diff --git a/.github/ci-setup-action/action.yml b/.github/ci-setup-action/action.yml
index f0f9d78a832..9ab4fd9e9b6 100644
--- a/.github/ci-setup-action/action.yml
+++ b/.github/ci-setup-action/action.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Concurrency key for locking jobs'
   concurrency_token:
     required: false
-    description: 'Must be provided with concurrency key. GH token used to lock this job.'
+    description: 'TODO unused'
 runs:
   # define an action, runs in OS of caller
   using: composite
@@ -64,11 +64,15 @@ runs:
         fi
     # As detailed in https://github.com/ben-z/gh-action-mutex
     # things do not become 'pending' in github actions, and instead just cancel one another
-    # so we can't use the native concurrency in GA
+    # so we can't use the native concurrency in GA. We use a simple file-lock since we're on the same machine.
     - name: Limit concurrency
-      uses: ben-z/gh-action-mutex@v1.0.0-alpha.9
+      uses: gacts/run-and-post-run@v1
       if: ${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}
       with:
-        repo-token: ${{ inputs.concurrency_token }}
-        repository: AztecProtocol/git-metadata
-        branch: gh-actions-mutex-${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}
+        run: |
+          while [ -f "/run/${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}.lock" ]; do sleep 1 ; echo "Lock is currently held, waiting..." ; done
+          touch "/run/${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}.lock"
+          echo "/run/${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}.lock acquired."
+        post: |
+          rm "/run/${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}.lock"
+          echo "/run/${{ inputs.concurrency_key }}.lock removed."
diff --git a/yarn-project/end-to-end/Earthfile b/yarn-project/end-to-end/Earthfile
index ec082d5c874..65a01a57966 100644
--- a/yarn-project/end-to-end/Earthfile
+++ b/yarn-project/end-to-end/Earthfile
@@ -216,9 +216,10 @@ e2e-cli:
   ARG e2e_mode=local
   DO +E2E_TEST --test=e2e_cli.test.ts --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode
 
-e2e-persistence:
-  ARG e2e_mode=local
-  DO +E2E_TEST --test=e2e_persistence.test.ts --compose_file=./scripts/docker-compose-no-sandbox.yml --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode
+# TODO sometimes hangs
+# e2e-persistence:
+#  ARG e2e_mode=local
+#  DO +E2E_TEST --test=e2e_persistence.test.ts --compose_file=./scripts/docker-compose-no-sandbox.yml --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode
 
 e2e-browser:
   ARG e2e_mode=local
@@ -260,9 +261,10 @@ guides-dapp-testing:
   ARG e2e_mode=local
   DO +E2E_TEST --test=guides/dapp_testing.test.ts --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode
 
-guides-sample-dapp:
-  ARG e2e_mode=local
-  DO +E2E_TEST --test=sample-dapp --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode
+# TODO intermittent failure
+# guides-sample-dapp:
+#  ARG e2e_mode=local
+#  DO +E2E_TEST --test=sample-dapp --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode
 
 # TODO currently hangs for hour+
 # guides-up-quick-start:
@@ -279,4 +281,4 @@ bench-process-history:
 
 bench-tx-size:
   ARG e2e_mode=local
-  DO +E2E_TEST --test=benchmarks/bench_tx_size_fees.test.ts --debug="aztec:benchmarks:*,aztec:sequencer,aztec:sequencer:*,aztec:world_state,aztec:merkle_trees" --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode --enable_gas=1 --compose_file=./scripts/docker-compose-no-sandbox.yml
\ No newline at end of file
+  DO +E2E_TEST --test=benchmarks/bench_tx_size_fees.test.ts --debug="aztec:benchmarks:*,aztec:sequencer,aztec:sequencer:*,aztec:world_state,aztec:merkle_trees" --e2e_mode=$e2e_mode --enable_gas=1 --compose_file=./scripts/docker-compose-no-sandbox.yml