install datalad-installer
+          datalad-installer --sudo ok --bin-dir ~/envs/neo-test-env/ git-annex --method datalad/packages
+          pip install datalad
+          git config --global filter.annex.process "git-annex filter-process"  # recommended for efficiency
+
       - name: Create the conda environment to be cached
         if: steps.cache-conda-env.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         # create conda env, configure git and install pip, neo and test dependencies from master
@@ -63,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
           pip install --upgrade -e .[test]
 
   create-data-cache-if-missing:
-    name: Caching data env
+    name: Caching data
     runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
     steps:
 
@@ -89,7 +102,7 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "neo CI"
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
           pip install datalad-installer
-          datalad-installer --sudo ok git-annex --method datalad/packages
+          datalad-installer --sudo ok git-annex=8 --method datalad/packages
           pip install datalad
           git config --global filter.annex.process "git-annex filter-process"  # recommended for efficiency
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/io-test.yml b/.github/workflows/io-test.yml
index 51b29a98f..4957ae716 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/io-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/io-test.yml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2
         with:
-          activate-environment: neo-test-env
+          activate-environment: ~/envs/neo-test-env
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
       - name: Get current dependencies hash
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ jobs:
         #   * when package dependencies change
         id: cache-conda-env
         with:
-          path: /usr/share/miniconda/envs/neo-test-env
+          path: ~/envs/neo-test-env
           key: ${{ runner.os }}-conda-env-${{ steps.dependencies.outputs.hash }}-${{ steps.date.outputs.date }}
           # restore-keys match any key that starts with the restore-key
           restore-keys: |
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ jobs:
         # restore-key hits should result in `cache-hit` == 'false'
         if: steps.cache-conda-env.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         run: |
-          conda env update --name neo-test-env --file environment_testing.yml --prune
+          conda env update --prefix ~/envs --name neo-test-env --file environment_testing.yml --prune
 
       - name: Configure git
         run: |