diff --git a/.github/actions/run_tox/action.yml b/.github/actions/run_tox/action.yml
index 72c14dbe9..ed6dff61e 100644
--- a/.github/actions/run_tox/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/run_tox/action.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ inputs:
     description: 'a pip flag'
   TOXENV:
     description: 'the tox environment to run'
+  CFLAGS:
+    description: 'needed to help pip find augeas headers on mac'
 
 runs:
   using: composite
@@ -29,6 +31,7 @@ runs:
       AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: "${{ inputs.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}"
       PIP_USE_PEP517: "${{ inputs.PIP_USE_PEP517 }}"
       TOXENV: "${{ inputs.TOXENV }}"
+      CFLAGS: "${{ inputs.CFLAGS }}"
     run: |-
       set -e
       export TARGET_BRANCH="`echo "${BUILD_SOURCEBRANCH}" | sed -E 's!refs/(heads|tags)/!!g'`"
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup_tox/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup_tox/action.yml
index f5cb69de4..427d4605c 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup_tox/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup_tox/action.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ runs:
       brew update
       brew install augeas
       BREW_PREFIX=$(brew --prefix augeas)
-      export CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$BREW_PREFIX/include -L$BREW_PREFIX/lib"
+      CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I$BREW_PREFIX/include -L$BREW_PREFIX/lib"
+      echo "CFLAGS=$CFLAGS" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
     shell: bash
   - name: Install Linux dependencies
     if: runner.os == 'Linux'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/standard_tests_jobs.yml b/.github/workflows/standard_tests_jobs.yml
index 239d2a43f..6b6c3fab2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/standard_tests_jobs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/standard_tests_jobs.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v6.0.2
     - name: Setup tox
       uses: "./.github/actions/setup_tox"
+      id: setup
       with:
         PYTHON_VERSION: "${{  matrix.PYTHON_VERSION  }}"
     - name: Run tox
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ jobs:
       with:
         PIP_USE_PEP517: "${{ matrix.PIP_USE_PEP517 }}"
         TOXENV: "${{ matrix.TOXENV }}"
+        CFLAGS: "${{ steps.setup.outputs.CFLAGS }}"
     - name: Upload coverage
       uses: "./.github/actions/upload_coverage"
   test_sphinx_builds: