diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_test_docker.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_test_docker.yml
index 51991a10d..730a5381c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_test_docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_test_docker.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ on: [pull_request,workflow_dispatch]
 
 env:
   TEST_TAG: dtcenter/ccpp-scm:test
+  PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.number }}
 
 jobs:
   docker:
@@ -22,8 +23,9 @@ jobs:
           file: docker/Dockerfile
           load: true
           tags: ${{ env.TEST_TAG }}
+          build-args: PR_NUMBER=${{ github.event.number }}
       - name: Test
         run: |
           mkdir $HOME/output
           chmod a+rw $HOME/output
-          docker run --rm -v $HOME/output:/home ${{ env.TEST_TAG }} ./run_scm.py -f ../../test/rt_test_cases.py --runtime_mult 0.1 -d -a
+          docker run --rm -v $HOME/output:/home ${{ env.TEST_TAG }} ./run_scm.py -f ../../test/rt_test_cases.py --runtime_mult 0.1 -d --stop_on_error
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 85ad4d856..f269fff5f 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 FROM debian:12
 LABEL maintainer="Michael Kavulich <kavulich@ucar.edu>"
 
-# Set up base OS environment
+# arguments that can be passed in
+ARG PR_NUMBER
 
+# Set up base OS environment
 RUN apt-get -y update
 
 # Get "essential" tools and libraries
@@ -70,11 +72,20 @@ ENV sp_ROOT=/comsoftware/nceplibs
 ENV w3emc_ROOT=/comsoftware/nceplibs
 
 # Obtain CCPP SCM source code, build code, and download static data
-RUN cd /comsoftware \
-  && git clone --recursive -b main https://github.com/NCAR/ccpp-scm \
-  && mkdir /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm/bin
-
-RUN cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm/bin \
+RUN if [ -z "$PR_NUMBER" ]; then \
+        cd /comsoftware \
+        && git clone --recursive -b main https://github.com/NCAR/ccpp-scm; \
+    else \
+        cd /comsoftware \
+        && git clone https://github.com/NCAR/ccpp-scm \
+        && cd ccpp-scm \
+        && git fetch origin pull/${PR_NUMBER}/head:test_pr \
+        && git checkout test_pr \
+        && git submodule update --init --recursive; \
+    fi
+
+RUN mkdir /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm/bin \
+  && cd /comsoftware/ccpp-scm/scm/bin \
   && cmake ../src \
   && make -j
 
diff --git a/scm/src/run_scm.py b/scm/src/run_scm.py
index 35222f168..40c658843 100755
--- a/scm/src/run_scm.py
+++ b/scm/src/run_scm.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 # Default command string to run MPI apps (number of processes should be 1 since SCM is not set up to use more than 1 yet)
 DEFAULT_MPI_COMMAND = 'mpirun -np 1'
 
+
 # Copy executable to run directory if true (otherwise it will be linked)
 COPY_EXECUTABLE = False
 
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@
 parser.add_argument('--n_itt_out',        help='period of instantaneous output (number of timesteps)', required=False, type=int)
 parser.add_argument('--n_itt_diag',       help='period of diagnostic output (number of timesteps)', required=False, type=int)
 parser.add_argument('-dt', '--timestep',  help='timestep (s)', required=False, type=float)
-parser.add_argument('-a', '--actions',    help='if running from Github Actions this will select correct configuration', required=False, action='store_true')
+parser.add_argument('--stop_on_error',    help='when running multiple SCM runs, stop on first error', required=False, action='store_true')
 parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose',    help='set logging level to debug and write log to file', action='count', default=0)
 parser.add_argument('-f', '--file',       help='name of file where SCM runs are defined')
 parser.add_argument('--mpi_command',      help='command used to invoke the executable via MPI (including options)', required=False)
@@ -191,14 +192,14 @@ def parse_arguments():
     bin_dir = args.bin_dir
     timestep = args.timestep
     mpi_command = args.mpi_command
-    github_actions = args.actions
+    stop_on_error = args.stop_on_error
 
     if not sdf:
         sdf = DEFAULT_SUITE
 
     return (file, case, sdf, namelist, tracers, gdb, runtime, runtime_mult, docker, \
             verbose, levels, npz_type, vert_coord_file, case_data_dir, n_itt_out,   \
-            n_itt_diag, run_dir, bin_dir, timestep, mpi_command, github_actions)
+            n_itt_diag, run_dir, bin_dir, timestep, mpi_command, stop_on_error)
 
 def find_gdb():
     """Detect gdb, abort if not found"""
@@ -767,7 +768,7 @@ def copy_outdir(exp_dir):
 def main():
     (file, case, sdf, namelist, tracers, use_gdb, runtime, runtime_mult, docker, \
      verbose, levels, npz_type, vert_coord_file, case_data_dir, n_itt_out,       \
-     n_itt_diag, run_dir, bin_dir, timestep, mpi_command, github_actions) = parse_arguments()
+     n_itt_diag, run_dir, bin_dir, timestep, mpi_command, stop_on_error) = parse_arguments()
 
     setup_logging(verbose)
 
@@ -884,8 +885,7 @@ def main():
             l_ignore_error = MULTIRUN_IGNORE_ERROR
         else:
             l_ignore_error = False
-        # need to correctly fail if running Github Actions
-        if github_actions:
+        if stop_on_error:
             l_ignore_error = False
 
         (status, time_elapsed) = launch_executable(use_gdb, gdb, mpi_command, ignore_error = l_ignore_error)