diff --git a/tests/cilib_test.nix b/tests/cilib_test.nix
index 1661c8c..3b76fb8 100644
--- a/tests/cilib_test.nix
+++ b/tests/cilib_test.nix
@@ -56,28 +56,26 @@
       }
       {
         name = "jobPatched nix disabled";
+        expected = {};
+        actual = mkJobPatched {
+          key = "test";
+          pipelineName = "test";
+          job = {};
+          nixConfig.enable = false;
+        };
+      }
+      {
+        name = "jobPatched nix disabled with variables and cache";
         expected = {
-          cache = {
-            name = "some";
-            paths = ["this"];
-          };
-          variables = {
-            BASH = toString pkgs.bash;
-            TEST = "work";
-          };
+          variables."HELLO" = "world";
+          cache = [{key = "example";}];
         };
         actual = mkJobPatched {
           key = "test";
           pipelineName = "test";
           job = {
-            cache = {
-              name = "some";
-              paths = ["this"];
-            };
-            variables = {
-              BASH = toString pkgs.bash;
-              TEST = "work";
-            };
+            variables."HELLO" = "world";
+            cache = [{key = "example";}];
           };
           nixConfig.enable = false;
         };
@@ -87,30 +85,11 @@
         expected = {
           after_script = ["finalize_nix_ci"];
           before_script = ["source setup_nix_ci \"gitlab-ci:pipeline:test:job-deps:test\""];
-          variables = {
-            #BASH = toString pkgs.bash;
-            TEST = "work";
-          };
-          cache = [
-            {
-              name = "some";
-              paths = ["this"];
-            }
-          ];
         };
         actual = mkJobPatched {
           key = "test";
           pipelineName = "test";
-          job = {
-            cache = {
-              name = "some";
-              paths = ["this"];
-            };
-            variables = {
-              BASH = toString pkgs.bash;
-              TEST = "work";
-            };
-          };
+          job = {};
           nixConfig = {
             enable = true;
             enableRunnerCache = false;
@@ -123,34 +102,17 @@
           after_script = ["finalize_nix_ci"];
           before_script = ["source setup_nix_ci \"gitlab-ci:pipeline:test:job-deps:test\""];
           cache = [
-            {
-              name = "some";
-              paths = ["this"];
-            }
             {
               key = "test";
               paths = [".nix-cache/"];
             }
           ];
-          variables = {
-            NIX_CI_CACHE_STRATEGY = "runner";
-            #BASH = toString pkgs.bash;
-            TEST = "work";
-          };
+          variables."NIX_CI_CACHE_STRATEGY" = "runner";
         };
         actual = mkJobPatched {
           key = "test";
           pipelineName = "test";
-          job = {
-            cache = {
-              name = "some";
-              paths = ["this"];
-            };
-            variables = {
-              BASH = toString pkgs.bash;
-              TEST = "work";
-            };
-          };
+          job = {};
           nixConfig = {
             enable = true;
             enableRunnerCache = true;
@@ -199,26 +161,12 @@
           '';
       }
       {
-        name = "handle store paths in variables without nix config";
+        name = "ignore store paths in variables with nix disabled";
         expected = {
           stages = ["test"];
-          variables = {
-            EXAMPLE = "empty";
-            CURL = toString pkgs.curl;
-          };
           test = {
             stage = "test";
-            before_script = ["./init"];
-            script = ["echo Hello World!"];
-            after_script = ["./clean"];
-            cache = {
-              key = "simple";
-              paths = ["~/random/"];
-            };
-            variables = {
-              SAMPLE = "working";
-              HELLO = toString pkgs.hello;
-            };
+            variables."TEST" = "${pkgs.hello}";
           };
         };
         actual =
@@ -227,85 +175,32 @@
             nixConfig.enable = false;
             pipeline = {
               stages = ["test"];
-              variables = {
-                EXAMPLE = "empty";
-                CURL = toString pkgs.curl;
-              };
               jobs.test = {
                 stage = "test";
-                before_script = ["./init"];
-                script = ["echo Hello World!"];
-                after_script = ["./clean"];
-                cache = {
-                  key = "simple";
-                  paths = ["~/random/"];
-                };
-                variables = {
-                  SAMPLE = "working";
-                  HELLO = toString pkgs.hello;
-                };
+                variables."TEST" = "${pkgs.hello}";
               };
             };
           }).finalConfig;
       }
       {
-        name = "handle store paths in variables with nix config";
+        # it doesn't make much sense to have any nix store path in variables, but we ignore it for global variables
+        name = "ignore store paths in global variables";
         expected = {
-          stages = ["test"];
           variables = {
-            EXAMPLE = "empty";
+            HELLO = "world";
             CURL = toString pkgs.curl;
           };
-          test = {
-            stage = "test";
-            before_script = ["source setup_nix_ci \"gitlab-ci:pipeline:test:job-deps:test\"" "./init"];
-            script = ["echo Hello World!"];
-            after_script = ["./clean" "finalize_nix_ci"];
-            cache = [
-              {
-                key = "simple";
-                paths = ["~/random/"];
-              }
-              {
-                key = "random";
-                paths = [".nix-cache/"];
-              }
-            ];
-            variables = {
-              SAMPLE = "working";
-              #HELLO = toString pkgs.hello;
-              NIX_CI_CACHE_STRATEGY = "runner";
-            };
-          };
         };
         actual =
           (mkPipeline {
             name = "test";
-            nixConfig = {
-              enable = true;
-              enableRunnerCache = true;
-              runnerCacheKey = "random";
-            };
+            nixConfig.enable = true;
             pipeline = {
-              stages = ["test"];
               variables = {
-                EXAMPLE = "empty";
+                HELLO = "world";
                 CURL = toString pkgs.curl;
               };
-              jobs.test = {
-                stage = "test";
-                before_script = ["./init"];
-                script = ["echo Hello World!"];
-                after_script = ["./clean"];
-                cache = {
-                  key = "simple";
-                  paths = ["~/random/"];
-                };
-                variables = {
-                  SAMPLE = "working";
-                  HELLO = toString pkgs.hello;
-                };
-              };
+              jobs = {};
             };
           }).finalConfig;
       }