diff --git a/.github/workflows/regression.yml b/.github/workflows/regression.yml
index d21d62adb..eec5d51c0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/regression.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/regression.yml
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ jobs:
   buildtest_regtest:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
-      fail-fast: true
-
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [macos-latest, macos-13, ubuntu-latest]
         python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11', '3.12', '3.13']
diff --git a/buildtest/cli/buildspec.py b/buildtest/cli/buildspec.py
index 2253a467a..fa1b5d5b7 100644
--- a/buildtest/cli/buildspec.py
+++ b/buildtest/cli/buildspec.py
@@ -1275,7 +1275,8 @@ def buildspec_validate_command(
             console.print(f"[green]buildspec: {buildspec} is valid")
 
     if exception_counter > 0:
-        console.print(f"[red]{exception_counter} buildspecs failed to validate")
+        msg = f"[red]{exception_counter} buildspecs failed to validate"
+        console.print(msg)
         sys.exit(1)
 
     console.print("[green]All buildspecs passed validation!!!")
diff --git a/buildtest/cli/cdash.py b/buildtest/cli/cdash.py
index 665890e68..c5cccd639 100644
--- a/buildtest/cli/cdash.py
+++ b/buildtest/cli/cdash.py
@@ -128,28 +128,21 @@ def upload_test_cdash(
     project_name = configuration.target_config["cdash"]["project"]
 
     if not build_name:
-        sys.exit("Please specify a buildname")
+        raise SystemExit("Please specify a buildname")
 
     try:
         requests.get(cdash_url)
-    except requests.ConnectionError:
+    except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
         print(
             "\nShown below is the CDASH settings from configuration file:",
             configuration.file,
         )
         print(yaml.dump(configuration.target_config["cdash"], indent=2))
         console.print_exception()
-        raise requests.ConnectionError
+        raise requests.exceptions.ConnectionError
 
     upload_url = urljoin(cdash_url, f"submit.php?project={project_name}")
 
-    r = requests.get(upload_url)
-    # output of text property is the following:
-    # '<cdash version="3.0.3">\n  <status>OK</status>\n  <message></message>\n  <md5>d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e</md5>\n</cdash>\n'
-    if not re.search("<status>OK</status>", r.text):
-        console.print("[red]Malformed XML, please check if project exist on CDASH!")
-        sys.exit(f"Invalid URL: {upload_url}")
-
     # For best CDash results, builds names should be consistent (ie not change every time).
 
     input_datetime_format = "%Y/%m/%d %H:%M:%S"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 71b408a73..46da94939 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ split_on_trailing_comma = true
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 minversion = "6.0"
-addopts = "-vra -x --durations=20 -vv"
+addopts = "-vra --maxfail=5 --durations=20 -vv"
 testpaths = ["tests"]
 markers = [
     "schema: run schema tests",
diff --git a/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_project.yml b/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_project.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index b750ef0e5..000000000
--- a/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_project.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-system:
-  generic:
-    hostnames:
-    - .*
-    description: Generic System
-    moduletool: N/A
-    file_traversal_limit: 1000
-    cdash:
-      url: "https://my.cdash.org"
-      project: INVALID-PROJECT
-      site: laptop
-    executors:
-      local:
-        bash:
-          description: submit jobs on local machine using bash shell
-          shell: bash
-        sh:
-          description: submit jobs on local machine using sh shell
-          shell: sh
-        csh:
-          description: submit jobs on local machine using csh shell
-          shell: csh
-        zsh:
-          description: submit jobs on local machine using zsh shell
-          shell: zsh
-        python:
-          description: submit jobs on local machine using python shell
-          shell: python
-    compilers:
-      find:
-        gcc: "^(gcc)"
-      compiler:
-        gcc:
-          builtin_gcc:
-            cc: /usr/bin/gcc
-            fc: /usr/bin/gfortran
-            cxx: /usr/bin/g++
diff --git a/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_url.yml b/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_url.yml
index ee3dca5d9..fcf3d708a 100644
--- a/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_url.yml
+++ b/tests/cli/cdash_examples/invalid_url.yml
@@ -3,8 +3,17 @@ system:
     hostnames:
     - .*
     description: Generic System
-    moduletool: N/A
+    moduletool: none
     file_traversal_limit: 1000
+    buildspecs:
+      rebuild: false
+      count: 15
+      # specify format fields
+      #format: name,description
+      terse: false
+    report:
+      count: 25
+      format: name,id,state,runtime,returncode
     cdash:
       url: "https://my.cdash.XYZ.org"
       project: buildtest
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_cdash.py b/tests/cli/test_cdash.py
index afe0c58bc..478346f08 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_cdash.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_cdash.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ def test_cdash_upload():
 
 def test_cdash_upload_exceptions():
     # a buildname must be specified, a None will result in error
+
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
         upload_test_cdash(
             build_name=None,
@@ -57,17 +58,6 @@ def test_cdash_upload_exceptions():
     bc.detect_system()
 
     # in configuration file we have invalid url to CDASH server
-    with pytest.raises(requests.ConnectionError):
+    # with pytest.raises(urllib3.exceptions.MaxRetryError):
+    with pytest.raises(requests.exceptions.ConnectionError):
         upload_test_cdash(build_name="DEMO", configuration=bc)
-
-    bc = SiteConfiguration(
-        os.path.abspath(os.path.join(here, "cdash_examples", "invalid_project.yml"))
-    )
-    bc.detect_system()
-
-    # in configuration file we have invalid project name in CDASH
-
-    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
-        upload_test_cdash(
-            build_name="DEMO", configuration=bc, site=None, open_browser=False
-        )
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_config.py b/tests/cli/test_config.py
index f263eb8b6..40fa364ac 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_config.py
@@ -201,6 +201,8 @@ def test_file_traversal_limit_in_config():
     # exception can be raised when buildspec is invalid
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
         buildspec_validate_command(
-            buildspecs=[os.path.join(BUILDTEST_ROOT, "tutorials")],
+            buildspecs=[
+                os.path.join(BUILDTEST_ROOT, "tutorials", "invalid_executors.yml")
+            ],
             configuration=configuration,
         )