diff --git a/.github/scripts/run_validation_tests.sh b/.github/scripts/run_validation_tests.sh
index b6e9051a3..198242e59 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/run_validation_tests.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/run_validation_tests.sh
@@ -2,21 +2,9 @@
 
 set +e
 
-VALIDATION_TESTS_1="${1:-$VALIDATION_TESTS_1}"
-VALIDATION_TESTS_2="${2:-$VALIDATION_TESTS_2}"
-PYTEST_ALIAS="${3:-$PYTEST_ALIAS}"
-PYTEST_PARAMS="${4:-$PYTEST_PARAMS}"
-export TEST_PORT_P="${5:-$TEST_PORT_P}"
-export TEST_PORT_R="${6:-$TEST_PORT_R}"
-PYTEST_RETRIES="${PYTEST_RETRIES:-3}"
-
 # Function to log messages to GitHub Actions
-function LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY() {
-  echo "$@" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
-}
-
-function LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE() {
-  echo "$@"
+log_to_github() {
+  echo "$1" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
 }
 
 # Function to run a test and handle retries
@@ -27,84 +15,83 @@ run_test() {
   local pytest_params=$4
   local test_port_p=$5
   local test_port_r=$6
-  local PYTEST_START_TIME=""
-  local PYTEST_END_TIME=""
-  local PYTEST_DURATION=""
-  local PYTEST_TASK_STATUS="❌"
-  local PYTEST_SUFFIX="[Err]"
 
-  LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "::group::${test}"
-  PYTEST_START_TIME=$(date '+%s')
-  # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-  ${pytest_alias} "${test}" ${pytest_params} --nic="${test_port_p},${test_port_r}" --collect-only -q --no-summary
+  echo "::group::${test}"
+  local start_time=$(date '+%s')
+  $pytest_alias "${test}" $pytest_params --nic="${test_port_p},${test_port_r}" --collect-only -q --no-summary
 
   for retry in $(seq 1 "$retries"); do
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    ${pytest_alias} "${test}" ${pytest_params} --nic="${test_port_p},${test_port_r}"
+    $pytest_alias "${test}" $pytest_params --nic="${test_port_p},${test_port_r}"
     local result=$?
-    LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "RETRY: ${retry}"
+    echo "RETRY: ${retry}"
     [[ "$result" == "0" ]] && break
   done
 
-  PYTEST_END_TIME="$(date '+%s')"
-  PYTEST_DURATION="$((PYTEST_END_TIME - PYTEST_START_TIME))"
+  local end_time=$(date '+%s')
+  local duration=$((end_time - start_time))
+  local status="❌"
+  local suffix="[Err]"
 
   if [[ "$result" == "0" ]]; then
-    PYTEST_TASK_STATUS="✅"
-    PYTEST_SUFFIX="[OK]"
+    status="✅"
+    suffix="[OK]"
     TESTS_SUCCESS+=("${test}")
   else
     TESTS_FAIL+=("${test}")
   fi
 
-  LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "| ${PYTEST_TASK_STATUS} | ${test} | $(date --date=@${PYTEST_START_TIME} '+%d%m%y_%H%M%S') | $(date --date="@${PYTEST_END_TIME}" '+%d%m%y_%H%M%S') | ${PYTEST_DURATION}s | ${PYTEST_SUFFIX} |"
-  LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "::endgroup::"
+  log_to_github "| ${status} | ${test} | $(date --date=@${start_time} '+%d%m%y_%H%M%S') | $(date --date=@${end_time} '+%d%m%y_%H%M%S') | ${duration}s | ${suffix} |"
+  echo "::endgroup::"
 }
 
 # Main script execution
-LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "::group::pre-execution-summary"
+echo "::group::pre-execution-summary"
+
+# Export environment variables
+export TEST_PORT_P="${TEST_PORT_P}"
+export TEST_PORT_R="${TEST_PORT_R}"
 
