diff --git a/.github/workflows/unittests.yaml b/.github/workflows/unittests.yaml
index 3e0b66db2..a7271814e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unittests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unittests.yaml
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           pip install -e .[memprof,mpi,test]
           pytest -n 4 armi
-          mpiexec -n 2 --use-hwthread-cpus coverage run --rcfile=pyproject.toml -m pytest --cov=armi --cov-config=pyproject.toml --ignore=venv armi/tests/test_mpiFeatures.py || true
-          mpiexec -n 2 --use-hwthread-cpus coverage run --rcfile=pyproject.toml -m pytest --cov=armi --cov-config=pyproject.toml --ignore=venv armi/tests/test_mpiParameters.py || true
-          mpiexec -n 2 --use-hwthread-cpus coverage run --rcfile=pyproject.toml -m pytest --cov=armi --cov-config=pyproject.toml --ignore=venv armi/utils/tests/test_directoryChangersMpi.py || true
+          mpiexec -n 2 --use-hwthread-cpus pytest armi/tests/test_mpiFeatures.py
+          mpiexec -n 2 --use-hwthread-cpus pytest armi/tests/test_mpiParameters.py
+          mpiexec -n 2 --use-hwthread-cpus pytest armi/utils/tests/test_directoryChangersMpi.py
diff --git a/armi/bookkeeping/db/tests/test_comparedb3.py b/armi/bookkeeping/db/tests/test_comparedb3.py
index a19b94950..2b07a3dc9 100644
--- a/armi/bookkeeping/db/tests/test_comparedb3.py
+++ b/armi/bookkeeping/db/tests/test_comparedb3.py
@@ -228,15 +228,17 @@ def test_diffSpecialData(self):
             refData4 = f4.create_dataset("numberDensities", data=a2)
             refData4.attrs["shapes"] = "2"
             refData4.attrs["numDens"] = a2
+            refData4.attrs["specialFormatting"] = True
             f5 = h5py.File("test_diffSpecialData5.hdf5", "w")
             srcData5 = f5.create_dataset("numberDensities", data=a2)
             srcData5.attrs["shapes"] = "2"
             srcData5.attrs["numDens"] = a2
+            srcData5.attrs["specialFormatting"] = True
 
-            # there should an exception
-            with self.assertRaises(Exception) as e:
+            # there should a log message
+            with mockRunLogs.BufferLog() as mock:
                 _diffSpecialData(refData4, srcData5, out, dr)
-                self.assertIn("Unable to unpack special data for paramName", e)
+                self.assertIn("Unable to unpack special data for", mock.getStdout())
 
             # make an H5 datasets that will add a np.inf diff because keys don't match
             f6 = h5py.File("test_diffSpecialData6.hdf5", "w")
diff --git a/armi/utils/tests/test_pathTools.py b/armi/utils/tests/test_pathTools.py
index 2b6f046db..8ac3affe0 100644
--- a/armi/utils/tests/test_pathTools.py
+++ b/armi/utils/tests/test_pathTools.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import unittest
 
 from armi import context
+from armi.tests import mockRunLogs
 from armi.utils import pathTools
 from armi.utils.directoryChangers import TemporaryDirectoryChanger
 
@@ -36,11 +37,10 @@ def test_copyOrWarnFile(self):
             pathTools.copyOrWarn("Test File", path, pathCopy)
             self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(pathCopy))
 
-            # Test an exception
-            with self.assertRaises(Exception) as e:
+            # Test a non-existant file
+            with mockRunLogs.BufferLog() as mock:
                 pathTools.copyOrWarn("Test File", "FileDoesntExist.txt", pathCopy)
-                self.assertIn("Could not copy", e)
-                self.assertIn("No such file or directory", e)
+                self.assertIn("Could not copy", mock.getStdout())
 
     def test_copyOrWarnDir(self):
         with TemporaryDirectoryChanger():
@@ -55,11 +55,10 @@ def test_copyOrWarnDir(self):
             self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(pathDirCopy))
             self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(pathDirCopy, "test.txt")))
 
-            # Test an exception
-            with self.assertRaises(Exception) as e:
+            # Test a non-existant file
+            with mockRunLogs.BufferLog() as mock:
                 pathTools.copyOrWarn("Test File", "DirDoesntExist", pathDirCopy)
-                self.assertIn("Could not copy", e)
-                self.assertIn("No such file or directory", e)
+                self.assertIn("Could not copy", mock.getStdout())
 
     def test_separateModuleAndAttribute(self):
         self.assertRaises(