diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 16e761dde09686ec05f44647bacd99600fc41a2a..db2d76432bd590425a5b7d430bd5490a0b45b2ce 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ stages:
   - build
   - test
   - compare
+  # - container
 
 default:
   tags:
     - podman
 
+
 alma8-build:
   image: harbor.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/almalinux8:latest
   stage: build
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ alma8-build:
     paths:
       - ./src/FLEXPART
       - ./src/FLEXPART_ETA
-    expire_in: never
+    expire_in: 1d
 
 rocky9-build:
   image: harbor.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/rockylinux9:latest
@@ -39,7 +41,27 @@ rocky9-build:
     paths:
       - ./src/FLEXPART
       - ./src/FLEXPART_ETA
+    expire_in: 1d
+
+.download:
+  cache:
+    paths:
+      - ./tests/testdata
+    policy: pull
+
+setup:
+  stage: test
+  image: harbor.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/rockylinux9:latest
+  script:
+    - mkdir ./tests/testdata
+    - wget -P ./tests/testdata "https://webdata.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/*"
+  extends: .download
+  cache:
+    policy: pull-push
+  artifacts:
     expire_in: never
+    paths:
+      - ./tests/testdata
 
 options-test:
   # image: harbor.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/almalinux8:latest
@@ -49,6 +71,7 @@ options-test:
     - alma8-build
     - rocky9-build
 
+  extends: .download
   script:
     - ulimit -s unlimited
     - bash ./tests/run_default_options_test.sh
@@ -76,6 +99,8 @@ nests-test:
   artifacts:
     when: on_success
     paths:
+      - ./tests/output_nests
+    expire_in: 5 mins
 
 openmp-simulation:
   # image: harbor.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/almalinux8:latest
@@ -179,4 +204,8 @@ documentation:
     - if: '$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME == "master"'
   script:
     - cd ./documentation && mkdocs build -c --verbose
-    - sshpass -p "$WOLKE_PASSWORD" rsync -autv --delete -e "ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no" /tmp/cr-site/* "$WOLKE_USER@wolke.img.univie.ac.at:/var/www/flexpart/docs"
\ No newline at end of file
+    - sshpass -p "$WOLKE_PASSWORD" rsync -autv --delete -e "ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no" /tmp/cr-site/* "$WOLKE_USER@wolke.img.univie.ac.at:/var/www/flexpart/docs"
+
+# base:
+#   stage: container
+#   image: 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Dockerfile_flexpart b/Dockerfile_flexpart
index 5a9b61c3e2335068001b1ad046b2ef0193c90a7e..b21156010cdb6a06faa2557fcb59f0c27afcfa87 100644
--- a/Dockerfile_flexpart
+++ b/Dockerfile_flexpart
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ ARG COMMIT=0
 ENV COMMIT=$COMMIT
 COPY ./src /src
 COPY ./tests/default_options /options
-COPY ./tests/default_winds /inputs
+
+# since the new data set is larger, we download the data for the container
+RUN wget -P /inputs "https://webdata.wolke.img.univie.ac.at/flexpart/*"
+# COPY ./tests/default_winds /inputs
+
 COPY ./entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
 WORKDIR /src
 #
diff --git a/tests/pathnames b/tests/pathnames
index 5bf3496bddbfbb7e1c953701243f44ab6e7cc13d..d078a55ba7f8b8c6fbf9968e92ec492f20ccfd88 100644
--- a/tests/pathnames
+++ b/tests/pathnames
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 ./current/
 ./output/
-./default_winds/
+./testdata/
 ./default_winds/AVAILABLE