 # Collect tests to be executed
 TESTS_INCLUDED_IN_EXECUTION=(
-  $(grep -v "collected in" <(${PYTEST_ALIAS} "tests/${VALIDATION_TESTS_1}" --collect-only -q --no-summary 2>&1))
+  $(grep -v "collected in" <($PYTEST_ALIAS "tests/${VALIDATION_TESTS_1}" $PYTEST_PARAMS --nic="${TEST_PORT_P},${TEST_PORT_R}" --collect-only -q --no-summary 2>&1))
 )
 SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER="Starting tests/${VALIDATION_TESTS_1}"
 
 if [[ -n "${VALIDATION_TESTS_2}" ]]; then
   TESTS_INCLUDED_IN_EXECUTION+=(
-    $(grep -v "collected in" <(${PYTEST_ALIAS} "tests/${VALIDATION_TESTS_2}" --collect-only -q --no-summary 2>&1))
+    $(grep -v "collected in" <($PYTEST_ALIAS "tests/${VALIDATION_TESTS_2}" $PYTEST_PARAMS --nic="${TEST_PORT_P},${TEST_PORT_R}" --collect-only -q --no-summary 2>&1))
   )
   SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER="${SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER}, tests/${VALIDATION_TESTS_2}"
 fi
 
+NUMBER_OF_TESTS="${#TESTS_INCLUDED_IN_EXECUTION[@]}"
 TESTS_FAIL=()
 TESTS_SUCCESS=()
 
-LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "${SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER} tests (total ${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}) :rocket:"
-LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "----------------------------------"
-LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "Tests to be executed:"
-LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "${TESTS_INCLUDED_IN_EXECUTION[@]}"
-
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "## ${SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER} tests (total ${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}) :rocket:"
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "| ❌/✅ | Collected Test | Started | Ended | Took (s) | Result |"
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |"
+echo "${SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER} tests (total ${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}) :rocket:"
+echo "----------------------------------"
+echo "Tests to be executed:"
+echo "${TESTS_INCLUDED_IN_EXECUTION[@]}"
 
-LOG_GITHUB_CONSOLE "::endgroup::"
+log_to_github "## ${SUMMARY_MAIN_HEADER} tests (total ${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}) :rocket:"
+log_to_github "| ❌/✅ | Collected Test | Started | Ended | Took (s) | Result |"
+log_to_github "| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |"
+echo "::endgroup::"
 
 # Execute each test
 for test in "${TESTS_INCLUDED_IN_EXECUTION[@]}"; do
-  run_test "$test" "${PYTEST_RETRIES}" "${PYTEST_ALIAS}" "${PYTEST_PARAMS}" "${TEST_PORT_P}" "${TEST_PORT_R}"
+  run_test "$test" "$PYTEST_RETRIES" "$PYTEST_ALIAS" "$PYTEST_PARAMS" "$TEST_PORT_P" "$TEST_PORT_R"
 done
 
 # Summary of test results
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "### Total success ${#TESTS_SUCCESS[@]}/${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}:"
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "${TESTS_SUCCESS[@]}"
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "### Total failed ${#TESTS_FAIL[@]}/${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}:"
-LOG_GITHUB_SUMMARY "${TESTS_FAIL[@]}"
+log_to_github "### Total success ${#TESTS_SUCCESS[@]}/${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}:"
+log_to_github "${TESTS_SUCCESS[@]}"
+log_to_github "### Total failed ${#TESTS_FAIL[@]}/${NUMBER_OF_TESTS}:"
+log_to_github "${TESTS_FAIL[@]}"
 
 # Determine exit status
 if [[ "${#TESTS_FAIL[@]}" == "0" ]] || [[ "${VALIDATION_NO_FAIL_TESTS}" == "true" ]]; then
   exit 0
+else
+  exit 1
 fi
-
-exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/gtest-bare-metal.yml b/.github/workflows/gtest-bare-metal.yml
index 6541c4c9d..db90f105c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gtest-bare-metal.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gtest-bare-metal.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ env:
   # Customize the env if
   BUILD_TYPE: 'Release'
   DPDK_VERSION: '23.11'
+  DPDK_REBUILD: 'false'
   # Bellow ENV variables are required to be defined on runner side:
   # TEST_PF_PORT_P: '0000:49:00.0'
   # TEST_PF_PORT_R: '0000:49:00.1'
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ jobs:
           ref: '${{ inputs.branch-to-checkout || github.head_ref || github.ref }}'
 
