diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3402f4c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+name: test
+
+on: [ push, pull_request ]
+
+jobs:
+  raku:
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        os: [ macos-latest, windows-latest, ubuntu-latest ]
+        raku-version: [ latest ]
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    env:
+      RAKUDO_LOG_PRECOMP: 1
+      RAKUDO_OPT: --ll-exception
+      # Workaround for path length errors during precompilation of longer repo names
+      TMPDIR: /tmp
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: Raku/setup-raku@v1
+        with:
+          raku-version: ${{ matrix.raku-version }}
+
+      - name: Ensure TMPDIR exists
+        run: mkdir -p ${{ env.TMPDIR }}
+      - name: Remove non-core modules included in this github action
+        run: raku -e 'my $site = CompUnit::RepositoryRegistry.repository-for-name(q|site|); $site.uninstall($_) for $site.installed'
+
+      # run xt/ tests
+      - name: Run xt/ tests - repository.rakutest
+        run: raku --ll-exception -I. xt/repository.rakutest
+      - name: Run xt/ tests - install.rakutest
+        run: raku --ll-exception -I. xt/install.rakutest
+        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
+
+      # run integration tests pre-install
+      - name: Test (and show for debugging purposes) --version
+        run: raku -I. bin/zef --version
+      - name: Run relative local path test + install
+        run: raku -I. bin/zef --debug install .
+      - name: Test uninstall
+        run: raku -I. bin/zef uninstall zef
+      - name: Run absolute local path test + install
+        run: raku -I. bin/zef install ${{ github.workspace }}
+
+      # run integration tests post-install
+      - name: Test 'update'
+        run: zef update --debug
+      - name: Test --version
+        run: zef --version
+      - name: Test --help
+        run: zef --help
+      - name: Test 'locate' with short-name
+        run: zef locate Zef::CLI
+      - name: Test 'locate' with path name
+        run: zef locate lib/Zef/CLI.rakumod
+      - name: Test 'browse'
+        run: zef browse zef bugtracker --/open
+      - name: Test 'info'
+        run: zef info zef
+      - name: Test 'search'
+        run: zef --debug search Base64
+      - name: Test 'rdepends'
+        run: zef --debug rdepends Base64
+      - name: Test 'depends'
+        run: zef --debug depends Cro::SSL
+      - name: Test 'fetch'
+        run: zef --debug fetch Base64
+      - name: Test installing from what 'fetch' put in ::LocalCache
+        run: zef --debug --/fez --/cpan --/p6c --/rea install Base64
+      - name: Test 'list'
+        run: zef --debug --max=10 list
+      - name: Test 'list --installed'
+        run: zef --debug --installed list
+      - name: Test reinstallation via 'install --force-install'
+        run: zef --debug --force-install install Base64
+      - name: Test installing .tar.gz
+        run: zef --debug install https://github.com/ugexe/Raku-PathTools/archive/0434191c56e0f3254ab1d756d90f9191577de5a0.tar.gz
+      - name: Test 'upgrade' on previously installed PathTools .tar.gz
+        run: zef --debug upgrade PathTools
+      - name: Test installing .zip
+        run: zef --debug install https://github.com/ugexe/Raku-Text--Table--Simple/archive/v0.0.3.zip
+      - name: Test remote git repo + tag
+        run: zef --debug install https://github.com/ugexe/Raku-Text--Table--Simple.git@v0.0.4
+      - name: Test self contained installation
+        run: |
+          zef install Distribution::Common --/test
+          zef install Distribution::Common::Remote -to=inst#foo --contained --/test
+          zef uninstall Distribution::Common
+          raku -I inst#foo -M Distribution::Common::Remote::Github -e ""
+      - name: Test 'nuke' on config paths
+        run: zef --/confirm nuke TempDir StoreDir
+      - name: Test single repository update ('cached' should be 0 after previous nuke)
+        run: zef update cached --debug
diff --git a/lib/Zef/Client.rakumod b/lib/Zef/Client.rakumod
index fe33e16a..67736800 100644
--- a/lib/Zef/Client.rakumod
+++ b/lib/Zef/Client.rakumod
@@ -1087,13 +1087,31 @@ class Zef::Client {
                 });
                 my Str @includes = $staging-repo.path-spec;
                 $_.dist.metainfo<includes> = @includes;
-                $staging-repo.install($_.dist, :precompile($!precompile-install));
-                self.logger.emit({
-                    level   => INFO,
-                    stage   => STAGING,
-                    phase   => AFTER,
-                    message => "Staging [OK] for {$_.dist.identity}",
-                });
+
+                # Spawn a new process to run CompUnit::Repository::Staging.install(...) to ensure we have a clean slate.
+                # We turn the Zef::Distribution::Local into a Distribution::Hash so the new process doesn't need to have
+                # a repo path pointing to Zef::Distribution::Local.
+                my $bare-dist = Distribution::Hash.new($_.dist.meta, :prefix($_.dist.path.IO));
+                my $staged := try so Zef::zrun(:!out, :!err, :cwd($_.dist.path), $*EXECUTABLE, '-e', "{$staging-repo.raku}.install({$bare-dist.raku}, :precompile({$!precompile-install}))");
+
+                if $staged {
+                    self.logger.emit({
+                        level   => INFO,
+                        stage   => STAGING,
+                        phase   => AFTER,
+                        message => "Staging [OK] for {$_.dist.identity}",
+                    });
+                }
+                else {
+                    self.logger.emit({
+                        level   => ERROR,
+                        stage   => STAGING,
+                        phase   => AFTER,
+                        candi   => $_,
+                        message => "Staging [FAIL]: {$_.dist.?identity // $_.as} from {$_.uri}",
+                    });
+                    die("Aborting due to staging failure: {$_.dist.?identity // $_.uri}");
+                }
 
                 $_;
             });