diff --git a/.github/workflows/ngwpc-cicd.yml b/.github/workflows/ngwpc-cicd.yml
index a02ad7048a..2e293bef98 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ngwpc-cicd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ngwpc-cicd.yml
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install build dependencies
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt-get install -y cmake g++ mpi-default-bin libopenmpi-dev libboost-all-dev libudunits2-dev libnetcdf-dev libnetcdf-c++4-dev
+          sudo apt-get install -y cmake g++ mpi-default-bin libopenmpi-dev libudunits2-dev libnetcdf-dev libnetcdf-c++4-dev
           python3 -m pip install numpy==1.26.4 netcdf4 bmipy pandas torch pyyaml pyarrow
           #python3 -m pip install -r extern/test_bmi_py/requirements.txt
           #python3 -m pip install -r extern/t-route/requirements.txt
@@ -139,12 +139,47 @@ jobs:
         uses: github/codeql-action/init@v4
         with:
           languages: cpp
-      # Build (replicate your CMake build commands from Dockerfile or local builds)
+      - name: Install Boost
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+            build-essential curl ca-certificates bzip2 python3-dev
+
+          BOOST_VER=1.86.0
+          BOOST_UNDERSCORE=1_86_0
+          PREFIX=/opt/boost-${BOOST_VER}
+
+          curl -fL --retry 10 --retry-delay 2 --max-time 600 \
+            -o /tmp/boost.tar.bz2 \
+            "https://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost/${BOOST_VER}/boost_${BOOST_UNDERSCORE}.tar.bz2/download"
+
+          tar -xjf /tmp/boost.tar.bz2 -C /tmp
+          cd "/tmp/boost_${BOOST_UNDERSCORE}"
+
+          ./bootstrap.sh --prefix="${PREFIX}"
+
+          # Build Boost libraries
+          ./b2 -j"$(nproc)" install \
+            --with-system \
+            --with-filesystem \
+            --with-program_options \
+            --with-thread \
+            --with-regex \
+            --with-date_time \
+            --with-serialization
+          echo "BOOST_ROOT=${PREFIX}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${PREFIX}:${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH:-}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
       - name: Build C++ code
         env:
           PYTHONPATH: ${{ env.PYTHONPATH }}
         run: |
           cmake -B cmake_build -S . \
+            -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="${BOOST_ROOT}" \
+            -DBoost_NO_SYSTEM_PATHS=ON \
+            -DBOOST_ROOT="${BOOST_ROOT}" \
             -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$(which python3) \
             -DNGEN_WITH_MPI=ON \
             -DNGEN_WITH_NETCDF=ON \
@@ -156,9 +191,7 @@ jobs:
             -DNGEN_WITH_TESTS=OFF \
             -DNGEN_WITH_ROUTING=ON \
             -DNGEN_QUIET=ON \
-            -DNGEN_UPDATE_GIT_SUBMODULES=OFF \
-            # Using boost from apt for simplicity and code scanning
-            #-DBOOST_ROOT=/opt/boost
+            -DNGEN_UPDATE_GIT_SUBMODULES=OFF
           cmake --build cmake_build --target all
       - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
         uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v4
@@ -311,8 +344,8 @@ jobs:
             --all \
             "docker://${IMAGE_BASE}:${TEST_TAG}" "docker://${IMAGE_BASE}:${ALIAS_TAG}"
 
-          # tag with 'latest' on development branch push
-          if [ "$GITHUB_EVENT_NAME" = "push" ] && [ "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" = "development" ]; then
+          # tag with 'latest' on development branch
+          if [ "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" = "development" ]; then
             skopeo copy \
               --src-creds "${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \
               --dest-creds "${{ github.actor }}:${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}" \