       - name: Checkout DPDK
+        if: env.DPDK_REBUILD == 'true'
         uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
         with:
           repository: 'DPDK/dpdk'
@@ -83,10 +85,12 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get install -y systemtap-sdt-dev
 
       - name: Apply dpdk patches
+        if: env.DPDK_REBUILD == 'true'
         run: |
           patch -d "dpdk" -p1 -i <(cat patches/dpdk/${{  env.DPDK_VERSION  }}/*.patch)
 
       - name: Build dpdk
+        if: env.DPDK_REBUILD == 'true'
         run: |
           cd dpdk
           meson build
@@ -119,8 +123,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Binding network adapter
         run: |
           sudo ./script/nicctl.sh create_vf "${TEST_PF_PORT_P}" || true
-          sudo ./dpdk/usertools/dpdk-devbind.py -b vfio-pci "${TEST_DMA_PORT_P}" || true
-          sudo ./dpdk/usertools/dpdk-devbind.py -b vfio-pci "${TEST_DMA_PORT_R}" || true
+          sudo dpdk-devbind.py -b vfio-pci "${TEST_DMA_PORT_P}" || true
+          sudo dpdk-devbind.py -b vfio-pci "${TEST_DMA_PORT_R}" || true
 
       - name: Start MtlManager at background
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validation-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/validation-tests.yml
index 2ce2a2194..ca3c221eb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validation-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validation-tests.yml
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ on:
 env:
   BUILD_TYPE: 'Release'
   DPDK_VERSION: '23.11'
+  DPDK_REBUILD: 'false'
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: 'preparation: Checkout DPDK'
         uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        if: env.DPDK_REBUILD == 'true'
         with:
           repository: 'DPDK/dpdk'
           ref: 'v${{  env.DPDK_VERSION  }}'
@@ -166,11 +168,13 @@ jobs:
               systemtap-sdt-dev
 
       - name: 'configuration: Apply dpdk patches'
+        if: env.DPDK_REBUILD == 'true'
         run: |
           patch -d "dpdk" -p1 -i <(cat patches/dpdk/${{  env.DPDK_VERSION  }}/*.patch)
 
       - name: 'installation: Build dpdk'
         working-directory: dpdk
+        if: env.DPDK_REBUILD == 'true'
         run: |
           meson build
           ninja -C build
@@ -231,7 +235,6 @@ jobs:
           sudo rmmod irdma || true
           sudo ./script/nicctl.sh ${{ inputs.validation-iface-binding }} "${TEST_PF_PORT_P}" || true
           sudo ./script/nicctl.sh ${{ inputs.validation-iface-binding }} "${TEST_PF_PORT_R}" || true
-          sudo modprobe irdma || true
 
       - name: 'preparation: Start MtlManager at background'
         run: |
@@ -240,7 +243,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: 'execution: Run validation-bare-metal tests in pipenv environment'
         working-directory: tests/validation
         run: |
-          "${{ github.workspace }}/.github/scripts/run_validation_tests.sh"
+          . "${{ github.workspace }}/.github/scripts/run_validation_tests.sh"
         env:
           TEST_PORT_P: ${{ env.TEST_PORT_P }}
           TEST_PORT_R: ${{ env.TEST_PORT_R }}
@@ -294,7 +297,6 @@ jobs:
           sudo rmmod irdma || true
           sudo ./script/nicctl.sh bind_kernel "${TEST_PF_PORT_P}" || true
           sudo ./script/nicctl.sh bind_kernel "${TEST_PF_PORT_R}" || true
-          sudo modprobe irdma || true
 
       - name: 'cleanup: Validation execution logs'
         if: always()