diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index d272feda78..ded6d65b51 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout RMG-Py
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       # configures the mamba environment manager and builds the environment
       - name: Setup Mambaforge Python 3.7
@@ -109,11 +109,9 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash -l {0}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout RMG-Py
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       # configures the mamba environment manager and builds the environment
-      - name: Patch Environment File
-        run: sed -i 's/  - conda-forge::julia>=1.8.5,!=1.9.0/  - conda-forge::julia=1.9.1/' environment.yml
       - name: Setup Mambaforge Python 3.7
         uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2
         with:
@@ -132,7 +130,6 @@ jobs:
 
       # Clone RMG-database
       - name: Clone RMG-database
-        if: github.repository != 'ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-database'
         run: |
           cd ..
           git clone -b $RMG_DATABASE_BRANCH https://github.com/ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-database.git
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index aff19b7b83..8ef810f67f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
           cd build/html
           touch .nojekyll
           git add -A --force .
-          git commit -m "Automated documentation rebuild"
+          git diff --staged --exit-code --quiet || git commit -m "Automated documentation rebuild"  # only commit if changes were made
 
       - name: Check documentation links
         continue-on-error: true
@@ -89,12 +89,6 @@ jobs:
           cd documentation
           sphinx-build -b linkcheck -d build/doctrees/ source/ build/linkcheck | grep -e broken -e redirect | grep -v -e 'redirect  https://doi.org/' -e 'broken    https://doi.org/.* 403 Client Error: Forbidden'
 
-      - name: Test Publish Documentation
-        if: ${{  github.event_name != 'push' && github.repository == 'ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-Py' }}
-        run: |
-          cd documentation/build/html
-          git push --dry-run origin gh-pages
-
       - name: Publish Updated Documentation
         if: ${{  github.event_name == 'push' && github.repository == 'ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-Py' }}
         run: |