diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-gui-win.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-gui-win.yml
index 5d756bb53f2a7266ca995cdc14463639a2a30941..84ea090a82c2ceb4a4c18614bbe237b5fa68897a 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-gui-win.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-gui-win.yml
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ build gui win:
   variables:
     CMAKE_PRESET: release-gui
     CMAKE_ARGS: >-
-      -DOGS_$USE_PYTHON
       -DOGS_CI_TESTRUNNER_REPEAT=1
       -DOGS_BUILD_PROCESSES=SteadyStateDiffusion
       $ADDITIONAL_CMAKE_ARGS
-  parallel:
-    matrix:
-      - USE_PYTHON: ["USE_PYTHON=ON", "USE_PYTHON=OFF"]
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux.yml
index 1d22fb723f95f97b28f7f8d367b0cef53e8205ca..f9655e4823ad455af04909a433adf5b4cbec70da 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-linux.yml
@@ -5,20 +5,9 @@ build linux:
     - .test-artifacts
   tags: [docker]
   needs: [meta, ci_images]
-  rules:
-    - if: "$USE_PYTHON =~ /ON$/"
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "master"'
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^v[0-9]\.[0-9]\.[0-9]/
-    - when: manual
-      allow_failure: true
   timeout: 3h
   variables:
     CMAKE_PRESET: release-all
-    CMAKE_ARGS: >-
-      -DOGS_$USE_PYTHON
-  parallel:
-    matrix:
-      - USE_PYTHON: ["USE_PYTHON=ON", "USE_PYTHON=OFF"]
 
 linux ctest large:
   image: $CONTAINER_GCC_IMAGE
@@ -35,8 +24,6 @@ linux ctest large:
     BUILD_TESTS: "false"
     BUILD_CTEST_LARGE: "true"
     CMAKE_PRESET: release-all
-    CMAKE_ARGS: >-
-      -DOGS_USE_PYTHON=ON
 
 build linux (no unity):
   image: $CONTAINER_GCC_IMAGE
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml
index 2425477dbd208fc7e460bdd0b9fe51157f339d84..9c036ca5fd2ef43d41a44f8e9dfd01dc872d3caf 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-wheels.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ workflow:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
       variables:
         PYPI_REPO: --repository pypi
+        # TODO: does not work:
         PYPI_AUTH: --username __token__ --password "${PYPI_TOKEN}"
         GIT_DEPTH: 1000
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-win.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-win.yml
index 055323f26bc89ce59e61809fca249200884ddfa2..85fb64c453adfa1134e9b0492c390a981066a080 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/build-win.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/build-win.yml
@@ -2,25 +2,15 @@ build win:
   extends:
     - .template-build-win
     - .vs2019-environment
-  rules:
-    - if: "$USE_PYTHON =~ /ON$/"
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "master"'
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^v[0-9]\.[0-9]\.[0-9]/
-    - when: manual
-      allow_failure: true
   variables:
     CHECK_WARNINGS: "true"
     CMAKE_PRESET: release
     # TODO: temporary switched off TH2M
     CMAKE_ARGS: >-
       -DOGS_CI_TESTRUNNER_REPEAT=1
-      -DOGS_$USE_PYTHON
       -DOGS_BUILD_PROCESS_TH2M=OFF
       -DOGS_USE_PIP=ON
       -DOGS_USE_MKL=ON
-  parallel:
-    matrix:
-      - USE_PYTHON: ["USE_PYTHON=ON", "USE_PYTHON=OFF"]
 
 build win msvc:
   extends:
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/code-quality.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/code-quality.yml
index 5e2b1168a0bd922cd99a8c61982d59162ca37eb8..0e57b57116f2a12de60dfe2e3bc16c317077d5df 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/code-quality.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/code-quality.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 cppcheck:
   stage: check
-  needs: [ meta ]
-  tags: [ envinf ]
+  needs: [meta]
+  tags: [envinf]
   before_script:
     - mkdir -p build
     - cd build
   script:
     - >
       cmake .. -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DOGS_USE_CONAN=OFF
-      -DOGS_USE_PYTHON=OFF -DOGS_BUILD_UTILS=OFF
+      -DOGS_BUILD_UTILS=OFF
       -DOGS_USE_UNITY_BUILDS=OFF -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON
     - bash cppcheck.sh
   artifacts:
diff --git a/scripts/ci/jobs/package.yml b/scripts/ci/jobs/package.yml
index bc715e4d5bc635baee5a1544a012806cb16f6b69..586fad8e534809ab4f53a7da0b85ad6ba6dc0bc7 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/jobs/package.yml
+++ b/scripts/ci/jobs/package.yml
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ offline configure:
     - tar xf ext.tar.gz
     - |
       cmake ../../ogs -B . -G Ninja --preset release \
-          -DOGS_USE_PYTHON=OFF -DOGS_DOWNLOAD_CPM_CACHE=ON
+          -DOGS_DOWNLOAD_CPM_CACHE=ON
       rm CMakeCache.txt
       cmake ../../ogs -B . -G Ninja --preset release-petsc \
-        -DOGS_USE_PYTHON=OFF -DOGS_DOWNLOAD_CPM_CACHE=ON \
+        -DOGS_DOWNLOAD_CPM_CACHE=ON \
         -DOGS_USE_MFRONT=ON -DOGS_USE_LIS=ON -DOGS_EXTERNAL_DEPENDENCIES_CACHE=./ext