diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 9d692f1943a..f76960e5cb8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ jobs:
         test-k-expr: "not (multi_mesh_raycaster or newton_raycast or raycaster_sensor)"
         warp-cache: restore
         ovrtx-shader-cache: restore
-        test-jobs: "2"
+        test-jobs: "4"
         result-file: "test-standalone-demos-kit-report.xml"
         container-name: isaac-lab-standalone-demos-kit-test
         omni-github-test-type: standalone-demo
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ jobs:
         test-k-expr: "not (multi_mesh_raycaster or newton_raycast or raycaster_sensor)"
         warp-cache: restore
         ovrtx-shader-cache: restore
-        test-jobs: "2"
+        test-jobs: "4"
         result-file: "test-standalone-demos-non-kit-report.xml"
         container-name: isaac-lab-standalone-demos-non-kit-test
         omni-github-test-type: standalone-demo
@@ -742,15 +742,17 @@ jobs:
           exit 1
         fi
 
+  # No contributed environment needs cuRobo, so this job uses the base image and
+  # does not wait for the cuRobo image build.
   test-contrib-environments:
     name: test-contrib-environments
     runs-on: [self-hosted, gpu]
     timeout-minutes: 120
     continue-on-error: true
-    needs: [build-curobo, config]
+    needs: [build, config]
     if: >-
       github.event_name != 'push' &&
-      needs.build-curobo.result == 'success'
+      needs.build.result == 'success'
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v6
       with:
@@ -758,11 +760,9 @@ jobs:
         lfs: true
     - uses: ./.github/actions/run-package-tests
       with:
-        image-tag: ${{ needs.config.outputs.ci_image_tag }}-curobo
+        image-tag: ${{ needs.config.outputs.ci_image_tag }}
         isaacsim-base-image: ${{ needs.config.outputs.isaacsim_image_name }}
         isaacsim-version: ${{ needs.config.outputs.isaacsim_image_tag }}
-        dockerfile-path: docker/Dockerfile.curobo
-        cache-tag: cache-curobo
         include-files: >-
           test_contrib_environments_kitless.py,
           test_contrib_environments_kit.py,
@@ -1236,12 +1236,17 @@ jobs:
         # Warm every supported rigid core environment on Newton. MJWarp
         # specializes kernels per model config, so a small representative task
         # set leaves most of the cache to be compiled again by each PR test
-        # shard. The multi-agent suite supplies Handover.
+        # shard. The multi-agent suite supplies Handover. Newton deterministic
+        # modes generate different kernels, which only the determinism suite
+        # compiles, and the contributed environments are not core tasks; uncached,
+        # both are the long poles of their PR jobs.
         include-files: >-
           test_environments_newton.py,
-          test_multi_agent_environments.py
+          test_multi_agent_environments.py,
+          test_environment_determinism.py,
+          test_contrib_environments_kitless.py
         # Keep this warmer focused on rigid environments.
-        test-k-expr: "test_environments and not (Soft or Cloth or Cable)"
+        test-k-expr: "not (Soft or Cloth or Cable)"
         warp-cache: ${{ env.PUBLISHES_WARP_CACHE == 'true' && 'save' || 'restore' }}
         container-name: isaac-lab-warp-cache-warm
         omni-github-test-type: warp-cache-warm
diff --git a/tools/test_settings.py b/tools/test_settings.py
index c7c616c5dd0..3bd2aa796d3 100644
--- a/tools/test_settings.py
+++ b/tools/test_settings.py
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@
 """Per-test startup timeouts for cold external asset downloads."""
 
 PYTEST_WORKERS = {
-    # Standalone launches already use independent subprocesses; overlap two simulator startups.
-    "test_standalone_scripts.py": 2,
+    # Standalone launches already use independent subprocesses; overlap four simulator startups.
+    "test_standalone_scripts.py": 4,
     # Contributed-environment smoke tests: environment runs of several seconds to 2 min each. The camera file
     # stays whole: its workers would each start the RTX renderer, and one environment dominates it.
     "test_contrib_environments_kit.py": 2,
@@ -120,15 +120,22 @@
 CUROBO_TESTS = [
     *CUROBO_PLANNER_TESTS,
     "test_generate_dataset_skillgen.py",
+]
+"""A list of tests that require cuRobo installation.
+
+These tests are skipped in the base image CI jobs and run separately in the
+dedicated ``test-curobo`` CI job which uses the cuRobo Docker image.
+"""
+
+CONTRIB_ENVIRONMENT_TESTS = [
     "test_contrib_environments_kit.py",
     "test_contrib_environments_kit_cameras.py",
     "test_contrib_environments_kitless.py",
 ]
-"""A list of tests that require cuRobo installation.
+"""Contributed-environment smoke tests.
 
-These tests are skipped in the base image CI jobs and run separately in the
-dedicated ``test-curobo`` and ``test-contrib-environments`` CI jobs which use the cuRobo
-Docker image.
+These tests are skipped in the package CI jobs and run in the dedicated
+``test-contrib-environments`` CI job.
 """
 
 QUARANTINED_TESTS: list[str] = [
@@ -154,6 +161,8 @@
     "test_record_video.py",  # Failing
     # curobo / skillgen - require cuRobo installation; run via test-curobo and test-skillgen CI jobs
     *CUROBO_TESTS,
+    # contributed environments - run via the test-contrib-environments CI job
+    *CONTRIB_ENVIRONMENT_TESTS,
     # quarantined tests - run in dedicated CI job that does not block PR merges
     *QUARANTINED_TESTS,
     "test_environments_training.py",  # Long-running RL training test; runs in dedicated CI job